‘Trust surplus’ today seen in policies, hard work of people in India: PM Modi

PUNE,

“TRUST surplus” is seen today both in policies and hard work of the people in the country, 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”. Modi said he has given Rs 1 lakh received with the Award to the Namami Gange project. The PM cited a survey conducted at an international level and said India is the country where people trust their Government the most. He said in the last nine years, the people of India made big transformations possible. People of India made the country the fifth largest economy in the world, he added.

Lokmanya Tilak understood the importance of a free press, the PM said. “He changed the course of the freedom struggle. The British called him the father of Indian unrest,” he added. 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. The 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. In an atmosphere of mistrust, the nation’s development is not possible, he said. “Yesterday, I got a tweet from one Manoj Pochat, who reminded me of my Pune visit 10 years ago. I had then spoken at Fergusson College about the trust deficit. Today, he has requested me to speak about a journey from trust deficit to trust surplus,” Modi said. “Today, trust surplus is seen both in policies and hard work of the people in the country,” the PM said.

Lokmanya Tilak had the unique ability to identify young talent, he said, adding that (late Hindutva ideologue) Veer Savarkar was one such example. Tilak realised the capability of Veer Savarkar and was instrumental in his education abroad, he said. “When an award is named after Lokmanya Tilak, the responsibility increases,” he said. The PM also said Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was deeply impacted by a speech of Lokmanya Tilak. Speaking before Modi, Sharad Pawar said the first surgical strike in India was during Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s period. The NCP leader said the country had seen two eras: One of Tilak and another of Mahatma Gandhi. Besides Pawar, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, his deputies Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, and Congress leader Sushilkumar Shinde were also present on the stage.