PM Modi Honors 26/11 Victims, Affirms India's Resilience Against Terrorism

NEW DELHI: The 26/11 Mumbai terror attack was one of the most dastardly terror assaults India has faced, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday as he paid homage to those who lost their lives in the 2008 attack. Speaking in his monthly radio broadcast, Mann Ki Baat, the Prime Minister said that though the terror attack had shaken up the country, it is the country's capability that it not only recovered but is also crushing terrorism with all its courage.

“We can never forget November 26. It was on this day that the most heinous terrorist attack took place in the country. The terrorists not only jolted Mumbai but also the entire country. It is India's capability that we recovered from that attack and now we are also crushing terrorism with full courage. I pay homage to all those who lost their lives in the Mumbai attack. Today, the country is in remembrance of those bravehearts who made the supreme sacrifice during the attack," the Prime Minister said.

Ten Lashkar-e-Tayyaba terrorists from Pakistan had arrived by sea route and opened fire, killing 166 people, including 18 security personnel, and injuring several others during a 60-hour siege in Mumbai.

The Prime Minister also noted that November 26 is also important for the reason that in 1949, the Constituent Assembly had adopted the Constitution of India on this day.

Mr Modi said the passage of the women reservation law to ensure their quota in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies is in line with the foresight of the makers of the Constitution.

“This will provide a fillip to the pace of accomplishing our resolve of a developed India,” the Prime Minister added. 

Reiterating his support for local products, Mr Modi urged people to hold their big wedding events in India instead of organising them abroad so that "the country’s money remains in the country itself”.

The Prime Minister said that he is troubled by the practice by some "big families" of organising their weddings abroad. He said that while shopping for weddings, people should give importance to products made in India only.

“The wedding season has commenced now. Some trade organisations estimate that there could be a business of around '5-lakh crores during this wedding season. While shopping for weddings, all of you should give importance to products made in India only... If we celebrate the festivities of marriages on Indian soil, among the people of India, the country's money will remain in the country... This is a topic related to big families. I hope this pain of mine will definitely reach those big families,” the Prime Minister said.

Lauding digital payments practice, the Prime Minister said for the second consecutive year it was found that the practice of buying some goods through cash on the occasion of Deepawali was gradually on the decline.

“This means people are making more and more digital payments now. This is also encouraging. You can do one more thing. Decide for yourself that for one month you will make payments only through UPI or any digital medium and not through cash. The success of the digital revolution in India has made this absolutely possible," the Prime Minister said.