Union Home Minister and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Thursday released the “Indian Renaissance: The Modi Decade” book in the national capital.
On this occasion, Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal, Rajya Sabha MP Kartikeya Sharma, the book’s editor Aishwarya Pandit, and several other distinguished personalities were present.
Union Home Minister Shah said that in the past 10 years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tenure has marked the end of an era and the beginning of a new one.
He emphasised that whenever India’s history is rewritten, even PM Modi’s staunchest critics will acknowledge these 10 years in golden letters.
He also said that in 2014, India entered a new era, receiving a stable government after three decades, leading to success in every part of the country.
Union Minister Shah said that this transformation has been interpreted in various ways, with a foreign newspaper even writing that while India attained independence on August 15, 1947, it was under PM Modi’s leadership in 2014 that the country truly gained freedom from colonial influences.
He added that our country gained freedom from a long period of colonial rule on August 15, 1947.
He further highlighted that India is one of the world’s oldest civilisations, known for its openness — whether in embracing new ideas, welcoming foreign citizens, or accepting diverse languages.
Union Minister Shah noted that India is the only country in the world that has embraced multiple civilisations, modified its own traditions, and continued its journey while preserving its essence.
He emphasised that India is unique in its ability to sustain numerous languages, cultures, dialects, and religions, all coexisting with mutual respect while progressing together as a nation.
Meanwhile, Aishwarya Pandit, editor of the book, while interacting with the media, said: “If you look around you will see transformation… I tried to put on paper the changes that have taken place in the last 10 years. We also took a look at the impact of digitisation on an average household.”
Home Minister Amit Shah further said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, numerous reforms have taken place across various sectors, accelerating overall growth. He highlighted that the size and scale of every sector have expanded significantly.
The Union Minister emphasised that no one could have imagined that during the world’s biggest pandemic, Covid-19, India would manage the crisis most efficiently.
Through the use of technology, the country successfully vaccinated its 1.3 billion population and seamlessly provided vaccination certificates, HM Shah said.
He also noted that India was among the first to develop a Covid-19 vaccine and supplied it to more than 100 countries.
Amit Shah, a former BJP chief, said that in the future, India’s history will be divided into three distinct parts. The first part will be “India before Independence and after Independence”, the second part will be “India before Emergency and after Emergency”, and the third part will be “India before PM Modi and after PM Modi”, he added.
He emphasised that when a leader guides his nation with hard work, diligence, a clean heart, and a visionary approach, history cannot ignore him.
Union Minister Shah highlighted that during the 25th and 50th anniversaries of India’s independence, programmes were primarily held in schools, panchayats, and government buildings, with resolutions passed in Legislative Assemblies and Parliament.
However, the 75th anniversary of Independence was celebrated on a much larger scale, with more than eight lakh programmes organised despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.
He credited PM Modi for ensuring that the new generation learns about the freedom movement from 1857 to 1947 and that the unsung heroes of independence receive their due recognition.
He added that PM Modi encouraged the nation to take pride in its achievements over the past 75 years and inspired citizens to commit to making India a fully developed nation by August 15, 2047.
Union Minister Shah asserted that PM Modi has set a clear target for India to become a fully developed nation by 2047.
He remarked that what started as the Prime Minister’s resolution has now become the collective aspiration of 130 crore Indians.
He expressed confidence that India’s youth will be the driving force behind making the country the number one global power by 2047, adding that PM Modi recognises that if every Indian takes a single step forward, the country will advance by 130 crore steps.
Referring to the Covid-19 pandemic, HM Shah recalled how the entire country obeyed PM Modi’s call for a ‘Janta Curfew’ and stayed indoors. He compared this response to the public’s reaction to the appeal for fast made by former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, indicating that it was one of the rare moments when citizens wholeheartedly followed a leader’s call.
Union Home Minister Shah said that to truly understand PM Modi’s journey, one must look beyond his tenure from 2001 to 2025 and consider his 40 years of service before that.
He described PM Modi as someone who has always prioritised the welfare of others and never used public funds for personal benefit.
He also praised PM Modi for implementing bold reforms and making tough decisions that the public has continuously supported, leading to his repeated electoral victories.
Union Home Minister Shah said that the last 10 years of PM Modi’s leadership serve as the foundation for India’s next 25 years, known as “Amrit Kaal”.
The Union Home Minister highlighted various welfare initiatives, including providing houses to 60 crore poor people, gas connections, toilets, drinking water, free medical treatment up to Rs 5 lakh, and five kg of free food grains, among other benefits.
He credited PM Modi with launching a revolutionary transformation in both Gujarat and Delhi.
Union Home Minister Shah underscored that PM Modi’s achievements have been recognised worldwide.
He also said that PM Modi is the only global leader today who has been honoured with the highest civilian awards from 16 different countries.
Union Home Minister Shah compared PM Modi to Mahatma Gandhi, stating that after the Father of the Nation, PM Modi is the only leader to have prioritised cleanliness on a national scale, ensuring the construction of toilets for 13 crore households.
Reflecting on the country’s progress over the past decade, he said that 10 years ago, India’s governance was marked by policy paralysis, whereas today, it is defined by a “politics of performance”.
He expressed confidence that by 2047, India will be fully developed, will dominate the global stage, and retain its deep-rooted cultural and national identity.
