Under PM Modi, India rediscovered national self-belief, says CM Chandrababu Naidu
Amaravati, June 9 (IANS) With Prime Minister Narendra Modi set to surpass Jawaharlal Nehru’s record as the longest continuously serving elected PM, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said that under PM Modi’s leadership, India has rediscovered its cultural pride and national self-belief.
On the eve of PM Modi reaching the milestone, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national president has shared his thoughts in an article published in the ‘Indian Express’.
The veteran politician heaped praise on PM Modi and asserted that this milestone reflects the enduring trust that millions of Indians have placed in a model of governance anchored in the principle of “Nation First”.
“I have often said that Narendra Modi was the right leader at the right time for India. After 12 years, that conviction has only strengthened further. History will remember this period not merely for economic growth or political stability, but for something deeper – the restoration of India’s confidence in itself,” wrote Naidu, whose TDP is a key partner in the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre.
The TDP chief also believed that this is India’s defining moment, the beginning of a golden era for India.
“In my nearly five decades in public life, I have had the opportunity to observe and interact with several prime ministers, each of whom led India through distinct challenges and circumstances. But PM Modi stands apart because he has combined civilisational confidence with modern governance,” he wrote.
CM Naidu stated that India was once among the world’s richest and most advanced civilisations. “Yet for many decades after independence, we often behaved like a sleeping giant, hesitant about our identity and uncertain of our place in the world. Under PM Modi’s leadership, India has rediscovered its cultural pride and national self-belief.”
“India today stands with far greater confidence and strategic relevance in the global order. PM Modi has ensured that India engages with the world as an equal among major powers, always guided by the principle of India First.”
According to CM Naidu, this revival has not been rooted in nostalgia alone. He believes that PM Modi integrated India’s ancient knowledge systems — yoga, pranayama, meditation and spiritual traditions — with modern technology, digital governance and innovation-led growth. This synthesis of tradition and technology may well become India’s defining contribution to the 21st century.
He noted that in a decade, India has moved from the world’s 11th-largest to the fourth-largest economy. The defining feature of these 12 years has been governance driven by conviction and execution. Through DPI, Jan Dhan accounts, Aadhaar integration, UPI and Direct Benefit Transfers, India has undertaken one of the largest financial inclusion exercises in human history.
“For decades, poverty and exclusion were often perpetuated by leakages, inefficiencies and the inability of welfare to reach the intended beneficiary. Technology has helped bridge that divide. More than Rs 51 lakh crore has been directly transferred to beneficiaries, eliminating middlemen and reducing leakages at an unprecedented scale. In many ways, India has bridged the economic divide by first bridging the digital divide.”
He observed that equally significant has been the scale of social transformation. Millions of Indians have been lifted out of multidimensional poverty; investments in housing, sanitation, healthcare, water and rural infrastructure have improved the quality of life for millions.
The Chief Minister also observed that at a time when the world has faced unprecedented disruptions, from the pandemic and supply-chain shocks to geo-political conflicts and economic uncertainty, India has remained resilient, stable and among the fastest-growing major economies.
He is of the view that PM Modi has also focused on long-term nation-building through transformational investments in highways, ports, airports, freight corridors, railways, renewable energy, manufacturing and emerging technologies. These are not decisions made for immediate political gain, but foundational investments.
CM Naidu appreciated PM Modi’s understanding of how innovation and entrepreneurship can transform society.
He said that another important transformation has been in the relationship between the Union and states. Competitive and cooperative federalism has given states greater space to innovate, compete and grow. States are increasingly being treated as engines of national development rather than mere administrative units. Andhra Pradesh has greatly benefited from this development-oriented partnership through projects related to infrastructure, industrialisation, Amaravati and emerging technologies.
–IANS
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