HT's journey can help us build Viksit Bharat: Modi

At the centenary celebrations of Hindustan Times, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reflects on the media institution's 100-year legacy and lays out his vision for a developed India

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The journey of 100 years traversed by Hindustan Times is historic and this experience can help build a developed India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday as he released a commemorative postage stamp to mark the occasion and showcased his road map to imprint India's stamp on the 21st century.

Delivering the inaugural address at the 22nd Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, Modi hailed the newspaper - it was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi on September 15, 1924 to become the voice of the freedom movement - and underlined that the capacity and sagacity of the ordinary citizen of India has propelled the country's extraordinary journey over the last century.

"A 100 years ago, respected Bapu [as Gandhi was known to his followers] inaugurated HT. He spoke the Gujarati language. After 100 years, you have called another Gujarati...the journey of 100 years is very long. All of you are deserving of praise and I wish you the best for the future," Modi said.

"Completing the journey of 100 years is a historic accomplishment. I congratulate everyone who has been a part of this enterprise, who fought adversity and endured," he added.

In his address, the Prime Minister spoke about the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government's record in delivering public goods and welfare benefits, eschewing vote bank politics, restoring public confidence in governance, and giving the administration a higher purpose - attaining developed country status by the centenary of India's independence, August 15, 1947.

He also spoke about his government's mantra - of investment to employment, development to dignity, and of spending big on the people and saving big for the people. He urged Indians to transform the social mindset and not accept anything other than world-class standards.