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Many mocked Bhimrao Ambedkar and made efforts to ensure that the son of a backward family does not progress, but they failed as today's 'new India' belongs to the poor and the backward, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday.
In his monthly 'Mann ki Baat' radio address, the prime minister also hailed the role of leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Ram Manohar Lohia, Charan Singh and Devi Lal for recognising agriculture and the farmer as vital aspects of the nation's economy.
The prime minister said, Ambedkar showed us that to succeed it is not necessary for a person to be born in an illustrious or rich family, but even those who are born in poor families in India can dare to dream their dreams and realise those dreams by achieving success.
Modi said he himself is an example of Ambedkar's philosophy.
"...many people mocked Ambedkar, tried to pull him back and made every possible effort to ensure that the son of an impoverished and backward family does not progress in life, be something and succeed in life. But, the picture of new India is altogether different. It is an India which is Ambedkar's India, of the poor and the backward," Modi said.
He said on the occasion Ambedkar's birth anniversary, from April 14 to May 5 ‘Gram-Swaraj Abhiyan,' is being organised.
As part of the campaign, separate programmes on village development, poverty amelioration and social justice will be held throughout India. "I urge you all to be a part of this campaign," he said.
Years ago, Modi said, Ambedkar spoke of India's industrialisation as a means to generate new jobs and push development.
"Today, the campaign of Make in India is progressing successfully in consonance with Ambedkar's dream of India as an industrial super power -- that vision of his has become our inspiration today," the PM said.
He also hailed the role of Ambedkar in propagating the idea of having ports and waterways to boost economy.
He said when India was discussing Partition, the World War II and the Cold War, Ambedkar "in a way" laid the foundation of Team India's spirit.
He had talked about the importance of federalism, federal system and stressed on the Centre and states working together for uplift of the country.
"Today, we have adopted in all aspects of governance the mantra of co-operative federalism and going a step further, we have adopted competitive cooperative federalism," Modi said.
Referring to the agriculture sector, the PM said, from Mahatma Gandhi to Lal Bahadur Shastri, Ram Manohar Lohia, Charan Singh, and Devi Lal --all recognised agriculture and the farmer as vital aspects of the nation's economy and also for the common man's life.
He recalled Mahatma Gandhi's words that “to forget how to dig earth and to tend the soil, is to forget ourselves."
He said, Shastri insisted on improvised agricultural infrastructure, while Lohia talked of creating a mass awakening about necessary measures to ensure a better income for farmers.
He recalled that Charan Singh in his speech in 1979 had urged farmers to use new technology and to adopt new innovations and underlined their vital significance.
The PM pointed out that in this year's budget decision has been taken to ensure that farmers get a fair price for their produce.
He said, it has been decided that the MSP of notified crops will be fixed at least one and a half times of their cost and will include labour cost of other workers employed, expenses incurred on own animals and cost of animals and machinery taken on rent, cost of seeds, cost of each type of fertilizer used, irrigation cost, land revenue paid to the state government, interest paid on working capital, ground rent in case of leased land.
Photograph: Kind courtesy www.narendramodi.in