Good governance is our birthright, says Modi as he remembers Tilak
New Delhi, July 29 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that "Suraaj" (good governance), like "Swaraj" (self rule), is the "birthright" of every Indian and they should have it.
Remembering freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak -- who was born on July 23, 1856 and died on August 1, 1920 -- Modi said: "Lokmanya Tilak evoked self-confidence amongst our countrymen and gave the slogan ‘Swaraj is our birth right and I shall have it'. Today is the time to say that good governance is our birth right and we will have it."
"Every Indian should have access to good governance and positive results of development. It is the factoring in of this outreach that will create a new India," he said in his monthly radio show "Mann Ki Baat".
During his election campaign in 2014, Modi had frequently promised the people that he would ensure "good governance."
The Prime Minister also remembered revolutionary freedom fighters Chandra Shekhar Azad, Ashfaqullah Khan and Bhagat Singh. Azad was born on July 23, 1906.
"After 50 years of Tilak's birth, on the same day, that is, July 23, another son of Mother India was born who sacrificed his life so that his countrymen could breathe freely in an atmosphere of freedom. I am talking about none other than Chandra Shekhar Azad," Modi said.
He said couplets like Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamare dil mein hai/ Dekhna hai zor kitna baazu-e-qaatil mein hai (The desire to lay down our lives is burning in our hearts/ Let's see the strength of our executioner's arms) inspired the youth like Azad, Ashfaqullah Khan, Bhagat Singh and many others did.
"Azad's courage and passion for freedom inspired the youth of the day. He put his life at stake, but never bowed in front of the foreign rule," Modi said.
Azad famously shot himself with the last bullet in his pistol during an encounter with the police on February 27, 1931 at a park in Allahabad, to keep his vow to never surrender to the British.
"Once again, I bow and pay tributes to the two great sons of Bharat Mata - Lokmanya Tilak and Chandra Shekhar Azad," Modi said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Sudan’s civil war worsens: Forced mass displacement, widespread starvation, rampant sexual violence
Khartoum: Sudan’s ongoing civil war has led to a severe humanitarian crisis, characterised by widespread hunger, forced displacement, and staggering levels of sexual violence. It has resulted in the world’s largest displacement crisis this year, as reported by the UN’s International Organisation for Migration (IOM) this week.
The conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has resulted in thousands of deaths and displaced millions from their homes. The UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan, as cited by Al Jazeera, said that paramilitaries are targeting the female population. Mohamed Chande Othman, Chair of the Fact-Finding Mission, stressed that there is currently no safe place for women and girls in Sudan due to the rising incidents of abduction for sexual slavery.
Meanwhile, over 14 million people have been displaced in Sudan and more than half of those displaced are women, with over a quarter being children under five years old. In some areas, children are reportedly dying from starvation, and the recent rainy season has worsened the crisis by causing flooding and additional displacement.
Furthermore, the UN food agencies have warned of deadly hunger levels in 16 "hunger hotspots," with particular concern for the Palestinian territories, Sudan, South Sudan, Mali, and Haiti. In South Sudan the number of people facing starvation and death are projected to have nearly doubled from April and July 2024 compared to the same period last year.
IOM Director-General Amy Pope emphasised that this is easily the “most neglected crisis in the world” today and requires greater attention. She stated that millions are suffering, and there is a serious risk of the conflict igniting regional instability from the Sahel to the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea.
“Hunger, disease and sexual violence are rampant. For the people of Sudan, this is a living nightmare,” she asserted.
