SOME days ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was sitting with some Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officers. While talking, he became poetic and said how there was a time when “we used to sit by the sea and count the waves”. Then he said, “time has now changed”. “…we are done counting waves, now it's time for us to steer ourselves, ride the waves and decide on our direction, destination and speed”. PM disclosed it during…
an interview given to Arnab Goswami of Times Now television channel on Monday. PM was making a point how small island nations with a population of 10 lakh to 20 lakh is equally important for Indian diplomacy now. He explained in that interview how he made a forum for the pacific island nations which are most affected by global warming. But as India took up the cause of international solar mission in which 122 nations joined it, those island nations benefitted the most. And those 50 nations feel secured with India’s solar initiative, something that is expected to reduce global warming significantly.
The PM in the same interview also batted for RBI governor Raghuram and finance ministry bureaucrats — chief economic adviser Arvind Subramanian and DEA secretary Shaktikanta Das who came under Twitter attack from BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy. PM said, Rajan’s patriotism is no less than any of theirs. “So far as I know Raghuram Rajan, whatever post he holds, wherever he is, he is someone who will continue to serve the country. He is someone who loves his country”, PM said in that interview.
“It's not like the nation won't get Raghuram Rajan's services, Raghuram Rajan is not that kind of a person. He is a person who loves the country. Those who speak such language are doing great injustice to him. My experience with him has been good. I appreciate the work he has done. And my good wishes will always be with him”, PM said, almost echoing the same line that finance ministry Arun Jaitley took earlier. Jaitley in Twitter praised Rajan and gave him the best wishes when the latter announced that he would go back to US to pursue his teaching after the completion of his three-year-long tenure as RBI governor. Usually, RBI governors are given two years of extension.
When PM was asked about his views on BJP Rajya Sabha MP’s (Swamy’s) critical remarks against senior bureaucrats, PM said, “Whether it is someone from my party or not, I believe that such things are inappropriate. The nation won't benefit from such publicity stunts. One should be more responsible while conducting themselves. Anyone who believes he is bigger than the system is wrong…I have a very clear message. I have no two minds about it.”
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