Narendra Modi shares his vision of ‘brand India’ in 5 Ts
New Delhi – Narendra Modi used a BJP strategy meet on Sunday to unveil his vision for the country ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, promising to develop 100 smart cities and set up IITs, IIMs and an AIIMS in every state. His key agenda – to project India as a brand worldwide.
To build “brand India,” Narendra Modi said, he would focus on 5-Ts – talent, tradition, tourism, trade and technology.
He said he would apply his “good governance” model which worked on a seven-point “rainbow” principle – focus on India’s culture, agriculture, women, natural resources (water, land and forests and environment), youth power, democracy and knowledge.
He envisaged a return to India’s ancient traditions of “non-violence as the topmost dharma”, “all spiritual paths being treated equally”, “service to the poor” and “treating women like Goddesses”.
He promised to fulfil the dreams of his seniors in the BJP: former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s favourite project of interlinking rivers. Also, party patriarch L K Advani’s pet project of bringing back the country’s black money stashed abroad. “If need be, we will amend the law and also set up a task force for bringing back the money,” the Gujarat Chief Minister said, adding that the money would be used for the welfare of the poor.
He said he would strengthen the education sector and centres of excellence and focus on skill development to help empower the youth of the country. “Our dream is to have an IIM, an IIT and an AIIMS in all states,” he said.
He said dignity of women should be a social responsibility and promised to launch a drive “Beti Bachao” against femicide. He said “if we view women not as a homemaker but as an equal partner and a nation builder, the country will progress in leaps and bounds”.
He promised 100 smart cities across the country and said “urbanisation should not be seen as a challenge but as an opportunity”. He also suggested the idea of developing the twin-city concept like that in the developed world, calling for more satellite cities in the country.
To fight inflation, Mr Modi suggested the setting up of a “Price Stabilisation Fund” to help the common man neutralise the effect of rising prices and said the BJP’s priority would be to provide a real-time databank for agri produce with the use of modern technology. He promised to set up a national agriculture market and said a BJP government would act against black marketeers by setting up special courts to deal with cases related to them and to provide time-bound punishment.
Mr Modi promised to protect the federal structure, which the Congress-led UPA failed to do, he said. “The Prime Minister and all Chief Ministers will be a team which will take the nation forward,” he said.
The Gujarat Chief Minister promised “equal development” for the North-Eastern states to help strengthen the nation and said “regional aspirations should not be considered as politics, as seen in the last decade, but should be seen as harbingers of development”.
