PM'S INDEPENDENCE DAY ADDRESS 2003 - HIGHLIGHTS

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GREETINGS:

• Homage to leaders, fighters and martyrs of freedom struggle.
• Greetings to jawans of armed forces. Grateful remembrance of brave soldiers who laid down their lives.
• Felicitations to farmers, industrious workers, skilled managers and farsighted businessmen.
• Greetings to scientists, teachers, litterateurs, artistes and children.
• Felicitations to people of Indian origin abroad.
• Salutations to Mother India.

ECONOMY AND INFRASTRUCTURE:

• Objective of economic reforms is to create a dynamic globally competitive economy, with care and compassion towards the poor and neglected.
• India no longer a borrower. Foreign exchange reserves stand at nearly US $ 100 billion.
• No shortage of essential commodities. Poverty on the decline.
• Stringent steps being taken against economic offenders.
• No more waiting lists for telephones or gas connections.
• Mobile phone users to go upto 3 crore by the coming year.
• 11 kilometres of four-lane highways to be built everyday as against 11 kilometres per year during the previous 50 years. It will give employment to 6 lakh people.
• Software exports zoom from Rs. 8, 000 crore to nearly Rs. 50, 000 crore.
• Chandrayaan I – India’s own spacecraft to be sent to moon by 2008.
• National Kisan Commission to be constituted.
• Amount of lending to agriculture increased, interest rates reduced.
• Food chain revolution to achieve doubling of average income of a farmer by 2010.
• Credit cards to be extended to all eligible artisans, weavers and fishermen. Reduced interest rate and a contributory insurance scheme to be started.
• Wheat and rice being provided at unprecedented cheap rates to the poorest families under Antyoday Ann Yojana.
• 2.5 lakh new primary teachers to be appointed under Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan
• Mid Day meal scheme for children upto class V to be run in the entire country. To be extended up to class X under a national programme – ‘Akshaypatra’.
• Six new AIIMS like hospitals to be established in backward states under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana in the next three years.
• Work on two river linking projects to be taken up before the end of the year.
• Unprecedented growth in housing sector.

NORMALISATION OF RELATIONS WITH PAKISTAN:

• Invitation to Pakistan to walk together with India on the road to peace.
• Initiatives to normalise relations - an indication of our commitment to peace.
• Terrorist activities still continuing. The test of neighbours’ sincerity lies in stopping cross-border terrorism totally. People of both countries want to live in peace. Both need to fight against poverty, unemployment and backwardness.
• Trade and economic links should increase.
• Expand bilateral cultural relations. Encourage people-to-people contact.
• Promise of free and fair elections in J&K fulfilled. People of J&K have rebuffed terrorism from across the border.
• Those advocating the right to self-determination wish to divide India on communal lines. They will not be allowed to succeed.
• More than one lakh tourists visited Kashmir. Large turnout of Amarnath pilgrims. Outside students in Kashmir.
• Mobile telephones to be launched in J&K next week.

DEMOCRACY AND POLITICAL REFORMS:

• Decision to enact Lok Pal Bill, Prime Minister too within its ambit.
• Peace talks in North East yielding positive results.
• Successful coalition Government at the Centre completes five years.
• Cooperative relations with states; political discrimination due to ideological differences unacceptable.
• Thirty three percent reservation for women in Parliament and State Legislatures a national resolve. New proposal to create 33% double member seats for enacting Women’s Reservation Bill sounds practical and should be considered with a positive outlook.

EMERGING INDIA:

• World recognises India as world’s largest democracy, an emerging global economic power, the confluence of a modern nation and an ancient civilisation, a powerful country dedicated to ideal of peace.
• Dream of making India a Developed nation by 2020 gaining strength.
• National unity and integrity needs to be kept intact at any cost.
• India emerging as a young nation. 60 crore people are below 30 years of age and scripting India’s bright future.
• Appeal to understand their dreams, encourage them in every possible way and give them proper guidance. They need to be educated in science, technology and other new disciplines.
• India – a multi-religious nation. Paramount need for maintaining peace and strengthening the bonds of brotherhood emphasised. We should always care for the minorities and be attentive towards their welfare.
• Peace in society and bonds of brotherhood should be strengthened.

Prime Minister separately announced several new initiatives in the fields of rural development, agriculture development, infrastructure development, social justice and social security, small-scale industries, slums rehabilitation and urban renewal, tourism and culture, education, science and technology.