75th anniversary of Quit India movement: PM Narendra Modi calls for India free of poverty, corruption by 2022

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on the people of the country to ensure that the next five years are transformative in an address to members of Parliament on the 75th anniversary of the Quit India movement.

Citizens should rise above the differences they have with each other and unite in a joint effort to establish an India that the country’s freedom fighters had dreamt of in the next five years to 2022, the 75th anniversary of independence.

The Quit India Movement sought an end to British colonial rule and was launched by Mahatma Gandhi on August 8, 1942. That year, conditions internationally became favourable for India’s independence, the PM said.

CHALLENGES INDIA NEEDS TO OVERCOME
The prime minister noted that the conditions are once again conducive for the country, alluding to the fact that it’s an island of economic stability amid global uncertainty.

He said that from 1857 to 1942, the move toward freedom was incremental, but the years from 1942 to 1947 brought an upheaval and delivered on the objective of freedom, according to a translation of his Hindi speech provided by the Prime Minister’s Office via the Press Information Bureau.

Movements such as Quit India are a source of inspiration and it’s incumbent on the current generation to pass on the legacy of such crusades to those who come after them. The prime minister recalled that even as senior leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi were jailed at the beginning of the Quit India movement, a new generation emerged to fill the vacuum and take the campaign forward.

The prime minister noted that the freedom struggle went through several phases, and recalled various leaders and movements that emerged at various points since 1857. He added that the Quit India movement that began in 1942 was a decisive campaign. Quoting Gandhiji, the prime minister said that all sections of people joined in, inspired his call of “karenge ya marenge (do or die)”.

Once the entire country shared this common resolve, independence was achieved in five years. Modi said the ‘karenge ya marenge’ slogan should be adapted to ‘karenge aur karke rahenge’ in pursuit of six key aims — the elimination of corruption, ensuring the poor get their rights, youth self-employment, an end to malnutrition, empowering women and ending illiteracy. These are challenges that India needs to overcome, he said. He also mentioned the role played by women in the freedom struggle and said that they will bring immense strength in the effort to achieve common objectives.

“We are well aware of our rights, we cannot forget our duties, and these too, must become part of our way of life,” the prime minister said. The prime minister said that colonialism began in India and its decline began with India’s independence, which was soon followed by its collapse across Asia and Africa. Modi said that the next five years should also be about “Sankalp se Siddhi” – a resolve that will lead India achieve its ambitions.