An aspirational speech: PM Modi lays out vision of a 'New India'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has often used his speeches from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Independence Day as a method of making assurances to the nation about the future path of development. These assurances can be both big and small; for example, on his first Independence Day as PM, Mr Modi laid out the vision for a manufacturing revival that became “Make in India”; in 2015, at the other end of the scale, he indicated that his government would raise the pensions to freedom fighters and their families. The latter was done; the former is, naturally, harder to implement and has a longer gestation period. By and large, however, the PM’s track record has been that he uses the Independence Day speech to outline priorities that he intends to deliver. This year, Mr Modi has made it clear that he intends to wage a “more intense” war against corruption, and that explains the considerable time he spent on talking about the success of demonetisation. 

The PM also outlined a plan for “building a new India”, which he intends to be in place by 2022. Aspects of this aspiration have been hinted at earlier, including Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s speech presenting the Union Budget for 2017-18 earlier this year. It is worth noting that Mr Modi, by setting targets for 2022 rather than for the year he is due to go again to the electorate in 2019, largely seems to be treating re-election in 2019 as a done deal. Few political analysts would disagree with him at this point. What is important, however, is that Mr Modi seems to be determined to work to a specific plan and with a specific vision of the future — importantly, one that can provide a decent life to a greater proportion of Indians than has hitherto been the case. 

Though his promise to build an India which will be free from terrorism, communalism and casteism in just five years (by 2022) is far-fetched, it is welcome that the PM dedicated a reasonable proportion of his speech towards urging the healing of some of the social discord that has been tearing India apart. He reiterated that “violence in the name of religion is unacceptable”. And in a clear message to his base, he indicated that “bullets and abuse” would not solve the problems in Jammu and Kashmir; that they would be solved only by “embracing” the Kashmiri people. This statement, which has shades of Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s invocation of a common humanity in the Valley during his premiership, is not just mushy idealism, but a solidly realistic view. While there is no question of going soft on terrorism — a point the PM also made — treating the entire population of the Valley as potential terrorists is naturally a self-defeating and counter-productive policy. It is to be hoped that this new approach will filter down to the ground.

Most importantly, perhaps, the PM reiterated his intention to persist with economic reforms, and to continually improve the efforts that have been made so far. Using a railway metaphor, he said that trains could appear to slow down if they had to change tracks. His government, however, has been changing the tracks on which the train of the state runs, while maintaining speed. Mr Modi made eminent sense when he said that just as winning freedom from the British called for struggle and sacrifice, building on Independence to produce good governance calls for hard work. It is hoped that the government’s future actions live up to the aspirations the PM expressed.