‘Resolve to focus on education, skill development of daughters’

Varanasi, Dec 14 (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday urged people to resolve to focus on education and skill development of daughters and keep all water sources including the Ganga clean.
Addressing an event marking the 98th anniversary celebrations of Sadguru Sadafaldeo Vihangam Yog Sansthan at Swarved Mahamandir here, he said as India completes 75 years of independence, “su raj (good governance)” is as important as “swaraj (self-rule)” for the country.
In his remarks, Modi said the zero budget natural farming should become a mass movement and people should be made aware of its benefits.
Zero budget natural farming reduces the cost of agriculture by relying on traditional field-based technologies which lead to improved soil health.
In his remarks, Modi said the flow of tourists to Varanasi doubled in the year 2019-20 vis-a-vis in 2014-15, and attributed the growth in numbers despite the COVID-19 pandemic to the “will of Benares”.
During 2019-20, when the country faced the Covid pandemic, Babatpur (Varanasi) airport alone, saw a traffic of over 30 lakh passengers, both ways, he said.
Recalling the Sadguru’s mantra of Swadeshi, the prime minister said that in the same spirit, the country has started the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat Mission’.
“Today the local business, employment and products of the country are gaining new strength. Local is going global,” he said. Going with the spirit of ‘Sabka Prayas’, Modi urged everyone to take resolutions which are focussed towards realising the Sadhguru’s resolutions and include the aspirations of the country.
One resolution, the prime minister said could be about educating daughters and focussing on their skill development.
“Along with their families, those who can take responsibility in the society should also take the responsibility of skill development of one or two poor daughters,” he said.
Another resolution, he said, can be about saving water by “keeping our rivers, Ganga ji and all our water sources clean”.
Addressing the huge gathering on the second day of his visit to his home constituency, Modi also highlighted the development here in recent years and asserted that cities like Varanasi have preserved the seeds of India’s identity, art and entrepreneurship in the toughest of times.
“Where there is a seed, the tree begins to expand from there. And that is why, today when we talk about the development of Benaras, it also forms the roadmap for the development of the whole of India,” he said.
Modi, here on a two-day visit, went for an inspection of key development projects in the city late last night.
“After 12 o’clock last night, as soon as I got the opportunity, I went out again to see the work that is going on in my Kashi, the work that has been done…the beautification work that has been done in Gadolia locality has become a sight to behold. I interacted with so many people there. I also saw Banaras railway station in Manduadih. This station has also been renovated,” Modi said.
“Embracing the novelty while retaining the old, Benaras is giving a new direction to the country,” he said.
Modi said that even when he is in Delhi, he tries to keep a tab on the status of projects that have been completed or are underway in Varanasi.
Addressing the gathering, the prime minister recalled the dedication of grand ‘Viswanath Dham’ and said the energy of Kashi is not only perennial, it also continues to take new dimensions.
He also greeted people on Gita Jayanti.
Paying tributes to Sadguru Sadafaldeo, Modi said, “I bow to his spiritual presence. I also express my gratitude to Shri Swatantradev Ji Maharaj and Shri Vigyandev Ji Maharaj, who are keeping this tradition alive.
“Our country is so wonderful that, whenever the time is unfavourable, some saint emerges here to change the current of time. It is India whose biggest hero of freedom is called Mahatma by the world,” he said.