Service is BJP's core, youngsters key to developed India by 2047, says PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said service has remained at the core of the BJP's governance and values, and asserted that the party will not move away from that path regardless of how much political power it acquires.

Speaking via video conference with participants of the 'Seva Sankalp Yatra', he said politics, elections and governance have their place, but his party's resolve is centred on nation-building and development.

PM Modi also said the youth will play a major role in achieving the goal of making India a developed nation by 2047. The yatra, involving young participants from different states, is being organised from Vadnagar in Gujarat to Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh to mark the Prime Minister's 76th birthday and his 25 years in public life as an elected representative.

The participants were in Madhya Pradesh's Dewas district when he addressed them.

"Politics, elections, and governance have their own place, but we have set out with the resolve to build the nation and develop India," PM Modi said.

Referring to Vadnagar and Varanasi, he said both are ancient cities that have remained vibrant, adding that one is his birthplace and the other his "karmabhoomi".

He said, "From Gujarat to Delhi, service has been the core of our governance system and values. When service is at the core of governance, the resolve of 'Nagrik Devo Bhava' (Citizen is God) is at the heart of every policy."

He added, "Our conduct should show people that no matter how much power we attain in politics, our fundamental path will remain service. We will never deviate from the path of service, no matter how high we reach."

He said people remember work done in a spirit of service and bless those who serve. "My entire life has been driven by the blessings of the people. Their blessings have been the greatest energy in my life," PM Modi said, adding that "serving the nation through serving the people" has been the core mantra of his life.

He said the same spirit is at the foundation of government schemes for the poor, women, girls, the sick and tribals, and added that when service becomes part of policy, it turns into the "biggest driving force" for the country's progress.

PM Modi said the young generation must connect strongly with the goal of a developed India by 2047. "Today's young generation is both the creator of a developed India and will also be a major beneficiary once this goal is achieved," he said.

He told the participants that service to people should be their main objective, saying, "You have to give the message of service while serving. You don't have to preach service. We will convey the message of service not through words, but through service."

He added, "Give the message of service through your actions by serving the people. We will move forward with this spirit of 'Seva Parmo Dharma' - service is the highest religion."

He also said travel and service have long been rooted in India's social values, and noted that he too had led many yatras during his political career.

PM Modi asked the participants to learn from the traditional knowledge and solutions of villagers, spread the message of India's philosophy of unity in diversity, and speak to people about the 'Shakti ki Sapta Dhara' during the yatra.

On August 15, he had outlined the seven-point 'Sapta Dhara' reform framework focused on manufacturing, agro-food production and food processing, technology and innovation, logistics, defence, green and blue economy, and soft power.

Participants in the yatra also shared their experiences with him, with one saying that a village in Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh had been named Modi Phalia and that Gen Z people were backing the Prime Minister.