New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday expressed deep gratitude to the people of India as he entered the 25th year of serving as the head of a government. Recalling his journey that began on this day in 2001, when he took oath as chief minister of Gujarat, the PM said it has been his constant endeavour “to improve the lives of our people and contribute to the progress of this great nation that has nurtured us all”.
Reflecting on his early days in Gujarat, Modi said he was entrusted with leadership “in very testing circumstances”. The state had just been struck by a massive earthquake, and in the preceding years had faced a super cyclone, successive droughts, and political instability. “Those challenges strengthened the resolve to serve people and rebuild Gujarat with renewed vigour and hope,” he said.
The PM fondly remembered his mother’s words on the day he took oath: “I do not have much understanding of your work but I only seek two things. First, you will always work for the poor and second, you will never take a bribe.” Modi said that he made a similar promise to the people of Gujarat — that “whatever I do will be with the best intent and inspired by the vision to serve the very last person in the queue”.
Looking back on his tenure in Gujarat, Modi said that when he first took charge, people believed the state “could never rise again”. Farmers complained of lack of power and water, agriculture was in the doldrums, and industrial growth had stagnated. “From there, we all worked collectively to make Gujarat a powerhouse of good governance,” he said. “Gujarat, a drought-prone state, became a top performer in agriculture. The culture of trading expanded into robust industrial and manufacturing capacities. Regular curfews became a thing of the past. Social and physical infrastructure received a boost. It was very satisfying to be able to work with the people to achieve these outcomes.”
Modi recalled that in 2013, he was given the responsibility of being the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate at a time when “the nation was witnessing a crisis of trust and governance”. He remarked that the then UPA government had become “synonymous with the worst form of corruption, cronyism and policy paralysis”, and that India was seen as “a weak link in the global order”.
He added, “But the wisdom of the people of India gave our alliance a thumping majority and also ensured that our Party got an absolute majority, a first after three long decades.”
Many Achievements
Reflecting on his 11 years as PM, Modi said, “We the people of India have worked together and achieved many transformations.” He highlighted that over 25 crore people have been lifted out of poverty, and India has emerged as a bright spot among the world’s major economies. “Our path-breaking efforts have empowered people across India, especially our Nari Shakti, Yuva Shakti and hardworking Annadatas,” he said.
“We are home to one of the largest healthcare and social security schemes in the world. Our farmers are innovating and ensuring that our nation is self-reliant. We have undertaken extensive reforms, and the popular sentiment today is to make India Aatmanirbhar across all sectors —reflected in the clarion call of ‘Garv Se Kaho, Yeh Swadeshi Hai’.”
Reiterating his gratitude to the people for their enduring trust and affection, Modi said serving the nation remains “the highest honour, a duty that fills me with gratitude and purpose.” Guided by the Constitution and the collective will of the people, he reaffirmed his resolve “to work even harder in the times to come to realise our collective dream of a Viksit Bharat”.