Respect democracy, Modi reminds people of Emergency when rights were snatched
At a time when the water level in India’s major reservoirs and river basins has depleted, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called for conservation of rainwater, saying there is a pressing need to make water conservation a mass movement on the lines of the cleanliness drive.
Resuming his weekly radio talk “Mann Ki Baat” Modi urged people to come out with ideas on water conservation and rejuvenation of rivers. “If you know about any individuals or NGOs working on water (conservation), do share the details,” he said.
He asked people to use #JanShakti4JalShakti to upload their content relating to water conservation. “Appeal to all Indians, including eminent people from all walks of life to create awareness on water conservation. Share knowledge of traditional methods of water conservation. If you know about any individuals or NGOs working on water, do share about them,” later in a series of Tweets PM urged.
“Over the last few months, so many people have written about water related issues. I am happy to see greater awareness on water conservation. I wrote a letter to gram pradhans on the importance of water conservation and how to take steps to create awareness on the subject across rural India,” he said.
Several cities across India are facing water shortage as water levels in various dams and water bodies have gone down significantly. He said, water scarcity affects many parts of the country every year.
“You will be surprised that only 8 per cent of the water received from rains in the entire year is harvested in our country. Just and just 8 per cent,” he lamented. “Now the time has come to find a solution to this problem,” he said, adding that like the other problems on hand, India can also solve this predicament by the participation of the people.
“Therefore, keeping the importance of water in mind, a new Jalashakti Ministry has been created... This will allow faster decision-making on all subjects related to water,” he pointed out.
Modi, who had said a few months ago that he would return with his monthly radio address after the elections, credited the people for bringing him back. On February 24, days before the Lok Sabha elections were announced, he had suspended his monthly “Mann ki Baat” broadcast for March and April.
“When it (the February 24 episode) was about to end, I had stated that we would meet once again after 3 or 4 months ... The confidence was not Modi’s. This trust was the trust of your foundation. You were the ones who transformed yourself into a pillar of trust,” he said in his first address of edition 2 of his programme.
“Actually speaking, I have not returned. You have brought me back. You positioned me here and gave me the opportunity to speak once again,” he said.
Modi also reminded people of the Emergency and urged them not to take democracy “for granted”, saying in day-to-day life, it is difficult to savour the joy of democratic rights, unless they are snatched away.
In his first Mann ki Baat monthly radio address after returning to power, he said everyday when one gets to eat food on time, one doesn’t realize what hunger pangs are.
“Similarly, in day-to-day life, it is difficult to savour the joy of democratic rights, unless they are snatched away. During Emergency, every citizen of the country had started getting the feeling that something that belonged to him had been snatched away. If what was snatched had never been enjoyed by that person, ever, it had to eventually precipitate into a painful inner agony,” he said.
The Prime Minister reminded people that in order to ensure smooth conduct of the social order, a constitution is required. “Laws and rules are necessary, rights and duties should be part of due discourse,” he said. On June 25, India marked the 44th anniversary of Emergency.
Referring to the recently-concluded Lok Sabha election, he said a record 61 crore out of nearly 91 crore voters exercised their franchise.
“If you exclude China, the number of people who voted in India exceeds the population of any other country in the world. The number of people who voted in the 2019 Lok Sabha election is more than the entire population of America, close to double the figure. The total number of voters in India exceeds the entire population of Europe,” he said in his address.
He pointed out that lakhs of teachers, officers and staff strived day and night to carry out the exercise.
Three lakh personnel of the Central armed police forces, 20 lakh State police personnel ensured free and fair elections. “Besides this, there is another fact pertaining to these elections that swells our hearts with pride. Perhaps, this is the first time ever that women have enthusiastically voted, as much as men did.
This time the ratio of men and women who voted was almost the same.
“Another encouraging fact is that, today, there are a record 78 women Members of Parliament. I congratulate the Election Commission and every person connected with the electioneering process and salute the aware voters of India,” Modi said.