Modi’s Remarks in Gujarat
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Gujarat on Saturday. At a public meeting, he made important comments about India’s dependence on foreign countries. He said India has no direct enemies, but the real enemy is dependence on foreign nations.
U.S. H-1B Visa Fee Hike
Recently, the United States announced that the application fee for H-1B visas would increase to one hundred thousand dollars. In this context, Modi’s remarks received special attention.
Modi on Self-Reliance
Modi opined that India is going ahead with the offer of "Vishvabandhu" (friend to the world). In his view, India does not have prime enemies in the world, but reliance on others makes it weak. He pointed out that overdependence on other countries may halt development. He further stated that as the most populous country, India needs to be self-reliant in matters of peace, stability, and prosperity. Modi further stated that dependence kills self-respect and jeopardizes the future of the country and future generations.
Issues Related to the Shipping Industry
Modi also used the shipping industry as a prime example of over-reliance. Modi reported that India had domestic ships fifty years ago. Post-Congress rule, the local industry collapsed. Modi blamed previous governments for keeping their focus on hiring foreign ships rather than constructing them locally.
India's Current Shipping Costs
He also said that India is still 90 percent reliant on foreign vessels for trade. India pays around ₹6 lakh crore as rent to the vessels annually. Modi elaborated that this figure is more than India's defense budget.
New Bhavnagar Projects
As a prelude to delivering his speech, Modi opened up development schemes worth over ₹34,200 crore in Gujarat's Bhavnagar.
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