PM’s speech at National Cadet Corps rally
Speaker: Narendra Modi
Date: 28 Jan, 2020

My colleagues in cabinet Shri RajnathSinghji, Shripad Yesso Naikji, Chief of Defence Staff General BipinRawatji, senior officials of three armed services, Defence Secretary, Nation Cadet Corps Director General, guests from our friendly countries and my young friends from NCC who are here from different parts of the country, First of all, I congratulate all of you for this programme. Your excellent performance in the Republic Day Parade and your other activities and your achievements, be it in the fields of social service or sports, are commendable. I congratulate and extend my best wishes to the friends who have been awarded. Several cadets from our neighbouring and friendly countries under the Youth Exchange Programme are also present here. I greet them as well. Friends, NCC is a powerful organization in strengthening discipline, determination and devotion towards the country among the youths. These sentiments are directly linkedto the development of the country. Nobody can stop the rapid development of a country if there is discipline, strong willpower, loyalty and passion among the youths. Friends, Today, India is known as a young country in the world. More than 65 percent of the people are below 35 years of age. We are proud that the country is young, but it should be our responsibility to ensure the country’s line of thinking as youthful. What does youthful thinking mean? Those who are weary are neither capable of thinking nor have the intention to do something for the country. Have you noticed what kind of things do they do? Let’s adjust, as it is!!! Take outtime somehow, right now!!! We’ll see it in future!!! What’s the hurry, just delay it, we’ll see it tomorrow!!! Friends, Tomorrow never comes for those who believe in this tendency. These people look for self-interest only. You will find these types of people at most places. Today’s young India, the youth of India are not prepared to accept this tendency. He is squirming how things can move in the same fashion years after independence. How long will we carry on with our shortcomings? He goes abroad, sees the world and then he finds decades-old problems in India. He is not ready to fall victim to these problems. He wants to change the country, to change the conditions. And therefore he has decided, Boss, no more procastination. Need to take things head on. This is the thought of the youth, this is the young mind, and this is the young India. The same young India is saying that it should be our top priority to free the country of the baggage of the past, the same young India is saying that the present of the country should be reformed and there should be rapid development by strengthening its foundation. And the same young India is saying that each decision of the country should ensure better future for the coming generations. We will have to work together in keeping with our challenges of the past, the needs of the present and aspirations of the future. Friends, You slog so much after joining the NCC. Whenever the call is made, you come. You spend hours in drill practice while also studying simultaneously. You have this passion that we will study and will do something for the country. And what is the situation you get from outside? There is a terrorist attack somewhere and several innocent people are killed, or several jawans die after Naxalites blow up a tunnel. Sometimes separatists give speeches, spew venom against India or sometimes insult the Tricolour. We are not prepared to accept this situation. The young India is not prepared. The New India is not prepared. Friends, Sometimes, if some disease does not get cured for a long time, it becomes part of the body. The same thing has happened with our nation also. The nation has been weakened by so many such diseases that it spends most of its energy fighting them. How long would it have continued like this? And for how many years more could we carry on with these diseases? And for how many years more could we continue to procrastinate? Think about it, The problem of Kashmir has been there since the country became independent. What was doneto find a solution to the problem? Three-four families and three-four parties emphasized on festering andkeeping alive this problem rather than finding a solution. What was the outcome? Kashmir was ruined by terrorism and thousands of innocent people were killed at the hands of the terrorists. Can you imagine lakhs of residents of that place being told to leave within a night and the government could not do anything? This was the thought which only boosted the morale of the terrorists. The plan was to weaken the government and the administration. Could we have allowed the situation to remain as it is in Kashmir? Friends, Article 370 was imposed in Jammu-Kashmir as a temporary step. The Constitution also says that it is temporary. But decades passed and nobody showed the courage to remove what was temporary in the Constitution. Reason was the same and so was the approach. Self-interest of one’s political party and its own vote-bank. Could we have handed over such an India to the youth of our country where terrorism would prosper in Kashmir, innocents would die, the Tricolour would continue to be disrespected and the government would simply watch the situation?No. Kashmir is India’s jewel in the crown. It was our responsibility to free Kashmir and its people from decades-old problems and we have done it. Friends, We know that our neighbouringcountry has lost three wars against us. It does not take more than 7-10 days for our forces to defeat them. For decades, it has been fighting a proxy war against India. Thousands of Indian nationals have died in this proxy war. But what was the approach earlier? They used to think that terrorism, terrorist attacks, bomb blasts were law and order problem! It is because of this approach that bomb blasts continued, people gotkilled in terrorist attacks and the Goddess Mother left bloodied and battered. Lots of discussions happened, many a speeches were given, but when our forces asked for action, they were denied. It is the thought of the youth, the country is moving ahead with young mind, therefore, it carries out surgical strikes, air strikes and teaches lesson to the promoters of terrorism at their own backyards. You yourself are witnessing the outcome. Today, peace has been established not only in Jammu-Kashmir but in other parts of the country. Secessionism and terrorism have been largely confined. Friends, You are fully aware of the approach and the treatment towards the North-East in the past. People’s expectations and aspirations were neglected for decades. Not only its people, but their problems, their challenges were left unattended. Several regions there were affected by extremism for over 5-6 decades. Several extremist organizations cropped over due to their demands. These organizations had no faith in democracy. They believed that violence was the only way out. Thousands of innocent people and security personnel died in this violence. Could we have allowed the North-East to fend for itself? Could we have turned away from the problems of our brothers and sisters? This is not our ethos; this is not our working culture. There is important news in newspapers in regard to the North-East. You must have seen in the media. A historic agreement has been finalized on the problem of Bodos. I would request you to study and research about such regions in the country, particularly Assam. Then you will realize what the people of the North-East have gone through. But no such initiative was taken to change the situation. Could we have allowed the situation to continue like this? No. Never. On the one hand, we initiated several projects for the development of the North-East, on the other; we opened talks with all the stakeholders with an open mind. Bodo Agreement is the result of such efforts. An agreement between Mizoram and Tripura over Brutribals in the recent past is also result of this. The agreement has led to the resolution of the 23-year-old issue of Brutribals. This is the thinking of the young India. We are taking the country forward with the cooperation, development and trust of all. Friends, Which citizen of this country would not like our army to be modern and powerful? Who would not like to have the modern war facilities? This is what every patriotic would want. Can you imagine that no next generation fighter plane was commissioned in our country’s air force for more than 30 years? The old aircraft used to meet with accidents, our fighter pilots continued to be martyred, but the people who had the responsibility to buy new aircraft were not concerned. Could we have allowed this to happen? Could we let the airforce weaken? No. We started what was in limbo for the last three decades. I am satisfied that the country has got the next generation fighter plane – Rafale after more than three decades of wait. Very soon it will soar in the skies. Friends, You are in uniform. You can relate it more that the uniform brings along with it duties. It is in regard to this duty that makes our jawan take up cudgels on the border, inside the country, against terrorists and Naxalites. Just think, if he does not have a bulletproof jacket, what will happen? But we had such governments and people who had problem with providing bulletproof jackets to our jawans. The jawans have been asking for bulletproof jackets since 2009, but those people in power did not pay any heed. Could my jawan continue to fall prey to bullets of terrorists and Naxalites? He has vowed to sacrifice his life for the country, but his life is more precious than us. And therefore, our government not only ordered purchase of adequate bulletproof jackets for jawans, but the country is now moving to export bulletproof jackets to other countries as well. Friends, There must be several cadets amongst you whose family member would be in the army. When you meet somebody, you say this with pride that my father, or uncle, or brother, or sister is in army. We have an instinct sense of glory towards the army jawans. The feeling of respect comes out automatically for them because of their services towards the country. But, the previous governments could not meet their 40-year-old demand of one rank one pension, and I repeat their 40-year-old demand of one rank one pension. This is our government which fulfilled the 40-year-old demand by implementing the one rank one pension. Friends, Our jawans at the border not only protect the country’s borders and people, but also protect the honour of the country. Honour is the first recognition of an independent country. There has been a clamourfor the National War Memorial for our brave soldiers, who are protecting the honour of the country, since Independence. Similarly, there has been a demand for a police memorial for the last several decades for the martyred police personnel. Can one imagine that one has to wait for this for 50-60 years? What was this approach, what was the thought process, which path they were taking the country to? Some people strived to commit the sin of ignoring India’s martyrs. Rather than boosting the morale and self-respect of our security personnel, their self-respect was dented. Will the NCC cadet who is sitting here endorse this? Our government has done what the youth wants. Today there is National War Memorial and National Police Memorial alsoin Delhi. Friends, Today, military systems are changing at different levels all over the world. We all know that war is no longer wonby mounting on elephants or horses. In the modern warfare, our army, navy and airforce have to move forward in a very coordinated way. For several years, there was an ongoing debate for the appointment of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) to strengthen synergy and coordination amongst the three forces. But sadly, there used to be only debates, files used to rotate from one table to another, and nobody took the decision. The approach was same – what’s the use, let it be!!! Friends, Our government has constituted the Department of Military Affairs, CDS and its appointment. It is with the same approach of the youth who say don’t procrastinate, take action. And keep in mind that if one plus one plus one is three then it becomes 111 after the appointment of the CDS. Friends, Can you imagine that any country was letting its own water go waste? But it was happening in India. India’s farmer was upset due to water scarcity and the country’s water was flowing to Pakistan. Nobody had the courage to make available this water to the Indian farmer. We decided to stop the water flowing to Pakistan and the work is progressing rapidly. The water which belonged to India will remain in India. Friends, When the country became independent, the partition happened with whose counsel, with whose interests? Those who took charge of the independent India agreed to the partition. I don’t want to go in detail. You will know the truth if you read good books, if you study the works of unbiased historians. Today, the youth must know the truth about the disinformation and opposition towards the Citizenship Amendment Act. Friends, Soon after independence, Independent India had promised to the Hindus, Sikhs and other minorities living in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan that they could return to India if they felt so. India will stand by them. This was also the desire of Gandhiji, this was the sentiment of the Nehru-Liaquatagreement in 1950. It was the duty of India to provide asylum and citizenship of India to those who were undergoing atrocities due to their faith in these countries.But the issue was brushed aside. At a time when our government has introduced the Citizenship Amendment Act to provide India’s citizenship to these people to stop the historic injustice against them and fulfill the old promises, then some political parties are competing to retain their vote bank. For whose interests are these people working? Why can’t they see the atrocities being committed against the minorities in Pakistan? Why are they hell-bent to brush aside the torture, rape and abduction of these daughters in Pakistan? Friends, some among them are pretending to become the voice of the oppressed. These are the same people who could not see the atrocities against the oppressed. These people tend to forget that those who have escaped to India due to religious atrocities in Pakistan are the oppressed. Friends, Some time ago, Pakistan army had published an advertisement for the appointment of sanitation staff. Do you know what was written in those advertisements? It was written only non-Muslims could apply for sanitation staff. This advertisement was meant for whom. It was meant for our oppressed brothers and sisters. They are being looked down upon in Pakistan. This is their condition. Friends, Many people left India during the Partition. But they used to stake their claims to the properties left behind. Despite India being the rightful claimant of these properties which stood in the middle of the cities and worth several lakhs of crores rupees, it was of no use to the country. The Enemy Property Bill remained suspended for several decades. We had to fight tooth and nail to get it passed when we brought it to Parliament for its implementation. I will ask again – on whose interests was it done? Those who are opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act are the same people who were protesting against the Enemy Property law. Friends, There was an ongoing border dispute between the then East Pakistan and now Bangladesh since the Partition. No substantial initiative was taken to resolve this dispute. How can infiltration be stopped if the border remains disputed? Keep the dispute unresolved for your personal interest, make way for the infiltrators, play your own politics, all these things were going on in our country. This is our government which resolved the border dispute with Bangladesh. We two friendly countries, sat together, heard each other, understood each other and found a resolution which should be acceptable to both the countries. I am satisfied that not only the border dispute has been resolved, but the relationship between India and Bangladesh are at historic level. Both of us are fighting together against the poverty. Friends, A line was drawn on a paper during the Partition. The country was partitioned. The line drawn on a paper had isolated us from GurudwaraKartarpur Sahib, which was made part of Pakistan. Kartarpur was the land of Guru Nanak. The faith of crores of countrymen was associated with that sacred place. Why was it disowned? When Pakistan’s 90,000 soldiers were taken as prisoners, it could have been said then that at least return Kartarpur Sahib. But, this was not even done. For decades, Sikh devotees were waiting for an opportunity to visit Kartarpur Sahib easily so that they could pay their obeisance to the land of Guru. Our government also did this by constructing Kartarpur corridor. Friends, If the Ram Janambhoomi case was dragging in courts, it was because of these people who thought – let the important issues remain unresolved and divert the attention of the people. These people used to make rounds of the court so that the hearing could be deferred or the court could not deliver its judgment. The country has seen all what methods were adopted. Our government exposed their designs, cleared the roadblocks being put up by those people, and today a judgment has also come in this important and sensitive case. Friends, The country has seen and is witness to the real face of the people who were communalizing our government’s decisions to resolve the decades-old problems. I will reiterate – the country is watching and understanding. It is quiet, but understanding everything. The country has realized how these people spread lies for decades only for vote bank. People occupying different positions in the society have been completely exposed. Everyday, their statements are exposing them and their philosophy. These people have always kept self-interests above the interests of the country. These people did not let resolve problems for decades for their vote bank politics. Friends, The Supreme Court had in 1985-86, several years before you were born, announced a historic judgment by providing rights to Muslim women which were being enjoyed by other sisters and daughters. But these people turned down the Supreme Court judgment. Are they not culprits for making the lives of thousands and lakhs of Muslim sisters and daughters hell due to Triple Talaq. Yes, they are. It is because of the appeasement politics that Muslim sisters and daughters could not be freed from the fear of Triple Talaq. While several Muslims countries in the world had banned Triple Talaq, these people did not do here in India. The approach was same – neither will we change, nor will we let others change. Therefore, the country has replaced them. This is our government which has made a law against the Triple Talaq and has provided new rights to Muslim women. Friends, Lakhs of refugees were settled in Delhi after the independence, in the national capital where this programme is being held. As time passed by, lakhs of several others came to Delhi and got settled. For decades, the people living in over 1700 colonies did not get the property rights. Though it was their own house, but not in the eyes of laws. More than 40 lakh people were demanding that they be given their property rights. But for decades, no attention was paid to their demand. When our government tried, attempts were made to put hurdles. This is the thinking of the young India, New India which removed the biggest worry of the lives of Delhi’s 40 lakh people. The decision of the government will benefit Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians. Friends, Every citizen is important to us and we are moving ahead with this approach. As I mentioned earlier, the Bru-Reangtribals of Assam were left to fend for themselves. Our government has freed them from their biggest worry. These people escaped from Mizoram to take shelter in Tripura. For years, they were living like refugees. They had no place to live and there was no future for their children. The previous governments were avoiding their problems. We brought together all and found a resolution. The government plans to spend 600 crore rupees to ease the lives of Bru-Reang tribes people in the coming years. Friends, Every young man, who is sitting here, wants end of corruption in the country. Corruption has wiped out the resources of our country like termites. It has made the rich richer and the poor poorer. Once the country’s Prime Minister had said if the central government sent one rupee to the poor, he got only 15 paise. This was the reality. What was done to change the situation? Only formalities – only pretense! No honest effort was made against corruption. Our government has reined in corruption to a large extent through Jan DhanAadhaarand with the help of mobile phones and modern technology. Our government has succeeded in preventing more than 1,70,000 crore rupees from going into wrong hands. Friends, A law was made in the country against benami properties in 1988. The country’s parliament had passed it. But the law was not implemented for 28 years. The law against benami properties was consigned to the trash basket by these very people. This is our government which not only implemented the benami properties law but has confiscated illegal properties worth thousands of crores rupees under this law. I want to ask you one more question,because, you will be shocked to know the answer. Can 400-500 people be accommodated in the kitchen of your house? No !!! Ok, tell me, can 2,000-3,000 people be accommodated in a kitchen? No !!! I also know it. But earlier, it was happening on the papers in the country. 400-500 companies were being run from the space of a kitchen. There used to be several employees of these companies on the papers. What did these companies do? Transfer of black money from here and there. This was their modus operandi. Our government has closed down over 3.5 lakh such suspected shell companies. This could have been done earlier. But intention was not there, the thinking of young India was not there. We want to resolve the problems and do not want to drag them. Our government has been implementing years-long demands of the people, be it the GST, or the decision to provide reservation to the poor or the law of execution in heinous crimes of rape. Friends, We were getting used to live with the decades old problems for the last 50 years of the 20th century and 15-20 years of the 21st century. This situation is not acceptable for any country. We the people of India can’t let this happen. This is our duty to free the country of these problems in our life time. We will do injustice to the future of the country if we entwine the new generations with these problems. We can’t let this happen. And therefore, I am facing all the political theatrics for the coming generations and for the well being of the youths of the country. I am trying to expose all the conspiracies of these people so that the country could become successful. I am facing all the criticism and abuses so that our future generations don’t have to endure this. I am prepared to endure all the abuses, criticism and atrocities, but not to keep the country burdened with these conditions. These days, these people are spreading propaganda through people like them in foreign media that Modi’s popularity has taken a hit due to the decisions taken by my government. Modi is not born for all these. They have not been able to understand India which is changing. I have faced their pressures for ages. I am aware of their real worth more than they know about themselves. Therefore, these people should not have any illusion. Friends, How can a country shackled in several problems march ahead? We are finding solutions to the problems and are also breaking the shackles. We have to strengthen this country; we have to take it to new highs of development. We have to free the country of these problems for ever by the time we celebrate the 75th independence anniversary in 2022. This liberation from the problems that have been going on since independence will empower the new India in this decade. Once the country will rid itself of old problems, it’s potential will also blossom. India’s energy will be utilized where it should be. The young India has to play a very large role in the fourth industrial revolution. We have to take our economy to new highs. Together, we have to make a self-reliant, powerful, prosperous and safe India. Friends, The year 2022 and this decade is a great opportunity. Its biggest strength is our young energy. This energy has taken care of the country and the same energy will take care of this decade as well. So, let us march on the path of duty. New milestones for the nation building are awaiting us after the solution of the problems. We will reach these milestones together. With this confidence, I conclude. I have taken your precious time. Once again, many many thanks. Bharat Mata kiJai !!! Jai Hind !!!