Prime Minister Narendra Modi meditated at the Swami Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Kanniyakumari from the evening of May 30 to the evening of June 1.
On June 1, while on a return flight from Kanniyakumari to Delhi, he jotted down what had come into his mind during his sadhana. This was published in a leading newspaper today, and its main points are the following 12 points:
1. The Beginning: Modi’s final rally was in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, where he remembered Sikh guru and saint Ravidas. As he began to meditate, his mind went back to the election and the people he had seen at rallies and roadshows.
2. Past: PM Modi reminisced about Eknath Ranade, who spearheaded the construction of the Vivekananda Rock Memorial, and his extensive travels with him.
“During the construction of this monument, I had a chance to spend time in Kanniyakumari as well,” PM Modi said, adding that the experience was similar to his own meditating in the Himalayas decades ago.
3. About Kanniyakumari: “This is the ‘Shakti Peeth’ (Seat of Shakti) where Ma Shakti was incarnated as Kanya Kumari. It is here, at the southern end, that Ma Shakti performed her penance and waited for Bhagwan Shiva, who lives in the Himalayas in the northernmost part of India.”
“Kanniyakumari is a place of confluence…Here we witness another great confluence, the ideological confluence of India! Here we have the rock memorial of Vivekananda, the magnificent statue of sage Thiruvalluvar, the bell of Gandhiji and the bell of Kamarajar Mani.”
4. Saint Thiruvalluvar: Terming Saint Thiruvalluvar’s work ‘Thirukkural’ as “one of the treasures of the beautiful Tamil language”, PM Modi said it encompasses all spheres of life and inspires us to do our best for ourselves and the country.
5. India’s Impact on the World: Citing the examples of India’s independence movement and the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Modi suggested that India’s well-being can also inform the path of progress for the planet.
6. Rule of India: PM Modi said India has lifted 250 million people out of poverty in just 10 years and innovative practices like people-friendly good governance, aspirational districts and aspirational blocks are setting global standards.
7. Digital India: PM Modi said through the Digital India campaign, technology was being used to empower the poor, bring transparency and ensure their rights.
He also said that cheap data is becoming a tool for social equality, and the whole world is witnessing and studying the democratization of technology through our model.
8. Role of Bharat: PM Modi said since the success of the G20, the world is increasingly envisaging a greater role for India as a strong voice for the global south.
“The African Union has joined the G20 group at India’s initiative. This will be a watershed moment for the future of African countries,” he said.
9. Future: “We have to move forward towards a greater imperative and a greater goal. We need to dream new dreams, turn them into reality and start living those dreams,” PM Modi said.
He urges India to view its development from a global perspective, understand its internal capabilities, nurture and utilize them. He emphasises India’s strength as a young nation.
10. What needs to be changed: Modi argues that traditional thinking on reforms needs to change as they cannot be limited to economic reforms alone.
He says reform cannot be a one-dimensional process for any country and therefore progress must be made in the direction of reform in all aspects of life.
“The responsibility of reforms lies with the leadership and if the bureaucracy functions without it and the people join the spirit of Jan Bhagidari then we can witness change happening,” he added.
11. Directions: ““We need to move fast on all four dimensions — speed, scale, scope and standards. Along with production, we need to focus on quality and adhere to the motto ‘zero defects, zero effects’,” PM Modi said.
He urges us to redefine our traditions and free society from the pressures of professional pessimists. He argues that being free from negative thoughts is the first step to achieving success.
12. Then and Now: PM Modi said the struggle for independence required huge sacrifices but now it requires huge and sustained contribution from all.
He appeals us to lay the foundation for an “Independent India” in these 25 years of the 21st century just as we used the 40s and 50s of the 20th century for the freedom movement.
