Terming “participatory democracy” the need of the hour for India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said yesterday that governance suffers when people don’t do their duty and hold others responsible for their failures.
He also said that governments in India must have a good grievance redressal system as it will strengthen democracy in the country.
“Governance suffers when people don’t do their duties. They would hold others responsible for the work that they should be doing,” the Prime Minister said while addressing a Town Hall-style event organised here to mark the second anniversary of MyGov platform.
“Participatory democracy is needed in a country like ours and technology has made it possible,” he said.
Elaborating on good governance, he said it “comes with responsibility and accountability”.
“Suppose a good hospital has been built by spending crores of rupees on it but doctors and other staffers there don’t take care of the patients, then whole purpose (of having the hospital) gets defeated,” he said, adding that accountability of the person responsible has to be fixed.
The Prime Minister also stressed that lesser the governance, the better it is.
“Governments have to change themselves. Procedures should be simplified and the system has to be made flawless,” he added, saying that NDA government was in the process of making things like securing a licence or getting the original papers verified simple.
Answering a query on India’s foreign policy under his government, he said it is based on “India first” concept.
On the condition of the Indian economy, Modi said that it was growing well at 7.5% but India needs stable growth for at least the next 30 years.
“Our economic development should be constant. It should not be fluctuating,” he said, adding that if India is able to ensure growth at the rate of 8% per annum,” every good thing of the world would be available to its people.
He also emphasised that natural resources should be utilised optimally as it will help the economy grow at a steady rate.
Modi, during his almost two-hour long address at the Indira Gandhi stadium, also urged the farmers of the country to switch over to new forms of agriculture in the changing times.
“Multiple crops with new methods are to be encouraged,” he said.
Modi also urged NRIs to inspire their friends to visit India as it would help tourism in the country.


PM lashes out at cow vigilantes, calls them anti-social


Breaking his silence on cow vigilantism, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said yesterday he felt “very angry” at such incidents and has asked state governments to prepare a dossier of people who are “running shops” in the name of cow protection.
“There are some people who are running shops in the name of cow protection. They indulge in anti-social activities in the night and wear the cloak of gau rakshaks (cow protectors) by the day,” a visibly riled Prime Minister Modi said speaking at a Town Hall-style meeting here. “I have asked the state governments to prepare a dossier of all such people.”
The opposition parties have been criticising the Prime Minister for his “silence” amid growing incidents of attacks on Dalits and Muslims by “gau rakshaks” in various parts of the country.
He sought to make a clear distinction between self-styled “gau rakshaks” and those who are genuinely concerned about the welfare of the bovines and said he felt anguished at the actions of such vigilante groups.
“Mujhe bahut gussa aata hai (I feel very angry),” he said, and lamented that more cows die by swallowing plastic than by slaughtering.
The Modi government at the Centre and BJP governments in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh have come under strong criticism for attacks on Dalits and Muslims by vigilante groups.
Without naming any organisation, Modi said the term “swayamsevak” means selfless service and those associated with it should not mistake their role to create a fear psychosis among others. “Even to campaign for limiting the use of plastics and stopping its littering around will be a big service to the welfare of the cow,” he said.
The Prime Minister recalled his stint as chief minister of Gujarat and said at one health camp at least two buckets full of plastic were removed from the stomach of one cow.