- 6 hours ago
In this India Today broadcast anchored by Gaurav Sawant, the programme reviews the completion of 25 years of Narendra Modi in public governance, encompassing 13 years as Chief Minister of Gujarat and 12 years as Prime Minister of India.
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00:02Hello and a very warm welcome to an India Today special broadcast. I'm Gaurav Savan.
00:0825 years ago, this day, Narendra Modi took over as the Chief Minister of Gujarat.
00:16Today, a quarter of a century later, that journey from Gandhinagar to Delhi
00:23is being marked as one of the most defining political milestones in India's political history.
00:31The BJP and the NDA are celebrating 25 years of Narendra Modi at the helm of government.
00:4013 years in Gujarat, 12 years and counting in Delhi.
00:46To mark this occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid out his vision,
00:51his roadmap for the journey towards a Vikasit Bharat or a developed India by 2047.
00:59So, speaking in the National Capital, the Prime Minister's message was clear.
01:05We will do it, he said.
01:07He laid out five big targets for every Indian to achieve.
01:13Target number one, a top three global economy.
01:17India should be amongst the top three and Atmanirbhar Bharat.
01:22And this is extremely critical to be self-dependent, self-reliant when it comes to manufacturing.
01:30Making India a global manufacturing hub.
01:34The Prime Minister has often spoken of,
01:36make in India, make for the world.
01:39A big dream, post the Olympic Games.
01:44And take India further into space.
01:49All of these, he said, are part of a larger ambition.
01:54Vikasit Bharat, a developed India by 2047.
01:58The Prime Minister also spoke about how India has changed in the past 25 years.
02:03He contrasted an earlier era.
02:07We often used to hear of words like policy paralysis.
02:11And now, an area, he insisted, he worked on very hard, faster reforms, transformation.
02:19He pointed to and focused on India's ability to withstand global crisis.
02:25And we've seen this year after year.
02:27Whether it was COVID-19, or it was a standoff, or the current situation,
02:34initially Russia-Ukraine 2022, or the Iran-US war 2025 and 2026.
02:41Saying, instead of the economy being shaken whenever there's a crisis,
02:45the country's resilience is now being discussed across the world.
02:51Narendra Modi's political journey began on the 7th of October in 2001.
02:57That was the day he took oath as the Chief Minister of Gujarat.
03:01He succeeded, Keshubhai Patel.
03:03Not many thought he'll be able to survive.
03:06In fact, there are those who, election after election,
03:10and I've covered some of those elections,
03:12whether it was 2007 election or 12 elections in Gujarat,
03:17or 2014 when he became Prime Minister,
03:20they kept saying, he won't last.
03:22He's gone. This election, he's gone.
03:24The same people, election after election, would say he's gone.
03:28He's still there. He continues.
03:31In 2002, he led the BJP to victory in Gujarat Assembly elections,
03:36elected as Chief Minister for the first time.
03:39He returned to power in 2007,
03:41and again with bigger numbers in 2012.
03:44Each time when those naysayers said,
03:46it's over, it's game over for Narendra Modi.
03:48But then there was a bigger game that was at play.
03:51So he completed 13 years as Chief Minister of Gujarat.
03:552013, the BJP named him as their Prime Ministerial candidate.
04:02And then in 2014, the BJP won a majority.
04:07282 seats in Lok Sabha.
04:08Narendra Modi moved from Gandhinagar to the National Camp.
04:142019, there were many who said,
04:16oh, he's just a one election wonder.
04:18Just five years.
04:19Won't happen again.
04:202019, the BJP returned with even bigger numbers.
04:23Larger majority.
04:24303 seats on their own.
04:26And the Prime Minister began his second term.
04:30And then in 2024, the NDA returned.
04:33But this time, it was NDA that returned with majority,
04:38giving Prime Minister Narendra Modi the third consecutive term as Prime Minister,
04:43making him the first Prime Minister after Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
04:47to lead a government for three terms.
04:5125 years of governance is also a story of decisions
04:55that have fundamentally shaped the nation.
04:59It's been called the Modi era.
05:02On the economic front, for example,
05:04there was GST bringing India's indirect tax system
05:07under one national framework.
05:10Many said it couldn't be done.
05:12It was done.
05:13Then there was a push for financial inclusion.
05:16through the Jam Trinity, the Jandhan accounts,
05:20the Aadhaar link digital delivery and direct benefit transfers.
05:25Then came a game changer, an absolute game changer,
05:30the digital transformation.
05:32With UPI turning digital payments into an everyday part of life,
05:37which is happening so successfully in India today,
05:41not happening in many parts of the developed world.
05:44And Western leaders come to India and say,
05:46India has been able to do it.
05:49They haven't.
05:50Of course, there were many leaders, even in India,
05:53very powerful leaders, even in India,
05:55who said, no, this can't happen.
05:57It happened.
05:58On the political front, on the legal front,
06:00some of the biggest and most consequential decisions,
06:03including an absolute game changer.
06:06Article 370, August 2019, that was an absolute game changer
06:13in our country's history and destiny.
06:16The Citizenship Amendment Act.
06:19The criminal law overhaul.
06:21The Bharatiya Nyaya Sahita and related laws.
06:28We've been suffering Pakistan state-sponsored radical Islamist terror for decades.
06:341993, Pakistan used terrorists or criminals in our country to bleed us.
06:40257 died in serial blasts in Mumbai.
06:43257.
06:44Those terrorists had AK-47s.
06:46Our police had bolt-action rifles.
06:48That is how terror had changed.
06:50What did India do?
06:50Nothing.
06:51Nothing.
06:52There was evidence of Pakistan's involvement.
06:55Court saw that evidence of Pakistan's involvement.
06:58India did nothing.
06:59And that wasn't the first time.
07:01You've had the 26-11 Mumbai terror attacks.
07:04The forces said, let's respond.
07:06Let's hit Pakistan.
07:08Nothing was done.
07:10India, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gave Pakistan a chance.
07:15He not only invited Nawaz Sharif to India, he also went to Lahore.
07:20But then when Pakistan didn't change, one terror attack after the other,
07:23after the Uri terror attack, there were the first surgical strikes
07:27on Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir that time.
07:30And that was a game-changer.
07:332019, after Pulwama, came a bigger game-changer
07:36when Indian Air Force was used without declaration of war,
07:39not just to hit across the LC,
07:41hit across the international border in Khaybar Pakhtunkhwa, in Balakot.
07:45That was another signal sent out to Pakistan.
07:46No part of Pakistan is safe for terrorists.
07:49And then when Pehalgaam happened,
07:51when they massacred Hindus,
07:53when they called out Hindus and massacred them,
07:56these Pakistani terrorists, including their ex-servicemen,
07:59including SSG commandos,
08:01and gave out those messages to those widows,
08:04that was the time that an absolute game-changer decision was taken
08:11to bomb, initially, just terrorist bases,
08:15but the headquarters of terror at Mureedke,
08:18which was a dream for victims of terror and security forces for decades.
08:24That dream was realized when Mureedke, the Lashkar-e-Taiba headquarters was hit,
08:28when Bahawalpur of Jaishabh Muhammad was hit,
08:31and when Pakistan tried to target Indian military assets,
08:34then Pakistan air force bases and Pakistan military bases,
08:38from Rawalpindi to Lahore,
08:40to Sargodha,
08:41to Raheem Yarkhan,
08:42to Rafiki,
08:43to Jacobabad,
08:44to Bholari in Sindh,
08:46no part of Pakistan is safe from Indian missiles.
08:50That was the message that was sent out very loud and clear.
08:54Of course, there are some,
08:55even in India,
08:56who refuse to see that writing on the wall,
08:58let alone the Pakistanis,
09:00they may have promoted a failure,
09:02but then there are many who promote failures even here.
09:04But that's a separate story.
09:06But look at global diplomacy.
09:08From the G20 presidency,
09:10and the expansion of India's engagement with Global South,
09:14and that happened during India's G20 presidency,
09:17to initiatives like the International Solar Alliance,
09:20and the Vaccine Maitri.
09:22A vikis at Bharat by 2047,
09:24that is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's slogan and dream
09:27as he completes 25 years
09:29as the Prime Minister,
09:31first Chief Minister of Gujarat,
09:33and then Prime Minister of India.
09:3525 years as head of a government.
09:38Listen in to the Prime Minister's vision.
09:43Vikis at Bharat by 2047,
09:48we will do it.
09:52Vikis at Bharat by 2047,
10:04Top three economy, top three economy, Aat Pandir Bharat, Global Manufacturing Hub,
10:20Global Manufacturing Hub,
10:24Olympics,
10:31Antrikshmai Kadam,
10:33Antrikshmai Kadam,
10:37Saathiyom,
10:40Yeh Urja, Yeh Utsa,
10:44Yeh Atpani Swat,
10:46Yeh Bhut Hai.
10:51Saathiyo,
10:52Tab,
10:54Policy Paralysis की चर्चा होती थी,
10:59और आज,
11:00Reforms Express की चर्चा होती है,
11:05तब इंपॉर्ट बढ़ाने के रास्ते खोजे जाते थे और आज,
11:11एश्पोर्ट के नए रिकॉर्ड बन रहे है,
11:16तब हम अपनी जरुत के मोबाइल फॉन भी इंपॉर्ट करते थे,
11:21और आज,
11:22Made in India मोबाइल फॉन का जलबा है,
11:28तब पूरे भारत में,
11:30Blackout,
11:33ये Global Headline बनती थी,
11:36और आज,
11:37भारत की Solar Power Capacity के चर्चे होते हैं,
11:43साथियों,
11:45बढ़लाव की इसी कहानी का,
11:48एक और उदहर,
11:50शांदार उदहर,
11:53खेती भी है,
11:56आज,
11:56आज,
11:57आज,
11:57आज,
11:57आज,
11:57आज,
11:57आज,
12:01आज,
12:18आज,
12:24आज,
12:25आज,
12:29आज,
12:33आज,
12:43आज,
12:44तो,
12:44किसको नुक्षान होता है,
12:47क्या एक जाती के किसानी से प्रभावित होते हैं,
12:52बिजिली नहीं आती,
12:54तो क्या सिर्फ एक समुदाय के घर में अंदेरा रहता है,
12:58इन सभी सवालों का जवाब है,
13:03नहीं,
13:04समस्या सब की है,
13:08तो समाधान भी सब के लिए होना चाहिए,
13:15और इसलिए हमने सूसासन को सैचुरेशन से जोड़ा,
13:25सैचुरेशन यानि हर लाबारती जुड़े,
13:28कोई पात्र छुटे नहीं,
13:31कोई हगदार पीछे रहे नहीं,
13:35और किसी के हग पर कोई डाका न डाल सके,
13:47यह जो जाए,
13:47तो तो अबट लुट अप्रिए,
13:49वोगी तुट्टिनिस्टर नेंटर मोधी,
13:51I'm now joined by Union Minister for Communication and Development of the North East region,
13:57Jyotir Aditya Sindhya.
13:59Sir, welcome.
14:0213 years as Chief Minister,
14:0512 years and counting as Prime Minister,
14:07what according to you keeps Prime Minister Narendra Modi on top of the game,
14:13year after year, 25 years and counting.
14:20So I think Gaurav you've got to think about it from a philosophical angle as far as he is concerned.
14:29इनकी जो एक अध्यात्मिक सोच और वीचारधारा राजनीती से नहीं जुडि की होई है लेकिन जनसेवा के साथ जुडि की
14:40है,
14:41His thoughts are the same as the spirit of a nishkām karmiyogī,
14:49to serve the country, to change in a life of a life,
14:55that is a kind of propellant.
15:00He grows later and later.
15:06When a human being has that inspiration and that moving force,
15:10behind him, then physical tiredness, physical stress,
15:18all of this gets put in the backdrop
15:22because the moving force of trying to make a difference
15:27in people's lives and taking the nation forward,
15:31that becomes the moving force and I think that is what drives
15:35not the prime minister but the individual, Narendra Modi ji.
15:41Oh, how interesting.
15:42And what part of his style of working inspires you the most?
16:16What stands out for you?
16:18And before going to business school,
16:21before going to business school,
16:21and before going to Jansiwa,
16:22and before going to Jansiwa,
16:24which is one of them,
16:29which is one of them,
16:30eye for detail,
16:33granularity,
16:35which is a focus of both,
16:39process and outcome.
16:42So,
16:43the outcome is not the right thing,
16:44but the right process is not the right thing,
16:47they do not have the right thing.
16:50And the right thing,
16:51the outcome is not the right thing,
16:54they do not have the right thing.
17:11they die shall not have the rightzaests.
17:14It is not the right thing,
17:17the wrong thing has the right thing that
17:17either go to within the Right Division,
17:25which is a lot ,
17:32that
17:33But with a person, they are telling the time that they keep in mind with your attention on your attention.
17:42So the ability to be able to give someone the feeling that they are the center of your attention for
17:53the time that you have given them.
17:55And this is something, Gaurav, which is not something that's tangible.
17:59It is something that is intangible.
18:01True. And that quality is not easy to find.
18:07All of us in our lives, you in your life and I in my life, get distracted.
18:12You know, someone comes in trouble, someone comes in a phone call.
18:15Oh, you have ten things in your mind. You have to show yourself in the evening.
18:20I have to go to another meeting.
18:22But the ability to be able to concentrate in the moment with the person that you are with
18:29and give them your undivided attention.
18:32Finally, to be able to give advice from his own experience and advice which is extremely innocent
18:47and extremely insightful from a people's perspective on how you can do something but do it better by involving people
18:59and making the impact on people.
19:03And many of these things become revelations.
19:11And let me give you an example.
19:13For example, yesterday I met with him with the GSMA board.
19:17Now, that board is the world of telecom.
19:21Yes.
19:22The world's biggest, greatest, most successful telecom operators.
19:37With no prepared notes or prepared text, just responding to the comments that they made.
19:44With his experience, what he believes is the next inflection point for the world in telecom.
19:50Yeah.
19:51How the responsibility also lies with the telecoms.
19:55And you can say that the communications minister has to have that domain experience.
20:01Right.
20:01But for the prime minister to have that domain experience and the ability to be able to roll out what
20:08the future portends for that sector,
20:11from a very evangelical point of view, is something that is not only impressed everyone in the room, but, you
20:20know, I was taken aback.
20:22You know, because your ministry is also very tech centric.
20:25And so that ability, the uncanny ability to get to…
20:27Correct.
20:28Correct.
20:29Correct.
20:29And futuristic.
20:29And to relate it that communication must be, first of all, all-inclusive, to be able to relate to the
20:39fact that it should be empowering.
20:42It must take forward economic mobility, what the levers are for that.
20:50Extremely, extremely insightful.
20:53Indeed.
20:54Because your ministry, one, very technical, very futuristic, impacts a large number of people across the country, if I may,
21:01communication with the world.
21:02But tell me this, sir.
21:03The opposition claims his actions are directed to benefit a select few.
21:10You've seen that decision-making process.
21:12You've been a part of decision-making process.
21:15Does it benefit or is it aimed at benefiting just a select few?
21:23Well, that depends what the opposition means by the phrase, select few.
21:30If select few is Garib Kalyan Yojana, which benefits 80 crore people, that is a…
21:37Then, according to their logic, that is a select…
21:41Their warped logic, that is a select few.
21:43If a select few is 12 crore women who have been benefited by Ujwala Yojana, then their warped logic implies
21:53a select few.
21:54If their logic is 4.5 crore people who have benefited from Pradhan Mantri Avas Yojana, then their warped logic
22:03is a select few.
22:06If for people who have a nakaratmik view of the country's progress and a nakaratmik view of the notion of
22:17Prime Minister of Sapka Saat, Sapka Vikas, Sapka Vishwas or Sabhi Ka Prayas, then the opposition is the only select
22:29few which remain unaddressed as far as they are concerned.
22:36You know, since you have raised this point, permit me to take this forward.
22:41Sir, you understand, you're a political leader and you're a six-time member of parliament.
22:46You fought elections.
22:48You know what's it like to win.
22:50You know what's it like not to win.
22:51So, you understand the nuts and bolts.
22:53It's right now when it is being said ki vote chori ho rahi hai.
22:58It is being alleged, you know, whether it's the Prime Minister, the Home Minister, you know, Sarsang Chalak, Mohan Bhagwat
23:06Ji or CEC, they're all part of this vote chori.
23:09Your take on SIR and the functioning of the CEC.
23:18Well, Kha'tte Anggur ka swaad, jinn ko lage, unko aap prajatantra ki mithas kaisa samjhau ghe.
23:32Jib aap karnatak jit te ho, tab SIR or vote chori nai hota.
23:39Jib aap himachal jit te ho, tab SIR or vote chori nai hota.
23:45Or jib aap harte ho, tab vote chori or SIR hota hai.
23:51Or yye aap se púchna chata ho, mein Gaurav, ki yye SIR kya desh me pehli baar ki jari hai?
23:58Har dhashak me SIR kiya gya hai?
24:01Ji.
24:01Kya desh ki jantah ko huk nai ho na chahiye ki prajatantra mein unki ballit aur unke mat adikar shuddi
24:13karan ke aadhaar par ho?
24:16Jo sahi mat dene wale ho, unhi ko hum list me rakhye.
24:20Or yye toh pichlëe 75 varsh azadhi ke, pichlëe 6 ya 7 baar huyen, aap apne aap aankhdere nikaliye na?
24:29Ji.
24:30Har dhashak me kiya gya hai.
24:32Kongres ke shasankal me hər baar kiya gya hai.
24:35Or har baar vote kutte bhi hain aur vote ad bhi huyen hain.
24:39Woha iz baar bhi ho raha hai.
24:41Aap jitay, toh sab kuchh sahi.
24:45Aap haare, toh sina jori.
24:49Aap naatak naatankhi karo ge.
24:54Aap jab court arrest karo raha ho,
24:57Toh aap bus ke khidki se nikalne ki košish karo ge.
25:01Kya yye prajatantra me vipaksh ke nititv ki kursi ke aadhar par yye vya bahar hai?
25:13Aaj toh yye prashna mein poochna chaatau.
25:17Jab aap vipaksh ke nita ke rup me bhi aap kursi par bae ho,
25:22Tab aap se bhi kuchh aashayen aur abhilashayen hooti hai.
25:28Aapka vya bahar kiisa ho,
25:30Aapki aapki cha cha kaisi ho,
25:35Vipaksh aap jatate ho,
25:36Toh desh ko niche dikhane mein koji aap eidi choti nahi chhoďte.
25:42Kya yye sakaraatmak nation building ka process hai?
25:46Vipaksh ki bhoomika jarur nibaani chahiye.
25:49Aur har baar mein ne kaah hai aur mein vipaksh mein bhi raa ho.
25:53Ji.
25:55Matbhed ho saktet hai,
25:56Par manbhed nahi ho saktet hai.
25:59Pahla desh hai,
26:01Pahli aapki kursi nahi hai.
26:03Aur is liye bharati jantah party aur NDA mein,
26:08Rastra Pratham ki sooch aur vichar dharah ke saath kariya jata hai.
26:12Kursi pratham ki sooch aur vichar dharah ke saath nahi.
26:16Sir, that's a very grave charge.
26:20Are you saying whether it's the leader of opposition or the opposition leaders,
26:24for them it is not kursi,
26:28it is for them it's kursi first and not India first?
26:33I absolutely feel so.
26:35Don't you?
26:36Doesn't every citizen in this country in terms of,
26:39if you see the behavior that's playing out in a democratic setup,
26:45everyone has the right to oppose.
26:47The job of the opposition is to oppose,
26:51but it is to oppose on areas where they certainly differ.
26:58But there is a process to that opposition also.
27:04Okay.
27:05Sir, you're a young leader,
27:07you connect very well with youngsters,
27:12but if I come back to the Prime Minister and the Prime Minister's 25 years in leadership,
27:1713 years as Chief Minister of Gujarat,
27:19undefeated,
27:2012 years and counting as Prime Minister of India.
27:24Explain how is he connecting with Gen Z or the youth of the country?
27:29What is the thinking process in the government and your actions, sir?
27:33Today, look across the spectrum,
27:36I recount it to you,
27:38whether it is the Aadhaar card,
27:40whether it is Janadhan,
27:43close to about 55, 60 crore accounts being opened,
27:46whether it is Ujwala Yojana,
27:4812 crore,
27:52our Matra Shakti,
27:53getting there right on a gas cylinder in a cooking stove,
27:57whether it is Pradhan Mantri Avas Yojana,
27:59whether it is Ayushman Yojana.
28:00For the first time in our country,
28:0160 crore people have health insurance up till 5 lakhs of rupees,
28:06and that means that as opposed to what used to be
28:09where you could only go to your district hospital,
28:12today you can touch almost about 7,000 to 8,000 hospitals across the country.
28:17These are schemes that are unheard of.
28:20The fact that we have lifted 25 crore people above the poverty line
28:25and therefore propelling India forward,
28:28and Prime Minister has said this many times,
28:30India will not be propelled forward until 140 crore of us,
28:34each and every one of us,
28:35you, me,
28:36every single one of us,
28:37take the country forward.
28:39On the other hand,
28:40if you look at the infrastructure that has been rolled out,
28:42my own ministry,
28:44you had 60 million people on broadband 10 years ago.
28:47Today you have over a billion people on broadband.
28:50You have the fastest rollout of 5G in the world.
28:53Yesterday, all the members of the GSMA were marveling at how India has rolled out 5G,
29:00covering 99% of districts and 86% of populations.
29:03The numbers are mind-boggling.
29:05We have 55 crore subscribers on 5G alone.
29:08We're going to take that to 100 crores by 2030.
29:11The cost of data has fallen drastically from 268 rupees a GB to now only 8 rupees a GB,
29:20a 97% drop.
29:22Look at the physical infrastructure that's been laid out there.
29:25We have close to 150,000 kilometers of national highways from 90,000 kilometers.
29:31From close to 74 airports, you have today 160 airports.
29:35If you look at railways, or Indian railways today is almost 100% electrified.
29:41We have close to 160 Vandibharat trains running.
29:44States that did not have connectivity to railways, today have connectivity to railways.
29:48You're rising on every front.
29:51A country that used to go with its jholi for vaccines,
29:55across the world today has brought about two vaccines in the era of COVID.
30:01We have contributed to 100 countries with vaccine metri, free vaccines given out,
30:07to almost about 100 countries.
30:09Today, India's place in the global community of nations is higher than it ever has been.
30:16And that is because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership on not only the Indian stage,
30:23but on the global stage.
30:24And that's the new phase and the new India that the world is today looking at.
30:30And another part of your ministry, you know, on world stage.
30:34Oh, absolutely.
30:35And today, he is one of the senior most leaders on the world stage,
30:40having won, you know, three Lok Sabha elections back to back, running the government thrice.
30:46But tell me about the Northeastern region.
30:48The Prime Minister does have special affection for the Northeastern.
30:53He does focus a lot on the Northeastern.
30:55And you are now his can-do man for the Northeastern.
30:57What's the focus there, sir?
30:59So, what he has done is that he has completely changed the paradigm.
31:05Uttar Purvi Shetra ko dekha jata tha as if that was the last Rubicon and the last fort of India.
31:19So, the last village has become the first village of India.
31:23And therefore, the North East leading India's growth.
31:28And you'll be surprised, my eight Northeastern states today, as a cumulative together, are growing at close to about 10
31:37to 11 percent GDP, state GDP rate, on an annual basis, over a three-year, five-year CAGR.
31:44So, there, actually, when the world is growing at one and a half, two percent, India is growing at 7
31:50.5 percent.
31:51The Northeastern states are growing at close to about 10 to 11 percent per year.
31:56So, actually, they've become the engine of India's growth.
32:00And if you look at the capability across the North East and the amount of investment that is being put
32:06in the North East, 10 percent of gross budgetary support every year goes to the North East.
32:10That's close to 1,08,000 crores per year.
32:13Tax devolution has been the highest ever.
32:16The amount of spend across infrastructure.
32:19The North East, for example, had only nine airports in a period of 12 years.
32:23Now, we have 17 airports there.
32:25There's only one state with rail connectivity.
32:27Today, we have four states with rail connectivity.
32:29And the balance four will be connected by the end of 2028.
32:33We are looking at the North East actually becoming our gateway to Southeast Asia.
32:40And that whole new market opens up for the North East.
32:43And if you look at it historically, it also has been the case.
32:47And the Prime Minister is leading this vision.
32:50Act fast, act first, act east.
32:54That is his dictum.
32:56And that's the dictum that we are following within the donor ministry.
33:02Before I let you go, you know, you spoke of growth engines.
33:05You spoke of railways getting to newer states.
33:09Four already, four more to go.
33:10So, I want to take your mind back to Sindhya's school.
33:14125th Founders Day.
33:16Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he made a special reference of Madharao Sindhya ji.
33:22And his decision to introduce the Shatabdi Express.
33:26Now, just take that in terms of long-term thinking and Vande Bharat today.
33:33Tell me this parallel that he drew, Shatabdi, Vande Bharat, your father to Vande Bharat journey moving forward.
33:43Now, do you see this as just a political compliment?
33:45Or this is actually a philosophy of that thought process of modernizing India's infrastructure?
33:55Prime Minister Narendra Modi believes in India not only being best in class, but he believes in India being world
34:07class.
34:07And therefore, everything that we do within India has to be world class.
34:15And if you look at the rate of change, you are laying close to about 13 to 14 kilometers of
34:25road per day.
34:26You are laying close to about 66 kilometers of railway track per day.
34:30You are laying close to about 66 kilometers of railway track per day.
34:35You are today laying almost close to about 160 kilometers of railway track per month.
34:41I am sorry.
34:42So, that paradigm of exponential growth.
34:46And in that exponential growth, everything has to be world class.
34:50And therefore, it started with Gatiman.
34:58Then it moved on to Vande Bharat.
35:02And from Gatiman to Vande Bharat, at the same time creating new dedicated freight corridors.
35:09Because don't forget, India's economic engine also moves with freight.
35:16Absolutely.
35:17Logistics and logistics cost is extremely important.
35:21Having had a passion for railways with my father having been the railway minister,
35:26that's terminology I also understand.
35:29And therefore, creating new freight corridors for India's economic engine to be able to also move.
35:35And from Gatiman to Vande Bharat, we're now going to move Gaurav to the bullet train.
35:43I imagine in your early years and in my early years, and I've been on the Shinkansen with my father
35:49in Tokyo.
35:50And the TGV in France, when he was exploring the concept of Shatabdi.
35:55That's where he got the concept of Shatabdi from.
35:57And I'm talking about this is way back in 1986, 87.
36:02And think about that concept.
36:04Could I ever dream that I'll have a Shinkansen in India?
36:07Today, that's becoming a reality.
36:09And that's the Modi doctrine.
36:13It is to create best in class, world class.
36:18And India, everything that she does, whether it is the private sector, whether it is the public sector,
36:24whether it is the social sector, it has to be best in class, world class, and it has to touch
36:31the hearts of our people.
36:33The common bottom line is Antio Dei.
36:36We must affect and bring about a positive effect in the lives of the last human being in our country.
36:45Only then will our work be done.
36:47Until then, we toil.
36:50We toil every day.
36:52We toil every night.
36:54Because until then, our work is not over.
36:57The nation building process must go on with you, with me, with every single Indian contributing to that.
37:05And if I may give an analogy.
37:08When we do a house in the house, we do a prayer in the house.
37:14Then what happens after the house?
37:17We have to sit down and give ourselves a gift.
37:20So this is our mother's house in the house,
37:25which has to give us a gift of 140 million people in the house.
37:31And that is Prime Minister's clarion call.
37:33This is the right time.
37:37This is the right time.
37:37This is the right time.
37:39Thank you very much.
37:40Thank you very much for joining me on this part of India First.
37:44So you've spoken of the Modi doctrine, which means keep India first, be the best in class, whatever you do.
37:52Sir, many thanks for joining me here on India Today.
37:55It's the third anniversary of the October 7, 2023 terror attacks on Israel.
38:01One of the worst in the world.
38:04An attack from air, land, at sea, at innocent civilians.
38:10More than 1,200 were killed and a large number, more than 250, abducted.
38:16Is Israel better prepared?
38:19Is Israel safer now?
38:21Now with me on this India Today special broadcast is Israel's ambassador to India, Ambassador Reuven Azar.
38:28Ambassador, thank you very much for speaking to India today.
38:31My pleasure, God.
38:32Always a pleasure to be with you.
38:34Condolences at the losses of lives.
38:36But is Israel any safer today, Ambassador, considering even today there is a red alert across Israel for a suspected
38:43terror strike?
38:44Well, first of all, this is a day of grief in Israel, a day of commemoration, of remembrance.
38:50A day in which we hug the families, in which we conduct ceremonies to remember those who perished.
39:01But to your question, yes, Israel is much safer now because we have significantly debilitated Iran terror axis, Iran itself,
39:12Hamas, Hezbollah and other proxies.
39:15Israel today controls 60% of the Gaza Strip.
39:19We have a buffer zone in Gaza.
39:20We have a buffer zone in Lebanon, a buffer zone in Syria.
39:23And the Iranians know very well that they are completely exposed.
39:27If they dare to attack us again, the results will be devastating for the Iranian regime.
39:34So, yes, Israel has gone back to normal.
39:37Our communities in the south, in the north, all over Israel have come to normal.
39:42And Israel's economy has bounced back miraculously.
39:47But is the region now unsafe and much more tense compared to earlier, pre-October 7 or when the strikes
39:57were mounted on the 28th of February?
39:59You know, right now, American forces seem to be withdrawing from a large part of West Asia and Iran,
40:05instead of targeting just Israel, has targeted American bases across the region.
40:10So, is the region now in turmoil?
40:12Well, there's no doubt that this crisis is not over and there is instability in the region.
40:17However, look at the facts.
40:19When it comes to the balance of power, despite the fact that Iran tried to extort the international community by
40:26blocking the Hormuz straits,
40:27we see, we see the data coming, that the levels of oil export from Hormuz are almost back to normal.
40:36Yes, Iran is still trying to undermine it from time to time.
40:40It's trying to do a terrorist attack, shoot at a vessel.
40:44Maritime navigation is not back to normal yet.
40:47Freedom of navigation is undermined.
40:49This is a challenge for the entire international community.
40:52But when it comes to the capability of the Iranians to completely destroy other countries and take over Arab capitals,
40:59that is over.
41:01And this is very important.
41:03What we have to do now is to continue our cooperation at the regional level.
41:06As you know, Prime Minister Netanyahu was reported to have visited the UAE and met with regional leaders.
41:12Yes.
41:12We have to continue our quest to cooperate, to defend the skies of the region, to try to make navigation
41:22safe.
41:22And we will cooperate with the United States, with countries in the region, to serve an interest that is also
41:29the interest of India,
41:30to make sure that merchandise can flow freely in the world.
41:34But, you know, when you speak of the Prime Minister of Israel's visit to the United Arab Emirates, that reported
41:40visit,
41:41there's a new threat.
41:43And that threat emerges now from the skies, a repeat of 9-11 kind of a situation that you have,
41:49you know, a pilot.
41:51And how was he even permitted to fly to Israel is a big question.
41:54A co-pilot who tries to ram an aircraft into a building, whether it's the Ben Gurion Airport.
41:59What can you tell us about investigations there?
42:01And this very scary situation.
42:03Well, we have representatives of our intelligence bodies that have flown to the UAE and are now questioning the Omani
42:12pilot.
42:13There is no doubt that this is a present danger and that terrorists and also the Iranian regime will try
42:21to find any crack in order to try to prove that actually they haven't been defeated.
42:29They want to prove it to their revolutionary guards, their supporters.
42:34They want to make it appear as if Iran has won this war when we know what is the situation.
42:43Right now, this regime is not only devastated when it comes to military capabilities, although they still have residual missile
42:51capability that is very serious.
42:54But also the economy is now in shambles and we will see how for how long they will hold on
43:00this pressure that is coming from the United States.
43:03We hope that they come to their senses, that they cooperate in the negotiation and that we can restore stability
43:10to our region.
43:11If I stay a moment on the current threat, so October 7, 2023, you had a very large number of
43:20terrorists who invaded Israel and attacked civilians again on board this flight.
43:26And fortunately for Captain Smith, the Indian pilot and the bravery of the Israeli, you know, civilians on board, lives
43:36were saved.
43:37But isn't the threat much graver now that instead of Hamas terrorists, you could even have a highly educated co
43:44-pilot of Omani origin who's trying to target and kill people in Israel?
43:48No doubt there is a danger and we have responsibility not only to investigate the pilot, but investigate ourselves in
43:56order to make sure that we don't have this kind of cracks in the system.
44:00And that when it comes to aviation, it can be conducted in the safest way possible.
44:05As I told you, look, there is a difference between the strategic balance in the region that has was altered
44:11to our favor significantly and what happens at the tactical level that might become strategic if we are not, if
44:23we are complacent.
44:23So complacency is not in the books. We have to be alert. We have to check ourselves all the time
44:31because this terror threat, which is a world threat, is not only threatening us, it's threatening India, threatening other countries
44:37in the world.
44:37And we should cooperate to confront terrorism 24-7.
44:43How is the cooperation right now on investigations in this particular case? I'll come to October 7 investigations in just
44:49a moment.
44:50But for the moment, I briefly want to talk about this fly Dubai flight investigations.
44:56Israeli Shin Bet or Israeli investigators, they're also part of investigations.
45:01What have preliminary investigations revealed? Is this a lone wolf attack or is this far more serious?
45:07Well, we don't know yet whether it's a lone wolf attack or not.
45:11But I want to shed light to the fact that there are different aspects to this investigation.
45:16There are things that have to do with finding out what happened in order to tackle it.
45:22But also, we have to look very well at the protocols that have to do with conducting the flights, with
45:30entering the airspace of Israel,
45:34with the response of our air force on that day, with the response of our civil aviation authorities,
45:41with the protocols that have to do with confirmation and approval of not only passengers but also pilots attending flights.
45:50So, all this is being reviewed right now in order to make sure that, you know, when we renew the
45:58Dubai flights and we conduct all the other flights,
46:01people can feel safe and can carry on with their lives.
46:06Was there an apprehension that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may have had to order Israeli air force fighter jets to
46:14shoot down this plane before it damaged them?
46:15Well, there are protocols that are very strict when it comes to these issues because, you know, Israel is very
46:21small.
46:21And any flight that is flying in the region can divert and within seconds penetrate the skies of the State
46:28of Israel.
46:28So, this is a very, very complicated scenario and there are protocols by which our air force is acting.
46:38Usually, when such a diversion happens or irregularity happens, not only that the air force comes to alert in terms
46:46of seconds and we send jets to the sky,
46:49but also our political echelon comes into alert in order to allow the decision makers, including the Prime Minister to
46:56make a decision regarding interception of, you know, a jet,
47:03whether it be a plane that is a combat plane or is a civilian plane that actually, you know, composes
47:11a threat.
47:11So, in this case, the protocol was activated.
47:15Fortunately, thanks to the heroism, the courage and bravery of Pilot Smit Machar and the bravery and entrepreneurship of the
47:25passengers, this attack was averted.
47:27But it could have penetrated because according to the initial results of the investigation, as were published, the Omani pilot
47:37was planning actually to explode in Ben Gurion Airport.
47:42Hit either a tanker or another aircraft or another building.
47:47Absolutely.
47:47How would you respond to those who are saying that this could well be a false flag operation by Israel?
47:53Well, we always have this kind of disinformation campaigns and the question is how successful they are.
47:59Unfortunately for us, you know, during the last three years, these disinformation campaigns have been very successful
48:05because it is very easy to, you know, put an acquisition there, to put a conspiracy theory, to blame Israel
48:11for doing this and doing that before checking the facts.
48:14And unfortunately, you know, Western media outlets and also West Asia outlets are very hasty in adopting those kinds of
48:22disinformation.
48:23And they don't retract or they retract very minimally when proven wrong.
48:27And sometimes even after being proven wrong, they still don't retract.
48:31So, we saw this here as well, you know.
48:35But from the opposite side, the same outlets, instead of, you know, getting to the right conclusion like we did,
48:42we're saying, no, this is an altercation.
48:44We don't have enough proof.
48:46And then when they get the proof, they minimize it.
48:49OK, so this is this is the kind of disinformation I think was both Israel and India suffer from.
48:54And we have to find more successful ways of countering it.
48:58But, you know, this is part of our lives.
48:59No, because information is also a weapon of war in 21st century or disinformation or misinformation.
49:06Yes.
49:08Are you are you winning that war or are you losing that war, whether it's October 7, 2023?
49:15And that's a terror attack that I've covered on ground, whether in Cedrot or Eshcolon.
49:20We've seen what happened on ground and yet it was described as a false flag operation or the fly Dubai
49:27incident being described as a false flag operation.
49:29Is there a pattern?
49:30Well, in the course of the last three years, no doubt we were outnumbered and many times defeated when it
49:34comes to the disinformation campaigns.
49:37But I think that in the case of this attempted terrorist attack, the fly Dubai, these conspiracy theories are pretty
49:46marginal.
49:46And I think that any serious journalist outlet is adopting it.
49:51Yeah, because, I mean, an aviation disaster, it could impact the entire world.
49:56So, you know, instead of misinformation, facts should be out in public domain and as quickly as possible.
50:01Let me come back to investigations in October 7, 2023.
50:05Now, three years is long enough for Israeli investigators to be able to put together a picture of why this
50:13happened, where Israel failed.
50:15So, I'll come to Israeli security countermeasures subsequently.
50:20What more do you know of the plot, the October 7 plot to target Israel?
50:24Was there aim to run over the country as some of the reports we were reading initially that their aim
50:30was to reach Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and target Jerusalem?
50:34What we know at this point comes out from intelligence, hard evidence that we have found in the Gaza Strip,
50:41including records of Sinwar, Ihe Sinwar, the infamous leader of Hamas, in his own handwriting.
50:50Yes, this was published widely.
50:53And what basically this document says is that the intention of Sinwar was to the orders that he gave to
51:01the terrorists that penetrated to Israel was not only to kill and maim in this medieval style.
51:06OK, raping, burning, but also to film it and to broadcast it in real time in order to create shock
51:16and garner this kind of sick support from Palestinians and from people around the Arab world to convince them to
51:25join the massacre.
51:26So, the idea was to create a situation in which he creates this shock, he abducts hundreds of Israelis, and
51:35then, thanks to the hiding behind civilians under hospitals, in tunnels, etc., to create a situation that would be impossible
51:44for the IDF to invade the Gaza Strip, release the hostages.
51:48So, that was the plan to create a defeat on Israel.
51:52What I think he didn't calculate or miscalculate was the fact that Israel has been able to overcome the obstacles.
52:00And at the end of the day, our hostages are back home, the Gaza terrorist infrastructure is, you know, destroyed
52:09to a great extent, and the balance of power in the region has changed.
52:14Now, it doesn't mean that this is the end of the story.
52:18First of all, because we are still having a struggle against the residual capabilities of the terrorist organizations.
52:24And also, we haven't finished yet, due to political differences in Israel, we haven't finished yet the job of investigating
52:36the 7th of October.
52:37You know, we are going to elections now, in the coming weeks, and after the elections, I think the new
52:42governor will have the overall responsibility to close the cycle, to decide on how this is going to be investigated
52:50in a thorough way, to make sure it doesn't happen again.
52:55But also, I think we have the task of either finishing the job militarily in Gaza, or if Hamas agrees
53:02to the plan that was put forward by the international community, to stabilize the situation in Gaza, to have a
53:08political outcome, free from Hamas rule, that would allow the people of the Gaza Strip to go back to normal.
53:18I don't know.