India is marching ahead with much confidence: Tamil Nadu Governor N Ravi

HYDERABAD: Governor of Tamil Nadu Governor N Ravi said that the country is trying to catch up with developed countries like the USA and others. But, the little known fact to our people was that Bharat was a great economic, industrial and scientifically developed country before the British started colonising it in 1750.

The Tamil Nadu Governor speaking as the chief guest on the second day of the Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav here on Saturday said that India was not only an ancient civilisation but it was also immensely rich in knowledge and culture, and way ahead of others in the world.

However, before the British colonising the country in 1750, it was a trading company. And, there was a systematic destruction of the country's economic and industrial base, besides, its cultural and spiritual traditions. The country's share was about 40 per cent of the total global industrial output, and together with China, it was about 73 per cent of the total global industrial output, he added.

He reminded that how the solar and lunar eclipses were calculated with a clear understanding of the planetary motion and physical laws way back 2,000 years, from the stating of Vikarami Panchangam.

He said that those who have come to power after the British left have seen the country not from the Indian lens but from the models adopted. It was believed that reposing trust in the government was the main driver for the growth model. However, the country ended up in an embarrassing situation of a large number of its population remaining in poverty even after 70 years of independence.

However, the same has changed in 2014, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has come to power. The fundamental change brought around was to repose trust in the people and make it the prime driver for the model of growth.

"The outcomes was that the country is moving with confidence unlike never before. There were only about 400 startups by 2014. However, by 2021 its number has gone up by 10,000 drive by the young men and women in the country," he added.

The earlier growth model was a Darwinian one in which only the fittest can survive. But, post-2014, a new impetus has been given to empower healthy citizenship addressing the issues of food, shelter, health, education, drinking water, and electricity for all for inclusive growth.

Earlier, G Kishan Reddy, Union Minister of Tourism, Culture & Development of North Eastern Region(DoNER), and Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of State for Culture & Parliamentary Affairs, lit the lamp and inaugurated the event. Former MP Chiranjeevi was among those who participated in the event and Panchanga Sravanam was conducted marking the auspicious occasion of Ugadi. Cultural teams from across the country made cultural presentations with dance, music, yoga and other events organised on the occasion.