Trust on each other will make us strong, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday, as he received the Lokmanya Tilak National Award in Pune. Development is impossible if there is an atmosphere of mistrust, Modi said in his acceptance speech at the event, where he shared the stage with NCP chief Sharad Pawar. Lokmanya Tilak understood the importance of free press, Modi said.
“He changed the course of the freedom struggle. The British called him the father of Indian unrest,” Modi said. The PM said he feels honoured to receive the award named after Lokmanya Tilak, who was at the forefront of India’s freedom struggle. “Today some people get uncomfortable if things named after foreign invaders are renamed,” Modi said.
Also read | PM Modi to launch development projects during Pune visit on August 1, receive Lokmanya Tilak National Award
"Lokmanya Tilak had this unique ability to identify young talent. Veer Savarkar was one such example," Modi said.
He said Tilak realised the capability of Veer Savarkar and was instrumental in his education abroad.
“When an award is named after Lokmanya Tilak, the responsibility increases,” he said.
The PM also lauded the contribution of Pune in India’s fight against coronavirus pandemic. Pawar said the first surgical strike in India was during Chhatrapati Shivaji’s period. The NCP leader said the country had seen two eras: One of Tilak and another of Mahatma Gandhi.