Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday asked people to rally around another "Quit India" movement - 75 years after Mahatma Gandhis campaign against British rule - to rid the country of filth, poverty, corruption, terrorism, casteism and communalism by 2022.
In his monthly radio talk Mann ki Baat, Modi said the next five years could be as decisive as was the time from 1942 - when Gandhi made the "Quit India" call - and 1947 - when India got freedom. He asked the people to make a pledge and contribute towards building a "new India".
"Just as the five years from 1942 to 1947 were decisive for the country's independence, these five years from 2017 to 2022 can and must play a decisive role for the future of India. Five years from now, we will celebrate 75 years of India's independence.
"We must make 2017 our Year of Resolve. In this month of August, we have to come together and resolve: Filth - Quit India; Poverty - Quit India; Corruption - Quit India; Terrorism - Quit India; Casteism - Quit India; Communalism - Quit India," Modi said in his Hindi speech.
An English translation of the speech was made available by the government.
Modi said Gandhi had given a "Do or Die" call but it was time to "live by and strive for this resolve (and) launch a mega campaign 'Sankalp se Siddhi' - Attainment through Resolve" from August 9 - the 75th anniversary of "Quit India" movement.
Modi said he could see that the next five years would be a new time segment to "certainly transform that resolve into 'siddhi' or attainment".
The Prime Minister also hailed the GST, launched on the midnight of June 30, as "more than just a tax reform" and said it would usher "in a new culture of honesty".
He said he had received letters from the countrymen and felt "very happy and satisfied when a poor person writes to say how because of GST prices of various items essential for him have come down, and commodities have become cheaper".
"GST is a fine example of the collective strength of the people of India. This is a historic achievement. And this is not just a tax reform, it is a new economic order that will strengthen a new culture of honesty."
Modi also spoke about Indian women's cricket team for reaching the final of the World Cup, saying "our daughters are bringing laurels to the country in all the fields - be it education, economic activities, social spheres or in sports".
"Our daughters performed brilliantly in the Women's Cricket World Cup. This week I had the opportunity to meet our daughters, the members of our Women's Cricket team. I felt happy talking to them, but I had a feeling that they felt burdened by the fact that they could not win the World Cup."
He said he urged them to look at the way India supported them and take pride in their accomplishment.
"Look, this is the age of the media. So expectations get hyped up to such an extent that if corresponding success is not achieved, these turn into despair and even resentment. We have seen during many such events where if the Indian players fail, the anger of the country is vented towards the players."
He said the 1.25 billion people "took this defeat on their own shoulders, never letting the burden weigh down these daughters of ours. I view this as a healthy and pleasant change and I told these daughters that only they were blessed with such good fortune, and hence they should banish any thought of not having been successful".
--IANS
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