Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his speech in the Lok Sabha launched a scathing attack on those parties who had called India as a ‘Union of State’ belittling the idea of India as one nation.
“Speaker Sir, There has been a talk about our nation in the House. These talks are astonishing. Before I place my argument, I want to mention one thing. And I am quoting this… “, PM Modi said citing lines from Jawaharlal Nehru’s famous book ‘The Discovery Of India’.
“It is fascinating to find how the Bengalis, the Marathas, the Gujratis, the Tamils, the Andhras, the Oriyas, the Assamese, the Canarese, the Malayalis, the Sindhis, the Punjabis, the Pathans, the Kashmiris, the Rajputs, and the great central block comprising the Hindustani-speaking people, have retained their peculiar characteristics for hundreds of years, have still more or less the same virtues and failings of which old tradition or record tells us, and yet have been throughout these ages distinctively Indian, with the same national heritage and the same set of moral and mental qualities.” PM Modi quoted these lines from the book written by India’s first Prime Minister.
“Speaker Sir, this quotation which talks about the speciality of us Indians, I want to emphasize on two words – national heritage. This quote is by Pandit Nehru ji. This was told by Nehru ji which is there in his book Discovery of India. Our national heritage is one. Our moral and mental qualities are one. Is this happen without the idea of a nation? The House has been insulted by saying that the Constitution makes no mention of ‘nation’.”, PM Modi said with shouts of ‘Shame’ targeting the Opposition emerging from the Treasury bench.
PM Modi mentioned that the Constitution values integrity of the nation as supreme.
“Why is the Congress insulting our nation?” PM Modi said.
PM Modi further added “Speaker Sir, the nation is not about those in power or any government. Speaker Sir, for us, the nation is a living soul.”.
PM Modi also mentioned that the idea of Indian nation has been in existence for thousands of years.
Quoting verses from Vishnu Puranam, PM Modi said “Uttaram yat samudrasya, Himadreshchaiv dakshinam, varsham tad bharatam nama, Bharatee yatra santatihi” meaning ‘to the north of the ocean and to the south of the Himalayas, Bharat is the country and the people born there are the Bharatees.”
Taking a veiled attack at the Congress saying that the party might feel ‘allergic’ t Hindu ideas, he said “If Congress doesn’t accept Vishnu Puraan, I will use another quote. Because Congress might feel allergic to certain things.”
“A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new — when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance. It is fitting that at this solemn moment we take the pledge of dedication to the service of India, and her people, and to the still larger cause of humanity.”, PM Modi quoted Jawaharlal Nehru’s Tryst With Destiny speech.
“Which nation was Nehru ji talking about?” PM Modi asked.
PM Modi also said that an attempt was being made to stoke Tamil sentiments and fan separatism. He mentioned that the Congress is using the British policy of ‘Divide & Rule’.
“Speaker Sir, I want to mention what the great Tamil poet and Indian freedom fighter Subramaniam Bharathi had written. My dear Tamil people, please forgive me if there are mistakes in my pronunciation but my heartfelt emotions are nothing less in spirit.” PM Modi said quoting a poem of Bharathiyar that talks about idea of India as one nation.
“மன்னும் இமயமலை யெங்கள் மலையே,
(Mannum Imayamalai Yengal Malaiye)
பன்னரும் உபநிடநூ லெங்கள் நூலே,
(Pannarum Ubanidanu Nelangal Noole)
பார் மிசை யேதொரு நூல்இது போலே?
(Paar Misai Yedhoru Nool Idhu Pole)
பொன்னொளிர் பாரதநா டெங்கள் நாடே
(Ponnolir Bharatha Naadu Engal Naade)
போற்றுவம் இஃதை எமக்கில்லை ஈடே
(Potruvom Idhai Emakillai Eede)”
The poem essentially rouses the spirit of nationalism by praising the greatness of ‘Bharat’.
PM Modi also ‘saluted’ the Tamil people for giving a befitting tribute with the slogan ‘Veera Vanakkam’ to late then Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat.
“When our CDS Rawat’s death happened due to the helicopter crash and his body was being taken along the road, my Tamil brothers and sisters numbering in lakhs patiently waited for hours along the path with tears in their eyes and pride in their heart hailing ‘Veera Vanakkam Veera Vanakkam Veera Vanakkam’.
“This is my country.”, PM Modi exclaimed adding that Congress has always hated this nationalistic spirit and that divisiveness has gotten in the party’s DNA.
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