India transforming under PM, after Mahatma it is Modi who understands the country well: TN Guv

Chennai, Nov 1 (PTI) India is transforming under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, and since the last decade, the country has been achieving growth and, succeeded in reducing poverty, Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi said here on Saturday.

Ten years ago, no one took note of the country, as it was way behind. But now things were different. Now transformation has begun. Northeast, which was becoming free from Maoists, along with Jammu and Kashmir were becoming peaceful states. And international organistions say that 25 crore people have been pulled out of poverty in the last ten years, he said.

"Fortunately, the country has a leadership who understands Bharat, the heartbeat of Bharat. I say with confidence that after Mahatma Gandhi, if there is anyone who understands this country so well, it is Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Ravi said while speaking at the celebration of Foundation Day of various states and union territories of India, held at the Raj Bhavan.

The level of absolute poverty has declined to below six per cent from over 30 per cent a decade ago, international organisations say, he said. "These miracles happen because there's a leadership with the right orientation. I don't say that earlier people did not have the right intention. But right intention must be coupled with right orientation," the Governor said.

One must have clarity about who one is, and see Bharat as one family. "If you look at the country as a family, the celebrations in any part are the celebration of the entire family," he said.

The concept of statehood day celebration that the Prime Minister gave was the best opportunity to celebrate Bharat as a culture of that particular state.

State, Ravi reminded, was a political entity, and it did not have a culture, which belonged to the people and the society.

"Today, we are celebrating the culture of 16 states and union territories. This is Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (One India, Great India)," Ravi said, and added that states were the creation of the British to enable them to govern the country.

But post-Independence, it was unfortunate that people continued to create barriers among themselves in the name language, and created a concept of linguistic minority.

Ravi recalled the efforts of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, India's first home minister, whose birth anniversary on October 31 was celebrated as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day) for uniting India that was truncated due to the partition. PTI JSP JSP ROH