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Highlights of Narendra Modi's address to
the US Congress on June 08, 2016
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Today,
across its streets and institutions,
in its villages and cities, anchored
in equal respect for all faiths; and
in the melody of hundreds of its
languages and dialects, India lives
as one; India grows as one; India
celebrates as one.
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For my
government, the Constitution is its
real holy book.
800
million of my countrymen may
exercise the freedom of franchise
once every five years. But, all the
1.25 billion of our citizens have
freedom from fear, which they
exercise every moment of their
lives.
Gandhi's
non-violence inspired the heroism of
Martin Luther King.
No
wonder then that former Prime
Minister of India Atal Bihari
Vajpayee called India and the U.S.
'natural allies'.
No
wonder then, that President Obama
has called our ties the defining
partnership of the 21st century.
More than fifteen years ago, Prime
Minister of India, Atal Bihari
Vajpayee stood here and gave a call
to step out of the 'shadow of
hesitation' of the past.
The
real strength of the U.S. was in the
dreams of its people and the
boldness of their ambitions.
A billion of
its citizens are already politically
empowered. My dream is to
economically empower them through
many social and economic
transformations.
A
stronger and prosperous India is in
America's strategic interest.
In every
sector of India's forward march, I
see the U.S. as an indispensable
partner.
For us in India, to live in harmony
with mother earth is part of our
ancient belief. And, to take from
nature only what is most essential
is part of our civilizational ethos.
Our partnership, therefore, aims to
balance responsibilities with
capabilities.
I
commend the members of the U.S.
Congress for sending a clear message
to those who preach and practice
terrorism for political gains.
Ideas
which we can focus:
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Not
just on creating wealth but also
creating value for our
societies;
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Not
just on immediate gains but also
long term benefits;
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Not
just on sharing best practices
but also shaping partnerships;
and
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Not
just on building a bright future
for our peoples, but in being a
bridge to a more united, humane
and prosperous world.
The need
of the hour is for us to deepen our
security cooperation. And, base it
on a policy:
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that
isolates those who harbour,
support and sponsor terrorists;
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that
does not distinguish between
"good" and "bad" terrorists; and
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that
delinks religion from terrorism.
our engagement can make a difference
by promoting:
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Cooperation not dominance;
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Connectivity not isolation;
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Respect for Global Commons;
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inclusive not exclusive
mechanisms; and above all
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adherence to international rules
and norms.
My to-do
list is long and ambitious. But you
will understand. It includes:
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A
vibrant rural economy with
robust farm sector;
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A
roof over each head and
electricity to all households;
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To
skill millions of our youth;
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Build 100 smart cities;
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Have
a broad band for a billion, and
connect our villages to the
digital world;
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And
create a twenty-first century
rail, road and port
infrastructure.
These
are not just aspirations; they are
goals to be reached in a finite
time-frame.
In the
lines of Walt Whitman, "The
Orchestra have sufficiently tuned
their instruments, the baton has
given the signal." And to that, if I
might add, there is a new symphony
in play.
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Highlights of his address to US Congress
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