PM Modi cites his childhood, selling tea at railway platform to highlight India’s democratic traditions

New York, Sep 25 (UNI) In a speech highlighting India’s diversity and democratic traditions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday that it is the strength of the Indian democracy that a small boy who used to help his father at a tea stall in a railway platform is addressing the UN General Assembly for the fourth time as the prime minister of the country.
In remarks apparently aimed to silence critics, the Prime Minister said that India’s diversity is the identity of its strong democracy.
“A country with dozens of languages, hundreds of dialects, different ways of dressing, and food habits – this is the best example of a vibrant democracy,” he said in remarks delivered in Hindi.
“It is the strength of the Indian democracy that a small boy who used to help his father at a tea stall in a railway platform, is for the fourth time addressing the UNGA as the prime minister of the country.”
He said he has served as chief minister in Gujarat for the longest term and for the past seven years as the prime minister, “I have been at the service of my countrymen for the past 20 years”.
“And I am saying from my experience that, yes, democracy can deliver, yes, democracy has delivered.”
He outlined the vision of democracy as “expansion of the self, moving from individual to the society, the nation and entire humanity – where there no one is left behind.
“With this in mind, India is moving on the path of Integrated, Equitable Development. Development that is all inclusive, and for everyone’s good. That is our goal,” he said.
He outlined the measures taken towards inclusive development by his government.
“In the last 7 years, more than 43 crore people have been linked to banking services, who had been left out of the system. Today over 36 crore people have been given insurance cover, who earlier could never have thought about it. Over 50 crore people have been provided free health cover, and linked to quality health services.
“India has built three core pucca houses and made homeless people home owners.”
“Polluted water is a big problem, not just for India but the world, and especially the poor and developing countries. To meet this challenge, we are running a huge campaign to bring piped potable water to over 17 crore homes.
“Today through mapping done by drones, in over six lakh villages, we are providing crores of people with digital records of their homes and lands. Besides reducing cases of land disputes, it will also help them with bank credit and access to loans,” he said.
“Today every sixth person in the world is an Indian. When Indians progress, then the world’s development also gathers speed. When India grows, the world grows, when India reforms the world transforms,” the Prime Minister said.
He said the science and technology-based innovations being done in India can be a boon to the world. “The scale and low prices of our tech solutions are invaluable.”
“Through Our Unified Payment Interface UPI system every month 350 crore transactions are being done. India’s vaccine delivery platform CoWin provides digital support for crores of vaccines doses in a day.”

India lives up to the motto of ‘seva parmo dharam’ or service is the highest religion. “Despite limited resources India has plunged itself wholeheartedly into vaccine development and manufacturing.

“I want to give the UNGA this information that India has developed the world’s first DNA vaccine, which can be given to those over 12 years of age.

“An mRNA vaccine is in the final stages of development. Our scientists are also involved in the development of a nasal vaccine for coronavirus,” the Prime Minister said.

“Understanding its responsibility towards humanity, India is again providing vaccines to the needy nations,” he said, to applause.

“I want to invite the world’s vaccine manufacturers– Come, make vaccine in India,” the Prime Minister said.

The DNA vaccine is ZyCoV-D — Zydus Cadila’s three-dose Covid-19 DNA vaccine, was cleared by the drug regulator DCGA last month.

He said the coronavirus pandemic has taught the world the lesson that the global economy needs to be more diversified. “For this, it is necessary that global value chains are expanded.”

He said India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan mission is inspired by this vision.

“For global industrial diversification, India is a democratic and trusted partner.

“In this endeavour, India has established a very good balance between economy and ecology.

“Today India is moving fast towards its goal of 450 GW renewable energy. We are moving towards making India the world’s largest green energy hub. We have to answer to our coming generations that when it was the time to take decisions, at the time those who had the responsibility to show the path to the world what were they doing.”