Every year before Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asks for “thoughts and ideas” from people — or at least people having internet connections — for his August 15 speech from the ramparts of Red Fort.
These "thoughts and ideas" can be shared on Twitter or submitted on the Narendra Modi app, as well as on mygov.in.
While there is no known data on whose ideas are actually addressed by the PM during his speeches, he is said to use constructive feedback and ideas. He has, however, also received some bizarre suggestions over the years.
This year is no different.
One Twitter user, for instance, asked the Prime Minister to put all of his tweets in a slideshow during his speech, while another asked him to secure the nation — by locking up BJP president Amit Shah.
Another suggested PM Modi to set a target for the Indian football team— much like he is known to set for his ministers and bureaucrats— to qualify for the World Cup.
Users also used the medium to express grievances. One user, for instance, asked the PM why Salman Khan is out of jail but Asaram Bapu isn’t. Another was miffed with the income tax system in the country and wanted Modi to ‘gift’ independence from income tax. One user did not really have any suggestion, but he did say that he was looking forward to seeing the PM’s new fancy turban style. (Modi has made it a point to wear reportedly hand-made turbans for his appearances on Independence and Republic Days).
On mygov.in, someone suggested that the PM make a law to stop migration of IIT students, so that they remain within India and ‘serve the nation’. Another advised the Prime Minister not to waste time on building roads and instead focus on making a big ‘splash’ before the elections — like, for instance, attacking the Maldives.
One user connected stray dogs attacking people on the streets to Swachh Bharat Abhiyan — his logic being since the Clean India mission keeps the country clean, there is no garbage for stray dogs to satisfy their hunger, and hence they end up attacking humans. He wanted this particular problem to be addressed by PM Modi during his I-Day speech.
As bizarre as these suggestions were, some of the most highlighted concerns during the process included reservation, safety for women and population control. Surprisingly, very few users mentioned farmers and armed forces, which featured prominently during last year’s “thoughts and ideas” exercise.
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