After calling for self-rule, it is time to ask for good governance, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday. Referring to the slogan 'swaraj (self-rule) is my birthright and I shall have it' given by freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak, he said, "Today is the time to say that good governance is our birthright and we will have it..."

"Every Indian should have access to good governance and positive results of development. It is the factoring in of this outreach that will create a new India," Modi said.

The NDA government has been pushing for good governance by easing rules and repealing obsolete laws.

Prime Minister Modi has often used the phrase "more governance, less government" to drive home the point.

He referred to the contribution of Tilak, Vallabh Bhai Patel and Chandra Shekar 'Azad' in freedom struggle in his monthly 'Mann ki Baat' radio address.

Tilak's birth anniversary was on July 23 and his death anniversary is on August 1. Azad's birth anniversary, too, was on July 23.

He said despite opposition by the British government, Patel ensured that a statue of Tilak was installed at Victoria garden in Ahemdabad in 1929.

The PM recalled Tilak's contribution in starting the tradition of celebrating Ganesh utsav publicly.

"The celebration of Ganesh Utsav publicly had become an effective medium in promoting a spirit of social awakening ...

"This was the period when there was a need for people to get united in the fight against the British; these festivals, by breaking the barriers of casteism and communalism served the purpose of uniting all," he said.

Modi said Azad put his life on the stake, but he never bowed in front of the foreign rule.

First Published:Jul 29, 2018 3:46 PM IST