Narendra Modi Quotes
Prime Minister of India
I don't carry the burden of the past or the madness of the future. I live in the present.
We should not look at terrorism from the nameplates - which group they belong to, what is their geographical location, who are the victims. These individual groups or names will keep changing. Today you are looking at the Taliban or ISIS; tomorrow you might be looking at another name.
We should pass the U.N.'s Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism. At least it will clearly establish whom you view as a terrorist and whom you don't. We need to delink terrorism from religion - to isolate terrorists who use this interchange of arguments between terrorism and religion.
We walk together, we move together, we think together, we resolve together, and together we take this country forward.
I always say the strength of democracy lies in criticism. If there is no criticism, that means there is no democracy. And if you want to grow, you must invite criticism. And I want to grow; I want to invite criticism.
E-governance is easy governance, effective governance, and also economic governance. E-governance paves the way for good governance.
I was born in a very poor family. I used to sell tea in a railway coach as a child. My mother used to wash utensils and do lowly household work in the houses of others to earn a livelihood. I have seen poverty very closely. I have lived in poverty. As a child, my entire childhood was steeped in poverty.
I believe you never get tired by doing work. You get tired when you don't work. When you clean your house, you don't get tired; it gives you satisfaction.
India is a democracy; it is in our DNA.
Good governance with good intentions is the hallmark of our government. Implementation with integrity is our core passion.
I'm not an ambitious person, there is no ambition in my life. I have a mission in my life. And my mission is to serve my country. And when I am working for my state, it means I am working for my country, or my nation.
I am confident my Hindutva face will be an asset when dealing with foreign affairs with other nations.
If you call yourself a leader, then you have to be decisive. If you're decisive, then you have the chance to be a leader. These are two sides to the same coin.
I do take pride in saying that in spite of being in public life for so long, there is not a single case against me, not even for wrongly parking a scooter or driving on the wrong side.
I am most familiar with the Gujarati language.
My government is working for the common man. Our priority is the poor of the country. We want good governance through a dynamic and seamless government.
For me, my secularism is, India first. I say, the philosophy of my party is 'Justice to all. Appeasement to none.' This is our secularism.
I believe growth should be constant, sustained and inclusive. It's only meaningful if these three things are there. Otherwise they're just economic figures.
All religions and all communities have the same rights, and it is my responsibility to ensure their complete and total protection. My government will not tolerate or accept any discrimination based on caste, creed and religion.
Federalism is no longer the fault line of Centre-State relations but the definition of a new partnership of Team India. Citizens now have the ease of trust, not the burden of proof and process. Businesses find an environment that is open and easy to work in.
Social media is reducing social barriers. It connects people on the strength of human values, not identities.
Tourism provides employment to the poorest of the poor. Gram seller earns something, auto-rickshaw driver earns something, pakoda seller earns something, and tea seller also earns something.
I draw pleasure in governance, in doing new things and bringing people together. That pleasure is all I need from life.
A national festival is an occasion to refine and rebuild the national character.
The government's job is good governance for everybody. My government will make policies; if you fit into it, come on board, or stay where you are. My job is not to spoon-feed anyone.
Our vision and commitment is towards the country's progress, its place in the world and the happiness of its people.
The power and energy sectors are the biggest constituents of the infrastructure sector. If you ignore them, no development will happen.
I'm not in favour of dividing Hindus and Sikhs. I'm not in favour of dividing Hindus and Christians. All the citizens, all the voters, are my countrymen.
I'm a nationalist. I'm a patriot. Nothing is wrong. I'm a born Hindu. Nothing is wrong. So, I'm a Hindu nationalist, so yes, you can say I'm a Hindu nationalist because I am a born Hindu, I'm patriotic, so nothing is wrong in it.
From my intimate discussions with President Obama, it is evident that India figures significantly in American geo-political, economic and strategic thinking. India is the largest democracy in the world.
Our country does not believe in the concept of your God and my God. We believe that all gods are one. We have different ways of accepting Him. All ways lead to Him.
Much of India that we dream of still lies ahead of us: housing, power, water and sanitation for all; bank accounts and insurance for every citizen; connected and prosperous villages; and, smart and sustainable cities.
I believe mutual respect for one another and cooperation should be the basis for relationships with foreign nations.
The alliance in Jammu and Kashmir is one of the most important developments on the contemporary political scene.
So far as the government is concerned, there is only one holy book, which is the constitution of India. My government will not tolerate or accept any discrimination based on caste, creed and religion.
I like to combine visits to more than one place when I go on my international tours in order to get more done. I'm from Ahmedabad where we have a saying, 'Single-fare, double journey.'
Unless and until you inspire the people, you will not get results. Imposition will never give you the results. Inspiration will always give you the results.
The pace at which people are taking to digital technology defies our stereotypes of age, education, language and income.
Nobody is above the law. Imagine if there allegations against Modi and he is the Prime Minister. Should the case not be pursued just because he has become the PM. It should not be so that it should be stopped. I am not above the law.
People's blessings give you the power to work tirelessly. The only thing required is commitment.
Before I became a chief minister, I never thought that one day I'd be the chief minister.
When I came to Delhi and noticed an insider view, I felt what it was, and I was surprised to see it. It seemed as if dozens of separate governments are running at the same time in one main government. It appeared that everyone has its own fiefdom.
The Make in India campaign has taken off and is backed with skill development. It is going to open new vistas for employment for the youth.
Our constitution is a ray of hope: H for harmony, O for Opportunity, P for people's participation and E for equality.
I found that the corridors of power in Delhi were littered with lobbies of various kinds.
It is my absolute belief that Indians have unlimited talent. I have no doubt about our capabilities.
I have been a firm believer in the federal structure of our country as enshrined in the Constitution.
The fault lines are shifting from the boundaries of nations into the web of our societies and the streets of our cities. And, terrorism and extremism are a global force that are larger than their changing names, groups, territories and targets.
The government has completed the entire process to do away with interviews for lower rank jobs. There will be no requirement of interview for Group D,C and B non-gazetted posts in central government.
My entire childhood was steeped in poverty. For me, poverty, in a way, was the first inspiration of my life, a commitment to do something for the poor.
Some people will have to be afraid. Those who plunder the nation, deliver injustice, will have to feel scared of me. And I am not afraid of admitting this. Government cannot be so lenient that it forgives them.
Indians felt despondent about Indian governance. Changing that atmosphere of gloom was a very challenging task, and I faced many difficulties in rectifying the situation and bringing back confidence and hope.
India does not need to become anything else. India must become only India. This is a country that once upon a time was called the golden bird.
We live in an inter-dependent world. An isolated India is not in our interest.
The world may be driven by the same ancient impulses. We will continue to see human struggles and successes. We will witness human glory and tragedies.
If I had chosen the populist course, it would have been a breach of the trust placed in me by the people.
In order to fulfill the aspirations of masses, we have to sharpen the tool called the government machinery: we have to make it keen, more dynamic, and it is in this direction that we are working.
In the political system, we are a team; politics and bureaucracy, we are a team. The politicians, bureaucrats and the people, we are a team.
One of the peculiarities of Delhi is that the term 'reform' is associated only with passing of laws in Parliament. In fact, the most important reforms are those needed, without new laws, at various level of the government, in work practices and procedures.
I come from a poor family, I have seen poverty. The poor need respect, and it begins with cleanliness.
I can say that out of 365 days, I manage to do yoga on at least 300 days.
We will naturally pursue our goals on the strength of our own resources, skills and enterprise. But, we know that we will be more successful when we do this in partnership with the world.
I have been into social work since 45 years, and at an average, every day for one or two hours, I have been engaging in social discourses. It is not a small thing.
We want an Afghanistan that is shaped by the dreams of the great Afghan people, not by irrational fears and overreaching ambitions of others.
Whatever work you do, you think are you doing this for the good of the nation? That's the basic training. The other basic training is discipline. Your life should be disciplined. The other thing they say is what work you get, do it well.
We should not look at terrorism from the nameplates - which group they belong to, what is their geographical location, who are the victims. These individual groups or names will keep changing.
I'm committed to the people of Gujarat. I will devote each and every moment to serve my people of Gujarat.
We must ensure that technology is accessible, affordable, and adds value.
The progress of India is the destiny of one-sixth of humanity. And it will also mean a world more confident of its prosperity and more secure about its future.
Gujarat is the fourth state in the world where we have a separate climate-change department.
If you were to ask me to choose between democratic values and wealth, power, prosperity and fame, I will very easily and without any doubt choose democratic values.
In a democracy, allegations will never improve situations. So, I'm against allegations, but I always welcome criticism.
I am the son of a freedom fighter, and a son of a freedom fighter automatically imbibes the value of democracy.
In every walk of life, you must have leaders. An education in the spiritual world, in the labor field, in the agricultural field, we must have leaders.
I fully understand the expectations of the state governments. Thus, I am better placed to work closely with the chief ministers.
We would like a stable policy framework, and whatever incentives and tax structures are there should be made known to investors upfront. There should be credibility, clarity and continuity in both policy formulation and its implementation.
The diversity of India, of our civilization, is actually a thing of beauty, which is something we are extremely proud of.
France and Germany have the manufacturing and skill base which is useful to us. France is our dependable strategic partner.
We should work with the principle that a work that can be done at a lower level should never be escalated to a higher level.
Peace can only thrive when the climate is right. We remain open to bilateral dialogue with Pakistan on all outstanding issues in an environment free from terrorism and violence.
I have spoken about inflation, unemployment, farmers' problems, security, etc. I keep talking about these issues. I seek answers from the Indian government.
I will meet my countrymen. I understand only one language: that they are my countrymen, they are my brothers. You may see with whatever colour you want; Modi will not go into that colour.
If I am judged for my work, many myths about me as an autocrat or otherwise would become clearer. I feel false propaganda will not last, and truth will ultimately prevail.
I doubt anyone else would have travelled as extensively as I have to meet the citizens of the country.
It is my responsibility that I must make demonstrative efforts to reach out to every citizen of the country.
We have to build the capacity of our institutions, employees and workers. Our regulatory environment has not been encouraging to research, innovation and enterprise.
I believe that a government has only one religion - India first. A government has only one holy book - our Constitution. A government has only one kind of devotion - towards nation.
Canada is rich in hydrocarbons and other natural resources... India's requirements and Canada's surplus are a perfect match.
International summits and organisations like WTO take decisions, which will bind us, and if we are not present in such summits, we may be hurt by the decisions taken.
I have always believed in evolving a consensus before taking any major decision.
When you bring in multi-brand retail items into the country, you're not just bringing the products, but you're also harming local manufacturers.
The world has crafted a beautiful balance of collective action - common but differentiated responsibility and respective capabilities.
Indians invest more in Britain than in the rest of European Union combined. It is not because they want to save on interpretation costs, but because they find an environment that is welcoming and familiar.
America has absorbed people from around the world, and there is an Indian in every part of the world. This characterizes both the societies. Indians and Americans have co-existed in their natural temperament.
We will explore the mysteries of science and harness the power of technology and innovation. We will realise the opportunities of the digital world. Our youth will learn more from - and with - each other.
Even in this globalised world, London is still the standard for our times. The city has embraced the world's diversity and represents the finest in human achievements.
When the party gives me a responsibility, I must do it with complete dedication. God has given me the ability, which I utilise to its optimum.
I have worked hard since my childhood and worked as a labourer. I put my mind and heart into it.
Democracy is our commitment. It is our great legacy, a legacy we simply cannot compromise. Democracy is in our DNA.
I will only say that many freedom fighters of India found their calling in the institutions of Britain. And many makers of modern India, including several of my distinguished predecessors, from Jawaharlal Nehru to Dr. Manmohan Singh, passed through their doors.