New Delhi, August 15: As India celebrated its 62nd Independence Day on Saturday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called for a new era of cooperation and harmony, saying his government would work for political stability and strengthening economy with an aim of marching towards “a golden future”.
Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort for the sixth consecutive year, the PM promised to take everyone along to create “an environment of consensus and cooperation”, asserting that the people had rejected sectarian politics and have “chosen a political arrangement which is secular”.
“You have entrusted a big responsibility on us and we humbly accept that and will fulfil it,” Dr Singh said.
‘Assistance to farmers’
The Prime Minister further pledged all possible government assistance to farmers to deal with drought and stepped up efforts to control spiralling prices.
He further stressed on the need for another Green Revolution to dramatically boost the country’s agricultural production.
“The country needs another Green Revolution,” the PM said, referring to the revolutionary transformation in the farming sector in the 1960s that made the country self-sufficient in food requirements.
The time had come for farmers and scientists to go for more modern methods of farming, he added.
He said the government would do its best to achieve a 7 percent growth in agriculture. “We are confident we will achieve this in the next five years.”
He further expressed confidence that the Indian economy will rebound by the end of this year and once again enter a high growth path.
“Going back to a nine percent growth path is our greatest challenge. For this, we will take whatever steps that are required,” the PM said. “I appeal to business leaders to work together in this endeavour and meet their social obligations and responsibilities.”
According to Dr Singh, it was because of his government’s policies that the country was able to grow at 6.7 percent in the last fiscal when the world was facing one of the worst downturns in eight decades.
He said steps will be taken to ensure adequate spending on development projects to boost growth further and capital will be sought not only from domestic sources but from overseas as well.
“India can progress only when each Indian makes a contribution. Our endeavour has been to reach the fruits of development to every citizen. I know we have a long way to go.”
The Prime Minister said he was also aware that high commodity prices were causing hardship to citizens, especially the poor. “We have enough food stocks. Every possible step will be taken to bring down prices,” he said.
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Referring to the swine flu that has killed 23 people in the country, the PM said there was no need to panic in the face of swine flu and daily life should not be disrupted because of it.
The Central government was working in tandem with the state governments to overcome the contagious disease, he added.
‘India will crush terror’
The Prime Minister also expressed confidence India would crush terrorism with the help of everyone.
He said while the government respected the people’s right to air their grievances, “nothing can be achieved through violence. There is no place in our democratic system for those who resort to violence.”
Dr Singh said that terrorism had become a global menace. He said his government had taken several steps to improve the internal security since the Mumbai terror attacks of 2008 that left over 180 people dead.
The Prime Minister said that Maoist guerrillas, or Naxalites, were not able to understand the strength of Indian democracy. He vowed to step up the campaign against the Naxalites and provide all help to state governments to overcome the Maoist menace.
At the same time, Manmohan Singh pledged to improve the social and economic disparities that provide oxygen to the Maoist insurgents who hold sway in many parts of the country.
‘India desires peace’
India desires peace with all its neighbours in South Asia, the PM said further.
“We want peace with our neighbours. We want to create an environment that will benefit the entire South Asia,” the Prime Minister said in his annual Independence Day speech from the Red Fort. He made no specific reference to Pakistan.
He said the country needed a foreign policy that should “work for India’s interests in a changing world. We have succeeded (in having such a policy) to a great extent,” he added.
The PM further stated that India had good relations with the US, Japan, Russia and China. New Delhi was also improving its relations with countries of Southeast Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East.
India has cemented its traditional ties with Africa and was searching for new opportunities in South America, he said.
‘Pani Bachao’
With India facing increasing water shortages that is affecting millions, the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today coined a new slogan for the nation: “Pani Bachao” (save water).
In his speech, Dr Singh underlined the urgent need to preserve the country’s depleting water and other natural resources. He went on to say that India needed a new slogan: “Pani Bachao”.
–Agencies