People the world over are looking to India for solutions to problems, says HP Guv Shukla

Himachal Pradesh Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla on Sunday said people from across the world are looking towards India for solutions to their problems since the country's perception abroad had changed due to its strong leadership and its target to become a developed nation during 'Amrit Kaal'. 'Amrit Kaal' is a term often used by the Narendra Modi government for the period till 2047 when efforts need to be taken on a grand scale to make India a developed nation. "I can say the outlook of India of the past and the present has changed.

Today, people the world over are searching for solutions to their problems in India. It means the change in the world's perception (about India) is because of the country's strong leadership," Shukla said. He was delivering a special lecture on 'Amrit Kaal Ka Bharat' organised by Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII) in collaboration with the India Think Council. In his address, Shukla also targeted the "followers of Ram Manohar Lohia" for raising the issue of caste for politics, an apparent reference to the demand for caste survey by several opposition parties after such an exercise was carried out by the Bihar government.

"Does anyone think which caste one belongs to? This country gave us a great socialist named Dr Ram Manohar Lohia. He gave a call to break the shackles of caste," he said. Despite being a socialist, Lohia organised Ramayan mela at Chitrakoot and urged people in the Parliament to visit Ayodhya and follow the ideals of Lord Rama, Shukla added. It is surprising his followers are running after caste for politics, the HP governor said. He said people who never thought of having a bank account got one through the Jan Dhan Yojana, and the Modi government made sure every rupee sent to the beneficiaries reached them without middlemen taking away a large chunk.

Shukla said when he was minister of state for finance in the first term of the Modi government, the challenge was for India's Goods and Services Tax (GST) to reach the Rs 1 lakh crore mark, while it has now got closer to the Rs 2 crore mark. There was a time when people thought India was approaching other nations to ask for something, while now the US president seeks the Indian PM's autograph and one PM touched Modi's feet, Shukla claimed. "Today, our country is attracting people under its 'Make in India' policy to set up their units here.

It is providing them not just a market but also innovation," he claimed. Shukla claimed it had never occurred in world history when two warring countries -- Russia and Ukraine -- stopped hostilities for a day to ensure students from India are safely evacuated. The identity of Amrit Kaal is the increasing pride of Tiranga (Tricolour), he said. When one expresses his feeling of self pride, people think they are communal.

Referring to the 2002 Godhra riots, Shukla said the then chief minister of Gujarat (Narendra Modi) was blamed but the top court exonerated him saying he had done nothing wrong. Dr Sunil Shukla, Director General, EDII, said India's progressive policies and initiatives are game changers that were taking country ahead on several fronts. The EDII was working in line with the vision of "Amrit Kaal ka Bharat", he added