Atmanirbhar Bharat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his 32-minute address to the nation on Tuesday evening, which millions of people across the country watched or listened to with rapt attention, must be seen as a serious attempt by the present government to steer India out of the unprecedented crisis that the global COVID-19 pandemic has precipitated. First and foremost, he clearly said that the lockdown, though relaxed in many ways, will continue and the ground rules for Phase IV of the lockdown would be announced soon. He has accepted the fact that the country's economy has been by and large devastated by the pandemic which has yet to show any sign of subsiding. There is clear indication that it will take quite a long time for the country to recover its lost economic health. But then, the Prime Minister clearly said that though the crisis that has emerged due to COVID-19 is unprecedented, yet in this battle, India not only needs to protect herself, but also have to keep moving forward. His mantra for moving forward is to make India self-reliant, a mantra he had invoked in his first campaign for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. He has said that in order to fulfil the dream of making the 21st century India's, the way forward is through ensuring that the country becomes self-reliant. Talking about turning a crisis into an opportunity, he gave the example of PPE kits, whose production in India has jumped from almost being negligible to 2 lakh pieces a day now. The Prime Minister has also identified five "pillars" for putting the country back on the rails; these are (i) Economy – which will bring a quantum jump and not incremental change, (ii) Infrastructure – which will herald a modern India, (iii) System – which will be technology-driven in order to fulfil dreams of the 21st century, (iv) Vibrant Demography – which will strengthen the capacity of the country further, and (v) Demand – through which optimum usage of production will be made possible through links with supply chains. It is also important to note that Prime Minister remarked that self-reliance will prepare the country for tough competition in the global supply chain, and it is important that the country wins this competition. The same has been kept in mind while preparing the package. According to him, it will not only increase efficiency in various sectors but also ensure quality. The Prime Minister also remarked that the definition of self-reliance has undergone a change in the globalized world. According to him, when the country talks about self-reliance, it is different from being self-centered. He said that India's culture considers the world as one family, and progress in India is part of, and also contributes to, progress in the whole world. He noted that the world trusts that India has a lot to contribute towards the development of the entire humanity. His 20 lakh crore financial stimulus has also come as a huge relief, one whose details were subsequently elaborated upon by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday. While the Prime Minister's speech was woven around the theme of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' or self-reliant India, Sitharaman's elaboration of the Rs 20 lakh crore financial package – titled 'Self-reliant India campaign' – is aimed at all sections of the society, including the middle-class, SMEs, labourers, farmers and the industry. The opposition, as usual, has not been amused with the Prime Minister's speech. The Congress did criticize Modi on various issues, but then the oldest political party of the country failed to put a consensus reaction. While former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram described Modi's announcements as "a blank page", Jairam Ramesh invented a new meaning to the 'NaMo' acronym, which he elaborated as "No Action, Messaging Only (NaMo)." Congress chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala on the other hand took a safe stand by welcoming the Prime Minister's announcement of the economic package and stimulus of Rs 20 lakh crore. He however also said that the Congress will wait for the details, hoping that it will provide much needed relief to the stressed micro, small and medium sector, especially for support towards payment of workers' wages and a healing touch to the migrant workers, labour and the poor. On the other hand senior CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury, in a tweet has complained that the misery and hunger being faced by millions of Indians was not worthy of mention in the Modi's address. He also alleged that the four big problems confronting India – distress of migrants, resources that states need, hunger and unemployment – were not addressed at all. In sharp contrast BJP national president JP Nadda termed it as "the world's largest holistic relief package."