Discussion held on book ‘Modi@ 20: Dreams Meet Delivery’
By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 10 Jul: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said today that it was commitment, devotion and sustained hard work that made Prime Minister Narendra Modi one of the most popular leaders at the global level. He was participating as the Chief Speaker at a discussion on the book, ‘Modi @ 20: Dreams Meet Delivery’, at the Janata Darshan Hall at his official residence, here, today. The book is based on the political life of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the past 20 years.
Dhami emphasised that, in this book, authors and subject experts have profiled the Prime Minister’s personality, work style and his political journey over 20 years. The CM declared, “After Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister, a new work culture has taken root in the country. Today, India’s honour and respect have increased in the world. India is well on the way towards becoming self-reliant in many spheres. Work is being done under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi keeping all sections of society in mind and connecting the people standing in the last line of the society with the mainstream.”
Dhami added, “The country is progressing rapidly in every field under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A great campaign of vaccination was launched in India during the Covid pandemic. Around 200 crore Covid vaccines were administered in India. No one expected India to deal with the pandemic so successfully. The cultural tradition of India has always been that of ‘Sarve Bhavantuh Sukhinah’. During Covid, India gave more than 20 crores vaccines to other countries following this very Mantra. The world’s largest health scheme, Ayushman Bharat, is being run in the country under the leadership of Prime Minister. The country has moved rapidly towards Digital India. The country is moving ahead under the spirit of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas’. The dedication with which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is serving the country, he can be described as the architect of modern India.”
The CM also narrated some incidents related to his meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He recalled his first meeting with Modi after becoming the CM of Uttarakhand, which was scheduled only for 15 minutes. He was hesitant and wondered what to say to the PM. However, the PM made him comfortable within minutes and the meeting lasted more than an hour. Dhami added that one informal meeting of many leaders including him with Modi in Varanasi terminated at 1 a.m. Even after that, the PM informed him that he had more meetings lined up after that meeting. The CM also asserted that Modi is not as reserved a person as he appears to be.
Earlier, speaking about the book, Vice Chancellor, Doon University, Prof Surekha Dangwal said that Modi as a leader has had an impact on many spheres of life. His leadership strongly impacts on social, cultural and political life, the economy and foreign policy. India has travelled a long way from the time when the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru tried to prevent the then President of India, Dr Rajendra Prasad, from visiting the Somnath Temple. Now Modi, as a Prime Minister, never hesitates to visit the Kedarnath Temple, Pashupati Nath temple in Nepal, and Kashi Vishwanath in Varanasi. The Prime Minister also pays attention to women’s uplift and empowers them through schemes like toilet in every home, PM Awas Yojana, Ujjwala Gas scheme, etc. There has been a paradigm shift in many spheres of life in the Modi era. Modi’s impact has also been much beyond the boundaries of the country. Modi’s emphasis had been on ensuring good governance and to end the policy paralysis. The good governance has been so evident that many silent common people, who have contributed greatly to their world but have never received due recognition, are now winning Padma Awards.
Dangwal added that delivery is an essential condition in the Modi model of governance. Those who have failed to deliver could not stay in their positions for long under this model. She revealed that the book has been written in 5 sections and 21 chapters, each written by subject specialists.
Former Director of Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) and former Additional Chief Secretary of West Bengal, Sanjeev Chopra also praised the book. He said it is not easy to put the book aside after one has picked it up for reading. The book covers almost every aspect of Modi’s public life. Chopra stressed, “It is a snapshot of what the country was, what the country is, today, and the potential for the future.” Chopra added that he would like to remind that the Vibrant Gujarat scheme of the then Gujarat Government led by then CM Modi was so innovative that it led to transformation across the country. Of course, one model for one state could not be necessarily replicated across the country as circumstances differed, but it created awareness of the need to innovate. He also mentioned the chapter written by economist Surjit Bhalla in the book which describes the success of the Gujarat Model. Quoting Bhalla again, Chopra added that Mahatma Gandhi had led successful mass movements on issues like untouchability and for independence. Modi has also taken this route using mass movements for transformation and development. Schemes such as Aadhar Card and linking it to various other schemes would ensure faster development, according to Bhalla.
Psephologist Pradeep Gupta, who has written a chapter in the book, also shared his opinion on how Modi is managing to win elections and has never tasted failure in winning the people’s support. Gupta was present in the discussion in virtual mode.
Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Bansal delivered the welcome address, while BJP leader Vinay Goyal, who organised the event, and Prof Durgesh Pant were the convenors at the event. A large number of intellectuals and dignitaries were present on the occasion. Among those present were MLAs Vinod Chamoli, Umesh Sharma Kau, Savita Kapoor, Khajan Das, Brij Bhushan Gairola, Durgesh Lal, Mayor Sunil Uniyal Gama and Garhwal Post Editor Satish Sharma.
Prominent others were Sanjay Kandpal, Zonal Manager, PNB; Deepankar Aron, Chief Commissioner GST, Uttarakhand; Vijay Dhasmana, Chancellor, SRHU, Jolly Grant; Shyam Ganguly; Wg Cdr Anupama Joshi (Retd); DS Mann, Chairman, DIS; Deepak Nagalia, President, The Dehra Dun Club Ltd; Kiran Bhatt; Col HRS Rana; Dr Alok Ahuja; Dr Mahesh Kuriyal, veteran journalist Upendra Kumar Sharma, Editor, Doon Dwar; writers Alok Joshi and Pradeep Singh; musician Bobby Cash; journalist and author Anjali Nauriyal.
(Pics: Bhumesh Bharti).
