Trust surplus is seen today in both policies and the steadfast efforts of the people in the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday, as he received the Lokmanya Tilak National Award in Pune.
Development is impossible if there is an atmosphere of mistrust, Modi said in his acceptance speech at the event, where he shared the stage with NCP chief Sharad Pawar. Modi spoke of India’s journey from trust deficit to trust surplus.
He said in the last nine years, people of India made big transformations possible. People of India made the country fifth largest economy in the world, he added. Lokmanya Tilak understood the importance of free press, the PM said. He changed the course of the freedom struggle. The British called him the father of Indian unrest, he said.
Today, the country is believing in itself in every sphere, Modi said. He also said today some people get uncomfortable if a road named after a foreign invader is renamed. PM said he feels honoured to receive the award named after Lokmanya Tilak, who was at the forefront of India’s freedom struggle. He said there are several things we could learn from the life of Tilak.
He used to make them believe in themselves. When people at that time made up their mind that it was impossible for India to break the chains of slavery, he gave people the confidence of freedom. He had trust in our traditions, he had trust in our people, workers, he had trust in the prowess of India, Modi said.