Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said his 25 years as head of government were not a matter of personal achievement or glorification, saying he had lived his life driven by a mission rather than personal ambition.
Addressing the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Sabha in Delhi at an event marking 25 years of his continuous service as head of government, Modi said he had never stopped to think about what he would become or what his future would hold.
“Today, I have completed 25 years of continuously serving as head of government. This is the blessing of the people. I bow before the people of the country,” he said.
Modi recalled that when he took oath as the Chief Minister of Gujarat on October 7, 2001, he had not imagined that he would reach such a milestone.
“Speaking as the head of the government, this continuous journey of twenty-five years, people view it as an achievement. But how do I see it? For me, this is not a matter of personal glorification, nor is it the occasion for it,” he said.
Recalling his years before entering electoral politics, Modi said that at the age of 50 he had spent time serving tribal communities in forests and living in the mountains before choosing organisational work within the Bharatiya Janata Party.
“My political report card reflected only the work of an organisational worker. I had been involved in elections, yet I had never contested one myself,” he said.
Had he wanted to make a mark in electoral politics, he could have entered it earlier, Modi said, adding that it was not his temperament to pursue personal political ambition.
“I have been a person who has lived for a mission, not my personal ambition,” he said, attributing this outlook to the values instilled in him from childhood.
Modi credited the people and BJP workers for his journey, saying the trust of hundreds of millions of citizens and the efforts of millions of party workers had been his greatest strength.
“For me, the ‘janata janardhan’ are a manifestation of God itself,” he said.
He said the 25 years of public trust and experience were an asset not belonging to him alone but to the nation.
“Whatever I am today, wherever I stand, and in whatever role I serve, the biggest contribution belongs to the ‘janata janardhan’,” Modi said.
He also said he regarded himself as a lifelong student, recalling how his school teacher in Vadnagar had taught him the value of eagerness to learn. He said he continued to try to learn something new every day so that he could contribute more to the nation.
Modi said those who supported him had taught him the power of faith, while his critics had taught him to look within.
“Those who stood by me showed me the power of faith, those who opposed me taught me the power of democracy,” he said.
He also expressed gratitude to the BJP, the NDA and political colleagues who he said had faith in democracy and the Constitution.
Referring to the elections he had contested for state assemblies and the Lok Sabha, Modi said the people had consistently chosen him to serve them and paid tribute to India's democracy and Constitution.
He said he had prayed for the country and its citizens at the Shri Vinayaka Temple earlier in the day, seeking the strength and capability to serve the country with greater energy.
Looking ahead, Modi invoked the goals of a Viksit Bharat by 2047, an Aatmanirbhar Bharat, India becoming a global manufacturing hub, hosting the Olympics and entering the field of human spaceflight.
“This energy and confidence are incredible,” he said, calling for renewed determination to take India to new heights.
From the Red Fort, Modi said, he had spoken about the power of collective effort. “We will do it,” he said, reiterating the message as a call for national resolve.
