Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the nation has advanced on every measure of development. Not only that, his era will be remembered in the history of the country as a period of political stability. His tenure will be known as an era of policy creation and their consistent implementation. It will be remembered as the period that introduced a foreign policy backed by strength, confidence and strategic resolve. It will also be recognised as the era in which a defence policy was shaped that never compromises with the honour and dignity of the nation. In sixty-two years, the country has seen thirteen Prime Ministers, numerous coalition governments, and governments led by different political parties. The nation has also endured a long phase of political instability.
The Modi era will be remembered in the years ahead as a period that wrote a golden chapter of stability, continuity, and decisive leadership. It will be remembered as a defining phase in Bharat’s history that established the values of consistent governance, policy continuity, and firm decision-making. The Prime Minister has worked towards the revival of democracy. If we look at our democracy after four decades, it was suffering from dynastic politics, casteism, and appeasement. This had crippled our democracy for nearly forty years. His decade-long tenure has helped free our politics from casteism, dynastic politics and appeasement, while introducing a politics of performance. I believe this has been the biggest booster dose for our democracy. The fact that people today are moving beyond caste, religion, and family-dominated political parties and aspiring for development is a result of his leadership. There were several longstanding national issues that PM Modi resolved through broad consensus, and so smoothly that people hardly realised how complex they once seemed. The abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A, the abolition of triple talaq, granting Bharatiya citizenship through the CAA to refugees who had lived in the country for years without citizenship, and replacing the 160-year-old colonial criminal laws with the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Bharatiya Nagarik are notable examples.
Annihilating Naxalite Insurgency
The vision of a Naxal-free Bharat was once considered impossible. Whenever such a goal was mentioned, many doubted whether it could ever be achieved. Yet, a five-decade-old Naxalite insurgency has been brought to an end within this period, and those regions are now progressing within the framework of development. His policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism, along with the surgical strikes, airstrikes, and Operation Sindoor, has helped reshape the defence and security doctrines of many countries.
Vaccine Diplomacy During Pandemic
During COVID-19, the entire world was concerned about how Bharat would deal with the pandemic. However, Narendra Modi demonstrated the power of collective leadership. While he himself was leading from the front, he brought together not only the Central Government and all its departments, but also every State Government and 1.3 billion citizens in a united effort to steer the nation out of such a massive crisis.
It was his leadership that placed Bharat among the first countries to develop and produce vaccines. When the pandemic began, the world wondered how Bharat would cope with the challenge. But Bharat emerged as a model of crisis management. Today, people from across the world come to study Bharat’s fight against COVID-19 as an example of effective crisis management.
Presenting Parliament as ‘Mandir of Seva’
Whether it was the Doklam standoff, the Russia–Ukraine war, or the recent conflict between the United States and Iran, Bharat remained steady amidst events that shook the world. By consistently safeguarding Bharat’s interests and placing national priorities above all else, Bharat accelerated its pace of development even when the world was engulfed in crises.
PM Modi has also advanced a politics of consensus and cooperation. He has created several moral landmarks in the public life of this nation. When Modi Ji became Prime Minister in 2014, he bowed before the steps of Parliament and presented Parliament, the highest institution of democracy, as a Mandir of Seva. Through that symbolic act, he reintroduced to the world, after a long time, the true spirit of our Constitution.
From the ramparts of the Red Fort, by describing himself as a Pradhan Sevak, the PM helped future generations understand the true purpose of public office and leadership. By presenting the Constitution as the guiding scripture of governance and administration, PM Modi has elevated respect for constitutional values. During his tenure, he has also worked to embody the message of selfless service taught by Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
Samarth Ramdas envisioned a model of governance led by a ruler who remained detached from personal indulgence. He (PM Modi) has translated that ideal of an Upabhog-Shunya Swami (a leader free from personal consumption and self-interest) into reality, consistently advancing the principle of “Nation First.”
He has presented before the nation a roadmap for Bharat that is self-confident, prosperous, secure, educated, and capable of leading the world. He has elevated the NDA beyond being merely a political alliance and transformed it into a collective of leaders and sensitive political parties committed to the welfare of the nation.
Today, the NDA, along with its allied governments, has 292 Members of Parliament in the Lok Sabha, 144 Members of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha, 2,315 Members of Legislative Assemblies, and more than 222 Members of Legislative Councils. Together, they govern nearly 80 per cent of Bharat’s geographical area and serve approximately 76 per cent of the country’s population. This is a direct result of his twelve years of successful leadership and governance.
Prime Minister, through his tireless efforts, working continuously for twenty-five years without taking a single day’s leave, dedicating eighteen to twenty hours each day, keeping his public life free from the stain of corruption, and treating not merely his own family but the entire nation as his family, has provided exemplary leadership. We wholeheartedly appreciate and commend the achievements of his tenure. We express our admiration and endorsement of his accomplishments, and we regard them as a profound source of inspiration.
(Article is based on excerpts from Amit Shah’s speech during NDA leaders’ meeting, at Bharat Mandapam on June 10)
