Explaining India's Tradition of Self-Reliance, Modi Takes Help of Sanskrit Shlokas for Tuesday's Speech

New Delhi: Leading India towards 'atmanirbhayata' (self-reliance), Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday invoked the traditional Indian value of 'vasudev kutumbakam' (World is family) coupled with Sanskrit shloka — 'mata bhoomi putro aham prithviya' (land is our mother and we are her son).

In order to keep the spirits and morale high of the people in lockdown 3.0, Modi started with “hamara sankalp (resolve) is sankat se viraat hoga," and further emphasized on the Indian values of seeing the world as one as well as self-reliant which he said has long been celebrated in Indian shastras. He also explained that in India self-reliance is not a selfish term focusing only on one’s own issues.

India, he said, has come a long way in producing PPE and N95 masks from none to 20 lakhs in number. “We have converted a calamity into an opportunity. The meaning of self-reliant has changed around the world. When India, a country that sees the world as one family and thinks land is our mother and we are her son becomes self-reliant then the true idea of sukh(joy) is realized.”

He said that Indian scriptures, shastras, have long invested faith in self-reliance, “this is the right path – this episode has brought inconvenience as well as opportunity. When India talks about self-reliance, it doesn’t mean to be self-centric. India thinks about the world at peace. This culture considers the entire world as family.”

Modi described it as an unimaginable crisis as aapda, which is now an avsar (opportunity). “We have to be stronger. We have to save ourselves and keep moving forward at the same time. We have been hearing that 21st century will belong to India, but this is not just a dream but our responsibility too. But how to achieve it. The current world situation shows, there is only one way: self-reliant India.”

Modi addressed the nation on the coronavirus situation, and in his speech announced an economic package of Rs 20 lakh crore, which is 10% of India's GDP. The information will be further provided by the Finance Minister starting tomorrow and there will be more information on the new character of Lockdown 4.0.