From the Modi Archive, an #IndependenceDay reminder of duty, inclusive development and India First. Vande Mataram!

“माँ जन्म देती है, गुरु जीवन देता है।” A Guru, @narendramodi observes, is not limited to the classroom. Anyone who teaches us, enriches our understanding or shows us a new direction can become a Guru. And the greatest tribute to a Guru is to transform what we receive from them into how we live, grow, and move forward. On #GuruPurnima, revisiting these timeless reflections from 2010.

Long before the launch of the Digital India mission on July 1, 2015, PM @narendramodi viewed technology as a tool of absolute empowerment for the grassroots, rather than a luxury for the few. The roots of India's unmatched digital transformation go back over two decades. On #11YearsOfDigitalIndia, watch how a decades-long digital blueprint laid the foundation for the governance model of tomorrow.

12 years of continuous nation-building and Seva started and continued with these very words - in 2014, 2019, 2024 and running… #12YearsOfSeva

On Veer Savarkar’s birth anniversary, we look back at June 28, 1997, when Shri @narendramodi unveiled Savarkar ji's statue at Sardar Bridge, Ahmedabad, alongside veterans like K.K. Shastri and music composer Sudhir Phadke. In a stirring tribute, he described Savarkar as a "worshipper of Saraswati, a master of the pen, and a master of the sword." "He was a visionary of revolution, a sower of seeds, and a sensitive social reformer." "He considered the incident of 1857 not as a rebellion, but as India's First Freedom Struggle." "Siddhartha became Buddha out of duty; in the same way, Savarkar renounced personal life and kept the motherland supreme." "Imagine a young man of 20 goes to Europe to become a barrister, but returns bound in chains, with only one dream - the freedom of Mother India."

Wrote an OpEd about my forthcoming visit to Somnath on 11th May and why this day will always be important with respect to Somnath and the greatness of our civilisation. Also paid homage to each and every person who endured all sorts of challenges yet always protected Somnath and restored its glory. nm-4.com/hPJHAi

पुनर्निर्मित सोमनाथ मंदिर के लोकार्पण की 75वीं वर्षगांठ के उपलक्ष्य में 11 मई को मुझे एक बार फिर वहां जाने का सौभाग्य मिलने वाला है। यह अवसर हमें स्मरण कराता है कि इस पावनस्थल की रक्षा और इसके पुनर्निर्माण के लिए किस प्रकार देश की कई पीढ़ियों ने निरंतर संघर्ष किया। देशवासियों के नाम इस पत्र में मैंने भव्य-दिव्य सोमनाथ धाम को समर्पित अपनी भावनाएं व्यक्त की हैं… nm-4.com/N1bu1r

Today marks Ambedkar Jayanti. Let’s take a moment to think about how one man has spent years quietly, consistently, and passionately honouring Babasaheb’s legacy. Here are some moments from over the years when Prime Minister @narendramodi has carried that legacy forward.. The Words He Lives By “If Babasaheb was not there, Narendra Modi would not be here.” PM Modi has repeatedly emphasised that his own journey, beginning from humble beginnings to the Prime Minister's office, is possible because of Babasaheb Ambedkar’s role in creating a democratic India. He frequently highlights his own 'poor and backward' roots as proof of the Constitution's success. He considers Dr Ambedkar’s most significant legacy to be a nation where birth is not a barrier to success, allowing any citizen the opportunity to lead the country. The Places He Built: Panchteerth The ‘Panchteerth’ are five sacred sites connected to Ambedkar’s life, stretching from his birthplace in Mhow to 26 Alipur Road and London. Narendra Modi ensured infrastructural improvement and modernisation. He also made sure each site encourages every generation to learn about the man who gave dignity to crores of Indians. The Day He Reclaimed: Constitution Day In 2015, PM Modi declared 26th November as Constitution Day - a powerful gesture to promote constitutional values and honour Ambedkar's role as the chief architect of the Indian Constitution. A day that reminds every Indian that the book which governs this nation was written by a man who once fought for the right to even drink water from a public well. The Philosophy He Governs By: Antyodaya Narendra Modi's governance has always carried Ambedkar's fingerprints. His policies frequently centre on "Antyodaya" or uplifting the last person in line, which is a direct reflection of Ambedkar's lifelong devotion to human dignity. It is not about welfare as charity, but about empowerment as a right. The Schemes That Changed Lives Initiatives like Stand-Up India and Mudra Yojana put capital in the hands of those the system had long overlooked. The BHIM app, named after Bhimrao, put financial power in everyone’s hands, even in villages. Schemes not just announced but delivered - to Dalits, to tribals, to women, to every last person standing in the last mile. The Vision That Connects Them Over time, India began to see it clearly: “Ambedkar’s Vision, Modi’s Provision.” The flagship schemes of the Modi government are the modern implementation of B.R. Ambedkar's intellectual and economic theories, brought to life seven decades later by a man who is himself proof that those theories worked. The Full Circle The Constitution that Ambedkar wrote did more than safeguard the powerless. It made it possible for someone from their ranks to become Prime Minister. And that Prime Minister has spent every day in office continuing the mission Ambedkar began. #AmbedkarJayanti

“Namaskar. This is Asha Bhosle. Mara Vhala, Kem chho?” @narendramodi laughed heartily. He was delighted and genuinely caught off guard by the call. She called him first. She didn’t need to. Asha Bhosle’s voice shaped the soundtrack of independent India. She recorded over 12,000 songs in eight decades. Yet she dialled a Chief Minister she had never met, telling him her mother was Gujarati. Gujarat’s progress, she said, was her “farz,” her duty. After she hung up, their mutual friend offered a quiet verdict, “Asha Ben, our Modi Bhai is a very good man.” That first encounter left her impressed. There was more to come. They met face to face in 2013 at the inauguration of the Dinanath Mangeshkar Super Speciality Hospital in Pune. The hospital was built in memory of her father, who had died partly because he couldn’t get proper medical care. Before taking his seat on stage, Narendra Modi turned to her and asked simply, “Didi, kaisi hain aap?” He was a Chief Minister, surrounded by all the formalities of government. Yet the first thing he called her was sister. That day, he told her something she never forgot: the Mangeshkar sisters could have honoured their father with music, and no one would have blamed them. Instead, they chose to honour him by helping others heal. She sang him a Gujarati song, which pleased him immensely. As he left, he folded his hands and said, “Didi, I am leaving. Will see you later.” From that day on, she thought of him as her younger brother. Her ten-year-old grandson was in Pune that day too. Not knowing that you shouldn’t make bold predictions in front of Chief Ministers, he looked at Modi and said confidently, “Landslide victory.” Narendra Modi heard him and smiled. “Bhagwaan bachchon ke munh se bolta hai,” God speaks through the mouths of children. Life went on after that meeting, and ten years passed. At another event, her granddaughter ended up sitting near the Prime Minister. She expected him to be polite but distant. She asked, “Do you remember me?” He answered right away, “Once I meet someone, I never forget them.” Then he asked about her brother. Where was he? How was he? @ashabhosle said her granddaughter was amazed. The Prime Minister, who leads 1.4 billion people, remembered a ten-year-old boy he had met only once, in passing, ten years earlier. It may seem like a small story, but if you think about it, it’s actually a big one. In October 2015, Asha Bhosle lost her son Hemant. He died suddenly from cancer, far away in Scotland. She wrote to the Prime Minister to apologise. She could not attend his event in Delhi. "My sincere apologies," she wrote. He replied with only kindness. “Dear Asha Bhosle Tai, I am pained by the unfortunate demise of your son. My thoughts are with you during this hour of grief.” In 2016, Asha Bhosle travelled to Bomdila in Arunachal Pradesh - the site of one of India's most painful military chapters, the 1962 battlefield. She went as part of a government initiative launched by Prime Minister Modi to bridge the distance between civilians and soldiers stationed in the country's most remote and demanding postings. She tied rakhis to the jawans there, one by one. She came home, she said, deeply touched. Then, in April 2022, Prime Minister Modi received the first Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Award at Shanmukhanand Hall in Mumbai. He, who almost never accepts felicitation, made an exception. He said so plainly: "I generally keep myself away from such ceremonies. But when an award is named after an elder sister like Lata Mangeshkar, it becomes an obligation, because of the affection and right of the Mangeshkar family over me." He dedicated it to every Indian. During a function on October 5, 2024, Asha Bhosle praised PM Modi for conferring Classical Status on the Marathi language. While addressing the speech in her mother tongue, she got visibly emotional. In 2025, on his 75th birthday, Asha Bhosle recorded a video message. "It is difficult for us to take care of one household. PM Modi ji is taking care of such a large country. He gets up at 4 a.m. and does yoga. I like his discipline. I have never heard anything bad from his mouth about anyone." "I feel he is a very kind-hearted person. Even when others make harsh remarks, he just smiles. He nods. He says, 'Yes, say as much as you want.' That is a very big thing." Asha Bhosle was born in 1933 and saw many leaders come and go from a perspective few Indians ever experience. "I have seen all our Prime Ministers," she says simply. "Today, at 90, I have reached the conclusion: in these last 10 years, India is prosperous," she added. #AshaBhosle passed away on April 12, 2026, at Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai. She was 92. Her famous voice, which always spoke for itself, finally fell silent.