NEW DELHI — Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday called on the Indian media to aggressively chronicle the nation's success stories, telling journalists at the Bharatiya Janata Party headquarters that the country is on an irreversible trajectory toward developed nation status.
Speaking at the annual Diwali Milan gathering for reporters, Modi underscored sweeping transformations across core sectors, placing poverty eradication at the center of his government’s record.
"There were slogans of Garibi Hatao," Modi said. "But the poverty has been removed by this government. According to the World Bank, 50 crore people have been elevated from the below poverty line in the last 12 years."
The figure framed the prime minister's central critique of historic rhetoric. For decades, poverty alleviation served as an electoral catchphrase. Now, Modi argued, international development data reflects physical economic mobility at an unprecedented scale.
Modi traced his personal association with the capital's press corps spanning several decades, recalling the days when he physically arranged chairs for media briefings at party headquarters. The media ecosystem, he noted, has undergone radical technical upheaval.
I have interacted with media and seen it evolve from days of press releases to Instagram reels.
Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India
Yet despite relentless technological disruption, Modi lauded the physical courage and persistence of field reporters. Crises demand presence. The prime minister pointed out that when disaster strikes, journalists reach the frontlines where access seems impossible, ensuring critical developments reach the public eye.
| Dimension | Key Takeaways from Diwali Milan Address |:--- |:--- |Accredited Venue | BJP National Headquarters, New Delhi |Poverty Alleviation Metric | 50 crore citizens lifted above the poverty line (World Bank data) |Historical Benchmark | 12-year developmental horizon |Core Media Directives | Amplify national success stories; combat drug abuse |Strategic Objective | Attaining developed country status |
Turning to societal threats, the prime minister pressed editors and correspondents to wield their platforms against narcotics. He urged newsrooms to step forward and spearhead aggressive public awareness drives against drug abuse, calling the epidemic a direct menace to youth and national productivity.
Modi reiterated that chronicling national achievements should not be treated as an anomaly. Significant positive work is already underway across various sectors, and news organizations possess the reach to ensure those gains are systematically recorded.