Rewari: Prime Minister candidate of BJP, Narendra Modi today said politicians should learn a lesson in secularism from the armed forces.
The Gujarat Chief Minister, whose detractors often question his secular credentials, said, “Vote bank politics in India has become disgusting. I would like to tell the politicians who want to divide India into small groups… there is no bigger example of secularism than the armed forces.”
Narendra Modi was making his first pitch for a Delhi posting after being named the BJP’s presumptive Prime Minister for 2014 on Friday, speaking at a rally largely of ex-serviceman in Rewari, Haryana. A huge photograph of Mr Modi and the Indian parliament formed the backdrop of the stage.
He attacked the Congress-led UPA government for its handling of security issues such as incursions by China and the killing of Indian jawans at the border and repeated ceasefire violations by Pakistan, saying, “The problem is not at the border, the problem is in Delhi and so the solution must come from Delhi too.”
The BJP leader asked Pakistan to stop waging war against India with cross-border terrorism and exhorted it to join a fight against poverty, the biggest battle of all, he said.
Mr Modi played to his 1.5 lakh strong audience, which chanted his name right through his 65-minute speech, punctuated only by the many glasses of water he stopped to drink on the hot September afternoon. (Modi’s political journey from RSS worker to PM candidate)
He repeatedly saluted Indian soldiers, peppering his address with anecdotes, and the crowd, many people precariously perched on poles, roared in approval when he confided that he was more excited about being amid soldiers today than he was on Friday when his party announced him its candidate for PM.
He promised that he would demand a white paper from the Centre on “one rank, one pension,” a key demand of ex-servicemen.
Rewari, about 90 km from national capital Delhi, is home to thousands of serving and retired soldiers. Mr Modi today shared the stage with former Army chief, General (retd) VK Singh, who has recently been very actively involved in Gandhian Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption crusade. He has also been leading a campaign for better benefits for ex-servicemen.
Our voice must reach those who are deployed on the borders
Today I have the privilege of coming here and being amongst you
Is dharti ne har yuddh mein shahadat ka shatak lagaya hain (This is the land of a 100 martyrs in every war in this country)
As a small soldier of India, I salute the brave soldiers gather here
To die for the country, to desire martyrdom is no less pious that rishis of India
I salute all the ex-servicemen across India, not just those gathered here
Today morning I got some news. India is a country that has been starved for good news for a decade
We have been getting news of defeat and disappointment. I congratulate the scientists who have successfully test-fired the Agni-V ballistic missile today
Two days ago, I was given a great responsibility by the BJP. The elation I have today being here, I did not have when my name was announced
I was in Class 6 and belonged to a poor family. I had not seen 2 rupees together. I saw an advertisement in the newspaper for a sainik school. I saved Rs. 2 , and went to the post office for the first time. I got the prospectus from the school. Serving the country meant joining the Army . I asked my father for money to travel to the sainik school, but my father said we did not have the means And this is the same school in Jamnagar where Haryana Chief Minister Hoodaji went – unhone Gujarat ka namak bahut khaya hain (LAUGHTER)
In 1965, when I found out soldiers were going to the border through Mehsana, I went there without telling my father
I served them tea, food… and that went on for many days
Wherever I worked for the BJP, I visited cantonments and interacted with soldiers. They became my extended family
This must be a divine signal. This rally was planned months earlier. How was I to know on September 13 such a huge announcement would take place?
There isn’t a family in Haryana that hasn’t been touched by Swami Dayanand Saraswati and his Arya Samaj movement
During the emergency, Morarji Desai was interned in Haryana and that is a connection Haryana has with Gujarat
Sri Krishna was from Dwaraka in Gujarat but he is connected to Haryana through Kurukshetra where he delivered the sermon of Bhagwad Gita
When Gujarat was struck by the earthquake at Bhuj, the soldiers of the Indian Army arrived as saviours (devdoot)
In Uttarakhand, our soldiers worked relentlessly to save people and some of them were killed in serving the pilgrims
I salute them and am proud of their sacrifices
When the country was commemorating such sacrifices, Pakistani soldiers were killing our soldiers along the border
And unfortunately, our Defence Minister said in Parliament there were some people in Pakistani Army uniforms
How painful that must be for the thousands of Indians? But the govt in Delhi doesn’t seem to care
And it is shameful that a member of the ruling party says people join the army to die
If you can’t weep for the martyrs don’t, but do not insult the memory of the soldiers who died for the country
Whenever I get the opportunity to celebrate Diwali, I go and spend it with soldiers on the border.I have laid 700 km of pipeline to get drinking water to the last border outpost when I saw camels were deployed to fetch water.
We have made a Shaheed Smarak (memorial) on the border for those who laid down their lives in the wars with Pakistan
Pakistan doesn’t let up in its antics, China is going eyeball to eyeball threatening to stop the flow of Brahmaputra
Are our neighbours troubling us because our Army is weak? No. The problem is not at our borders, it is in Delhi
Till we have a capable government in Delhi which is nationalistic and committed to protecting every citizen, we can’t guarantee security
The threat of internal security: India has lost more jawans to bullets from terrorists than enemies from across the border
The nature of war has changed. Many more countries and people are affected by proxy war or terrorism as compared to those in the two World Wars
There should be a global consensus on tackling terrorism, Maoism and that is not difficulty if India has capable leadership
You can’t selectively deal with terrorism. All humanist forces should come together for world peace and progress in the developing world
Pakistan has a newly elected government, there was hope that they would try and improve relations. But the way our soldiers were killed shows their intentions are not good
To Pakistan’s rulers I say fight against poverty. Weapons and warfare have done you no good in 60 years. Try not allowing terrorists to use your territory for 10 years and you’ll see your progress will be manifold
When the Indian Army could not be defeated at the border, innocent citizens were targeted by terrorists
Cross-border terrorism can’t benefit India, Pakistan or Bangladesh
To Pakistan, I say you may have been born out of anti-India politics but that can’t contribute to your progress
Vote-bank politics has eaten way at foundations of this country. If politicians have to learn secularism, look at the Indian Army. There is no greater example of Indian secularism
Through the Sacchar Committee they conducted a headcount of Hindus and Muslims in the Army. They have committed the sin of trying to communally colour the Indian Army
I salute the officers who stood against it and refused the census within the Armed Forces on communal lines
I appeal to my soldiers – don’t forgive these people who tried to divide you
Strong Army, Strong Leadership, Strong Country – these are the dreams we must achieve
We must have the educated youth in the Armed Forces – more than borders wars will be fought with technology
We must create an atmosphere where joining the Army becomes a matter of pride
When our solders with severed limbs go from door-to-door with appeals, that’s not acceptable
We must ensure our ex-servicemen live with dignity and honour
Demand that the govt of India bring out a ‘white paper’ on the status on One-Rank-One-Pension
We can use the skills of ex-servicemen in many areas – if you use them in fire brigades, there will be no fire in this country
(Mentions Rajyavardhan Rathore) who brought glory to the country with his Olympic medal.. can’t more soldiers do it?
Appointing 1000 ex-servicemen had such a moral impact that the power thefts stopped
Most of the budget of the Army goes towards importing cheap munitions
We are a country of 1.2 billion with the capability of launching its own missiles, but we import the smallest of things
The people in Delhi don’t know how its soldiers are but do know when the next tender is coming out
We should dream that we will have the capability of developing our defense industries and become exporters
We must become self-reliant in meeting the needs of our Armed Forces. If the supply of weaponry stops during war, due to the foreign policy of a third nation, imagine what our plight will be
Casting your vote is also a way of serving the nation. When we get the right to vote, many of us don’t appreciate the gift of our constitution
If you want a strong India, ensure that people are enfranchised
I want your help with another endeavour. Sardar Patel united this country but for many years his contribution has been forgotten
He was a farmer, he was the iron-man of India. We want to make a memorial for Sardar Patel – a statue of unity that will be twice as tall as the Statue of Liberty
We want to make the tallest statue in the world and we want to involve the whole country in this endeavour
I want a piece of iron from every village – iron that is used to till the land in villages
Vande Mataram