CM Dr. Sarma launches ‘Modi @20: Dreams meet Delivery’ in Assam Requests Rupa Publications India to get this book translated into Assamese

Bhupen Goswami 

 GUWAHATI : The Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma today launched ‘Modi@20: Dreams Meet Delivery’ at a function held at Sankardev International Auditorium in Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra here today. It may be noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi completed 20 years in 2021 as the head of government from becoming Chief Minister to Prime Minister of India. First he became Chief Minister of Gujarat in 2001 and remained in that post till he became the Prime Minister of the largest democracy of the world in 2014, then again got re-elected in 2019. In the honour of this feat and in acknowledgement of this unrelenting tenacity, a book titled ‘Modi@20: Dreams Meet Delivery’ which was already launched at the national level, witnessed the state wide launch in Assam today.

Published by Rupa Publications India, the book is written by eminent intellectuals and writers like Nandan Nilekani, Sudha Murty, Sadguru, P.V. Sindhu, Amish Tripathi among others. The book is an anthology of chapters written by eminent writers elaborating and depicting the fundamental transformation that the country has gone through under the leadership of Narendra Modi as the head of the government in the last 20 years. The book also elaborates Modi’s model of governance which has touched the lives of cross section of the people of the society. Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Dr. Sarma said, “Modi@20: Dreams Meet Delivery is undoubtedly an incredible book. This book which encapsulates the journey of last two decades of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the head of a democratically elected government, is in fact an informative historical document of contemporary India. I am very happy and proud to be a part of the launch of this epoch making book”. He said that Narendra Modi after taking over the rein of office of the Chief Minister on October 7, 2001, unleashed a new model of development termed as Gujarat model in the country. Bringing a turnaround in all sectors including agriculture, Narendra Modi projected the Gujarat model as success story before the world.

After being in the Chief Minister’s office for nearly four terms, he with blessings and support of all sections of the people in the country became the Prime Minister of India. Before 2014, no government at the centre came to power with majority. However, ending this phenomena, Narendra Modi made the turn around as BJP led NDA government came to power with thumping majority. Dr. Sarma said that there were coalition governments in India for twenty-five years between 1989 and 2014. All the governments had a policy of compromise for political interests. It created disappointment among the common citizens. Government’s weak stand against terrorism hampered national interest. Such an environment crippled people’s hopes and aspirations.

Their morale was low. In such a backdrop, as a symbol of new hope Narendra Modi emerged as the new hope in the national landscape.Many critics said public support for the BJP was a reflection of the temporary sentiments of the people. Their views were that Prime Minister Modi could never fulfil the dreams and hopes that he had shown to the people. But proving such a selective opinion of the critics wrong, Prime Minister Modi was elected Prime Minister of the country for the second consecutive term with more public support in the 2019 general elections, which was unprecedented in last five decades. The overwhelming mandate towards Narendra Modi in the 2019 elections was undoubtedly a reflection of the fulfilment of his dreams and hopes that he had shown to the people and his promises made to them, Dr. Sarma added. Giving an all pervasive impact of Prime Minister Modi in the country, Dr. Sarma said that in 2013 BJP had four Chief Ministers of its own and one Chief Minister of NDA alliance. All over the country BJP had 773 MLAs. Today the BJP has 12 Chief Ministers on its own and six Chief Ministers of allied parties. Number of BJP MLAs has today rose to 1443. It offers a yardstick of how Prime Minister Modi’s leadership has expanded the party’s social and geographical landscape. The Chief Minister said that in October 2021, Prime Minister Modi has completed two decades of his political career as heads of a democratically elected government. In a country as diverse as India, it is rare to keep stirring public imagination for nearly two decades by a single thought.

However, in the last twenty years, a name, an idea, has fascinated the countrymen by making such impossible possible. That is Narendra Modi. “Today Modi is the name of a change, Modi is the name of a hope, Modi is the name of a conviction. The countrymen believe that everything is possible if Modi is there. People believe that Modi he toh mumkin hai” the Chief Minister added. Speaking on the book, Chief Minister Dr. Sarma said that it was undoubtedly a formidable challenge to cover through a book on the twenty eventful years of the rise of Narendra Modi to the most powerful post in the country and how this period has affected the lives of Indians. It is quite natural for individuals to differ in their opinions on this. But there is no doubt that the articles that the Bluekraft Digital Foundation has incorporated in the book in the context of the views and personal experiences of familiar, influential and knowledgeable people in various fields have been able to successfully capture the personality of Prime Minister Modi and his contribution to the social life of India in the last two decades.

He, therefore, congratulated every functionary of the Bluekraft Digital Foundation involved in editing and compiling the book. He on this occasion also requested Rupa Publications India for taking initiative in getting the book translated in to Assamese to enable readers from cross section of the society to read the book. BJP State President Bhabesh Kalita, veteran journalist Dhirendranath Chakraborty, CMD Axis My India Pradeep Gupta, Ace badminton player PV Sindhu, Olympian Lovlina Borgohain, Asian Games Medallist Hima Das, Singer Angarag Mahanta, Padmashree Dr. Illias Ali and several ministers from government of Assam and host of other dignitaries were present on the occasion.