Modi Allphones Arena, Sydney Speech Highlights

The Australia visit of our PM Modi has certainly been of a great interest. The last visit of an Indian PM to Australia I remember reading of is – Rajiv Gandhi, about 28 years ago. I personally find it very exciting to see the number of country visits Modi has embarked on from the time he has been on the centre stage as the prime minister. The last significant meet was in the US and of course the Madison Square speech which left us mesmerized and now it is time for the sydney speech at Allphones Arena in Australia.

What’s so special about the event?

– This is the PM’s first public address in Australia; it took 28 years for an Indian PM to come to Australia

– Over 16,000 Indians present at the arena for the speech; Modi surpasses Shah Rukh Khan’s booking records

– 23,000 bookings for this address of Modi and the seating capacity is at 16,000

– Allphones is the largest indoor arena of Australia

Highlights

Forget the gods for the next 50 years

” Forget the gods for the next 50 years” said swami Vivekananda about more than a 100 years ago. A man, a sanyasi who is almost always imagined to be someone who has given up everything for the idea of god said something very special, he asked you to forget the gods for the next 50 years and worship only one god, the only one god – ‘Bharat Mata’ or Goddess India!

And 50 years later, India went on to become an independent country. Such was the vision of a man a 100 years ago, imagine what we can make of the country if we did the same?

We could not die for this country!

“We were not lucky enough to die for India, we were not lucky enough to go to the jails in the struggle for independence, we were not lucky to be hanged in the struggle for independence. We were not lucky enough to die for the country, but atleast we can live for it!

The democracy that binds us

It is not just the cricket that binds us as countries. It is the culture, the tradition and the history which binds us. It is also the idea of democracy which is the largest and the most respected institution in the world, which binds these two countries. And India is not just a democracy, it is the largest young democracy, the young democracy which is full of values, the one which has determination of steel, the one of iron will which believes in even a stone, the enthusiasm to make changes and the energy to make the nation a leader. Having said this, Modi reiterated the belief in Vivekananda’s dream, a dream which saw the shape of India, a man who 100 years ago saw the shape of India as not just a country but a leader in the international stature.

I only do the small work!

“I have to work small, I want to do the small jobs for the small people and want to strive to make these small people big!”

A bank account for everyone in the country, even the poorest of the poorest in the country. The same idea had taken shape in the name of financial inclusion where everyone is included in the banking system in the country. A move that would not only benefit these people but also it increases transparency in the system, it will reduce delays in the payment for people working in schemes like NREGS, it will reduce the free will of corruption and circulation of black money, most of the transfers will be accounted. Most of all, it will benefit every individual to have an accounted transfer so that it helps put the money related crimes on a check.

The RBI said that it would take 3 years to reach practicality of an idea like this and I checked with the department which said – we can do it in 2 years and I checked with my PMO which said – “It will take 1 year”” them I said we need this to be done in 150 days! The project was launched on Aug 15 and till now we have opened 71 million accounts – It is the same dept, same people, same country, same organizations – have we not done it or not?

What about the minimum balance issue? I love the beauty of belief of Modi in the masses, although all the projects were “Zero balance accounts” to accommodate all the citizens of the country – the poorest of the poorest, there has been a collection of Rs.5,000/- crores in these accounts. All we need is someone to show these people the right path and they are more than capable to run much ahead of us!

And now the final date for the completion of the project is 26 Jan!

What is the first thing you remember when you visit a country?

What is the first thing you notice when you travel west? Its cleanliness? And I remember that most of my friends have complained about the cleanliness and garbage in India. Is it that hard to maintain the same in India? If each one of us takes up that responsibility, if each one of us takes the pledge of a clean India, if each one of us does his/her part, is it that difficult to reach cleanliness in a country like India?

“I am the PM of India who is busy in building toilets!” said Modi reiterating the idea of clean India.

If there is something you want to learn from Australia

If there is one thing, one thing you want to learn from Australia it is the dignity of labor. The same amount of respect is tendered to a driver and a scientist and a cleaner! And cleaning up or cleaning the mess and making India a clean place is not below the dignity of a person. It is not about waiting for the cleaner it is about cleaning your own mess!

I loved the way Modi linked dignity of labor to cleanliness in India and the thought of responsibility. I have had immense respect for this man as a PM and he keeps living beyond that each time he talks, not just in his words but in his actions and simplicity, practicality of the projects as well!

Gandhi gave us independence, what did we give him? 

Can we not give him atleast a clean India? Can we not atleast show him what we have made with this country? The country for which he fought for so passionately?

Make in India

The biggest challenge in India is that not all of us have employment, the talented people in the country do not have an opportunity to improve their quality of life. And the answer lies in Make in India.

Reforms in policies, strategies, rules, regulations. It is not just about the amount of business being brought in to the country, it is more about the change to the quality of life which makes the true difference.

Skill Development, Human resource development

We have enough capacity to feed the work force of the entire world. But just the capacity does not give you sufficient solutions, we need skill, we need to make the work force employable. We need to improve the human resources and provide them sufficient opportunities and capacity to be employed around the world. It is high time that the focus of the country needs to be focused on its youth and its capacity. A country doesn’t run any more on the number of men it has nor on its armies, it now runs on the mind, on the intelligence to be a part of the new age world. India has to prepare itself, ready itself to conquer not by force but by the brains behind it, the thought and

This government cannot make the country

No government can ever make a country, our job is just to facilitate, our job is to make your life easier, our job is not to stand in your way but to make it simpler. The previous idea of rules and regulations and the government just being a rule maker is obsolete now. It makes no sense to tighten everyone with rules, rules and rules. It is not about tightening the noose around your neck with rules, I am here to reduce the rules and make your lives easier and simpler.

You don’t need the sign of a gazetted officer any more

Have you ever done this? Gone in search of a gazetted officer, waited for him hours together to get your mark sheet signed and approved as genuine? Has it also happened that they have rejected even if you took the originals just cos they did not have the mood to?

Well, there is no more a need to get your certificates attested with a sign from an MLA or a gazetted officer. All you have to do now is just send in the xerox of your marks cards and at the time of employment you can submit the originals.

Visa on Arrival

In order to boost tourism in India, there shall be no more hassles of Visa, the government shall offer a visa on arrival. No more hassles for people of Indian origin when they come to India cos they have a lifetime visa. I think it was about time a government took initiative to make lives simpler and easier and I am happy that there is one man trying to do it and he is doing it in great style. I am again all respect for this man.

One last bit before we leave you, if there are any suggestions, any thoughts, complaints anything you want to contribute to the country, please log in to the website – www.mygov,in

The sydney speech was nothing short of amazement and I tried very hard to look away from the television. This is probably one of the very few speeches I have listened to at such great interest. All thanks to this amazing man!

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