NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 7, marked 25 years of continuous service as head of government, recalling his journey from Gujarat Chief Minister to Prime Minister and using the milestone address to underline his political philosophy, achievements and ambitious vision for India by 2047.
Addressing the ‘Viksit Bharat Sankalp Sabha’, ‘Seva Jyoti’ programme, PM Modi repeatedly credited the people for his uninterrupted political journey, saying the 25-year milestone was not a personal achievement but the result of public trust and blessings.
“Today, I have completed 25 years of continuously serving as Head of Government. This is the blessing of the people. I bow before the people of the country.”
Recalling October 7, 2001, when he took oath as Gujarat Chief Minister, PM Modi said he had never imagined that he would one day reach such a milestone. “When I took the oath as the Chief Minister of Gujarat on October 7, 2001, I had not imagined that this milestone, too, would arrive.”
‘Mission, not ambition’
PM Modi presented his political journey as one driven by purpose rather than the pursuit of power. Looking back at his organisational years in the BJP, he said electoral politics was never his original ambition. “I am a person to live for mission, not ambition.”
He also declared, “My duty is my dharma.”
Thanking the people, BJP workers and NDA allies, PM Modi said their trust had been his greatest source of strength.
“Whatever I am today, wherever I stand, and in whatever role I serve, the biggest contribution belongs to the ‘janata janardhan’.”
He also offered a striking reflection on his political opponents, “Those who stood by me showed me the power of faith, those who opposed me taught me the power of democracy.”
‘We have 140 crore solutions’
Looking ahead, PM Modi shifted from reflection to a powerful call for national mobilisation, arguing that India’s problems must be confronted with the collective strength of its people.
“Our country has problems, but we also have 140 crore solutions.”
He said India’s young population represented a historic opportunity and warned that the country could not afford complacency.
“This is not the time to rest. This is the time to move forward with determination and enthusiasm, to devote ourselves completely to the service of the nation.”
‘We will do it’: PM Modi’s Viksit Bharat challenge
The Prime Minister turned his 2047 vision into a rallying cry, setting out a string of national ambitions — from becoming a developed nation and a global manufacturing hub to hosting the Olympics and advancing India’s presence in space.
“Viksit Bharat by 2047, we will do it! Aatmanirbhar Bharat! Global Manufacturing Hub! Hosting of the Olympics! Stepping into Space! This energy and confidence are incredible.”
He also expressed confidence that Indians would personally witness the emergence of a developed India.
“I have full faith in the strength of 140 crore Indians. My 35 years of experience tells me: we will see a developed India with our own eyes.”
‘What was beyond imagination, we achieved’
Highlighting what he described as India’s transformation, PM Modi pointed to poverty reduction as an example of goals once considered impossible becoming reality.
“In a decade, 35 crore people lifted out of poverty, who even imagined it? But India did it. What was once beyond imagination, we achieved.”
Article 370, Naxalism and terrorism
PM Modi also used the occasion to highlight major political and security challenges that he said had been decisively addressed under his government. Referring to Jammu and Kashmir, he said:
“The wall of Article 370 has been completely demolished.”
On Left-Wing Extremism, he asserted:
“The backbone of Naxalism has been broken.”
And speaking about India’s response to terrorism, he delivered one of the strongest lines of the address,
“Such is India’s indomitable will—we struck them down right inside their own strongholds.”
‘I am still a lifelong student’
Amid the political messaging, PM Modi also offered a personal glimpse into his formative years, recalling his school days in Vadnagar and his eagerness to learn.
“Even today, I consider myself a lifelong student. I attempt to learn something new every single day.”
For PM Modi, the 25-year milestone was therefore less a moment to look back than a launchpad for the next national mission. His message was built around gratitude for the past, confidence in India’s present strength and an unrelenting push towards Viksit Bharat 2047.
