MY VICE PRESIDENTIAL YEARS

India stands poised on the cusp of a major transition  

- M. VENKAIAH NAIDU

AS I LOOK BACK WITH a sense of gratification and contentment, I find it difficult to sum up my term as Vice President of India and Chairman, Rajya Sabha, in one defining phrase or expression. However, during this eventful chapter in my journey in public life spanning five decades, I travelled extensively to various parts of the country and interacted with people drawn from all walks of life. My travels and countless interactions with people representing diverse sections of the population served to reinforce the fact that today India is well and truly on the move. As the country celebrates Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, I, as a citizen of this great nation, feel proud to say that the new India that is now emerging, replete with growing competence and confidence, is an India proud of its rich cultural heritage, while moving forward resolutely to earn its rightful place in the comity of nations.

India today stands poised on the cusp of a major transition. In rural as well as urban areas, I could see Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mantra of governance—“Reform, Perform and Transform”—in action, fast-tracking development in multiple domains. I see this paradigm shift in governance as a singular accomplishment worth highlighting because it has transformed the development trajectory of this great nation.

This is not to say that there are no challenges. Poverty, illiteracy, socio-economic inequities, gender discrimination, uneven development and the rural-urban divide, among other maladies, are issues that need to be countenanced. What I found uplifting is the enterprise and enthusiasm of the youth everywhere to be proactive partners in the mission of India’s development.