Modi government is a government of delivery: EAM Jaishankar to Indian community in Rwanda

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has told the Indian community in Rwanda that the Narendra Modi government is not a government of promises, but a government of delivery, one that has paved the way for a “democratic revolution in the making.” Jaishankar is in Rwanda to attend the 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) from June 22-25.

Addressing the Indian community here on Wednesday, Jaishankar, who is leading the Indian delegation to the CHOGM, said, “I can tell you in my life I have not seen this pace of change. So, in a way, I would even say, there is a revolution, a democratic revolution in the making – with a delivery today to the people. A last mile delivery to the people.” “It is not a government of promises, it is actually a government of delivery and that is why actually when you see what political outcomes are in India, a lot of that is actually people who have seen the benefits of delivery, who are now reaffirming their faith in the government,” he explained.

Jaishankar recalled that when the Spanish Flu came more than a century ago, more people died of hunger in India than of the flu.

But during the COVID-19, India’s robust food support system meant even the most vulnerable sections in society would not suffer, thanks to the central government’s flagship programme launched 28 months ago that is providing free food grains to 800 million citizens.

“Think of it, this is the population of Europe and the US combined. This has been going on for two and a half years, equally for those who are more vulnerable, and in fact, interestingly a lot of them were actually women,” he stated.

The minister also took the opportunity to laud the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, through which over 400 million have direct access to banks.

“We were able, for 400 million, to put money in their bank accounts, and that happened because the Prime Minister had the vision, before COVID came, to ensure that all Indians open bank accounts. At that time, people did not understand why he was asking them to do that. But now we see that the ability to actually directly transfer money, the ability to directly transfer benefits to people, today has created a sea change in the quality of governance in India,” the minister explained.

Jaishankar cited the example of the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore to explain the exponential growth in “institutions of research and higher education in this country in the last decade.” The minister also hailed the country’s success in achieving its export target of USD 400 billion despite the pandemic.

''Among the major economies of the world today, we have not just come out of where we were before COVID, we are growing at a much faster rate. In fact, in the last year, we have done the highest ever exports in our history. For the first time, we have crossed 400 billion dollars,” he said.

According to the website of the Indian High Commission in Rwanda, there are approximately 3,000 Indian nationals and PIOs (Person of Indian Origin) in Rwanda.

Rwanda’s only sugar refinery, the country's only modern textile mill as well as a soap and cosmetic factory are PIO-owned.

Investments from India are in the tea sector by Assam’s Luxmi Tea, a Kolkata-based company. TVS motorbikes are quite popular in Rwanda. Airtel Rwanda is one of the major players in the telecom sector in Rwanda. Sahasra Lighting is also a key player in the supply of LED lighting and solar panels, the mission noted.

The positive role that the Indian community plays in the Rwandan economy is well appreciated by its government, it added.