'India stands with Manipur': PM Modi during Independence Day address

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday called upon the people to work together to maintain peace and harmony in Manipur and said the country stands with the North Eastern state.

"India stands with Manipur and the Centre and the state governments are working together to maintain peace," the prime minister said, addressing the nation on the 77th Independence Day from the ramparts of the Red Fort.

"In the last few weeks, Manipur witnessed a wave of violence. Several people lost their lives, and our mothers and sisters were dishonoured. But, peace is slowly returning to the region" PM Modi said.

Manipur has been on the boil for over five months following repeated clashes between the Kukis and the Meities.

The Prime Minister urged the people to ensure the peace that has been restored over the past few days.

"The people of Manipur should build on the peace that has been restored over the past few days. The path to a solution will be found through peace in Manipur," he added.

More than 160 people have been killed, and several hundred injured since ethnic violence first broke out in the state on May 3 when a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the majority Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status.

Invoking the issue of terrorism, PM Modi said the country today is secure from terror attacks. "Earlier we used to hear about bomb explosions here and there. But today, there is a significant decline in incidents of terror attacks. When this happens we can achieve the new milestones of development" he said.

Modi also said his government has changed the earlier notions about border villages through its ‘Vibrant Villages’ scheme. “The village on the border is not India’s last village, as was said before, it is the first village of the country,” he said.

During his speech, Modi recalled the sacrifices made by freedom fighters like Mahatma Gandhi, Aurobindo Ghosh, and others.

Earlier, he started off his speech by highlighting India's status as the biggest democracy in the world and also said it was now the most populated country according to various estimates.

The Prime Minister said that just like the situation after World War 2, a new global order is emerging after the Covid-19 pandemic.

"India is becoming the voice of the global South, and its prosperity is becoming an opportunity for the world. We are bringing the promise of stability to the world," he said.

"No ifs, no buts, only trust," Modi added.

Recalling the G20 Summit in Bali last year, Modi said the leaders of major developed nations of the world wanted to know in detail about Digital India.

He added sweeping changes were not limited to urban spaces like Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai, but had spread to Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.

"We are lucky to have demography, democracy, diversity," PM Modi said, adding that this trio will make the country's dreams come true and that india's youth will carry forward the legacy and determination of the nation.

Modi said he believed in the power of India's youth to bring about great and revolutionary changes in the country.

He added that the youth of the country has made it proud by excelling and taking the country forward through the start-up ecosystem. (UNI)