India IS Shining

[Guest guest]

'It's India, not BJP shining, so why the fuss?'

 

Pioneer News Service/ New Delhi

 

 

Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani on Wednesday asked the critics of

the NDA's India Shining campaign a simple question - it's all about

improving India's image and not of the BJP's, so why are you so

bothered about it?

Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani addresses a gathering in the

Capital on Wednesday - Vijay Kumar / Pioneer

 

 

 

 

 

Lashing out at the critics of the campaign, he likened "the Congress

negativism" against the Feel-Good factor with the British strategy

to rule India by creating a sense of inferiority among Indians.

 

 

 

"I am pained when people criticise the India Shining campaign. Had

we given the slogan BJP shining, I would have understood the logic

behind the criticism. But I cannot understand why India Shining or

Bharat Uday is being criticised," Mr Advani said at a function at

his residence. He said the Vajpayee Government's greatest

achievement during the past five years had been instilling a sense

of pride and confidence in every Indian, that "we can become a super

power".

 

 

 

The Non-Resident Indians and the People of Indian Origin, who had

come from various parts of the world to participate last month in

the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, had told senior leaders in the

Government that they were pleased to see the developments here and

that they took pride in the respect India and Indians were getting

around the globe.

 

 

 

He said apart from building a road network, the IT revolution and

other such developments, the NDA Government, with its work during

the past five-six years, has raised hopes among the populace that

the day is not very far when India will be part of the superpower

club.

 

 

 

"This is our greatest achievement and this is the basis for the

slogan India Shining," he said while speaking at a function in

connection with the Maharishi Dayanand Bodh (enlightenment) Utsav at

his residence.

 

 

 

Mr Advani said after the 1971 India-Pakistan war, when Bangladesh

was born, if anybody who heartily praised the Government of Indira

Gandhi, it was Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

 

 

 

"Why are the people criticising the India Shining slogan. If anybody

says that there is poverty in the country, then there is also the

truth that the progress made is unprecedented," he said.

 

 

 

Mr Advani said the instrument used by the British to rule India and

make Indians virtual slaves was to create a sense of inferiority

amongst the masses. "They always gave us the feeling that you are

useless, worthless. Your country has no talent, no money or skills.

Caste system and untouchability are prevalent. Even text books

during that period contained such comments," he said.