Votes of youth will be bedrock of New India : PM Modi.

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi : PM Narendra Modi on December 31, 2017, urged youth, who turn 18 tomorrow, to register as electors and said their votes would prove to be the bedrock of New India.

” The January 1, 2018, in my view, is a special day. You’ll be surprised, since the New Year comes every year, January 1 arrives every year! But, when I refer to it as special, I really mean it as special. People born in the year 2000 or later; those born in the 21^st century will gradually begin to become eligible voters from January 1, 2018. The Indian Democracy welcomes the voters of the 21^st century, the ‘New India Voters’. I congratulate our youth & urge them to register themselves as voters. And it’s not just about you acquiring the right to Vote. It’s about you determining & deciding the course of the nation in the 21^st century,” PM Modi said in his last ‘Mann ki Baat’ address of the year.

The PM suggested that ‘mock Parliament’ be organised around August 15 in Delhi, comprising a young representative selected from every district of the country who would deliberate on how a new India could be formed in the next five years.

“Today, a lot of new opportunities have been created for the youth. Our youth are coming forward in areas like skill development, innovation and entrepreneurship and are achieving success. I wish that the New India Youth get information and details of all these new opportunities and plans at one place and a system be created so that every young person on turning 18 should automatically get to know all this and benefit from it,” he said, according to a PIB release. 
PM Modi said in the new year, people should take concrete steps to make a “progressive India” and also recounted an inspirational story of Anjum Bashir Khan Khattak, the topper of Kashmir Administrative Service examination.

“He actually extricated himself from the sting of terrorism and hatred and topped in the Kashmir Administrative Service Examination. You will be surprised to know that terrorists had set his ancestral home on fire in 1990,” PM Modi said. He said terrorism and violence were so widespread there that his family had to leave their ancestral land and flee.

For a young child, such an atmosphere of violence could easily create darkness and bitterness in heart, but Anjum did not let it be so and he never gave up hope. He chose a different path, a path of serving the people, Modi said. ” He overcame the adverse situation and scripted his own success story. Today, he has become a source of inspiration not only in Jammu & Kashmir but for the youth of the whole country. Anjum has proved that however adverse the circumstances be, the clouds of despair and disappointment can easily be cleared by taking positive steps,” the PM said.

He also recalled his meeting with young girls from the state and said he was amazed at the spirit that they had, the enthusiasm that was there in their hearts and the dreams they nurtured. ” I was listening to them on how they wanted to make progress in various facets of life and, how their lives were filled with hope. I talked to them, there was no sign of despair; there was only enthusiasm, optimism, energy, dreams and a sense of resolve. Whatever little time I spent with these daughters, I got inspired myself. They are my youth, they are the future of my country,” Modi said.

The PM said this Republic Day, not one but ten chief guests would grace the January 26 parade at Rajpath. This is unprecedented in India’s history, he said. ” The year 2017 has been special for both ASEAN and India. ASEAN completed its 50 years of formation in 2017 and 25 years of India’s partnership with ASEAN were completed in 2017. On January 26, the arrival of great leaders of 10 nations of the world as a unit is a matter of pride for all Indians,” the PM said.