PM at the inauguration of New Campus of Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah (The Saifee Academy) at Marol, in Mumbai on February 10, 2023.
“I am not here as Prime Minister but as a family member who has been associated with this family for four generations”
“On the parameters of adapting to changing times and development, Dawoodi Bohra Community has proved itself. Institution like Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah is a living example of this”
“The country is taking the resolutions of Amrit Kaal forward with reforms like the new National Education Policy”
“Modern education system with an Indian ethos is the priority of the country”
“Speed and scale of educational infrastructure is witness to the fact that India is going to become the pool of that young talent which is going to shape the world.”
“Our youth are primed for real-world problems and are actively finding solutions”
“Today, the country is standing with the job creators and a system of trust is being created”
“Development and heritage are equally important for a country like India”
The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi inaugurated the new campus of Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah (The Saifee Academy) at Marol, Mumbai. Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah is the principal educational institute of the Dawoodi Bohra Community. Under the guidance of His Holiness Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, the institute is working to protect the learning traditions and literary culture of the community.
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said that he is not here as a Prime Minister but as a family member who has been associated with this family for four generations.
The Prime Minister said every community, group or organization is recognized by its ability to keep its relevance intact with changing times. “On the parameters of adapting to changing times and development, Dawoodi Bohra Community has proved itself. “Institution like Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah is a living example of this”, the Prime Minister said.
The Prime Minister elaborated on his long association with the Dawoodi Bohra Community and said that the affection of the community keeps raining on him wherever he goes. He remembered the instance of Dr Syedna teaching at the age of 99 and talked about his close relations with the community in Gujarat. Recalling the centenary celebration of Dr Sydena in Surat, the Prime Minister recalled the commitment by the spiritual leader about the water situation in Gujarat and expressed gratitude for their continued commitment to the cause of water. Shri Modi cited this as an example of the complementarity of society and government for causes ranging from tackling malnutrition and water scarcity.
“When I go somewhere not only in the country but also abroad, my Bohra brothers and sisters definitely come to meet me”, the Prime Minister remarked as he highlighted the love and concern of the Bohra community for India.
The Prime Minister said that dreams with the right intention are always realized and said that the dream of Aljamea-tus-Saifiya in Mumbai was seen before independence. Shri Modi also recalled that before the Dandi event, Mahatma Gandhi stayed at the house of the leader of the Dawoodi Bohra Community. The Prime Minister said that on his request the house was given to the government to be commemorated as a museum. The Prime Minister urged everyone to visit the house.
“The country is taking the resolutions of Amrit Kaal forward with reforms like the new National Education Policy”, the Prime Minister said as he highlighted the new opportunities being made available for modern education of women and girls. He noted that Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah is also moving forward in this endeavor. The Prime Minister highlighted the priority of the country is a modern education system molded in an Indian ethos. He recalled the times when India used to be a center for education with institutes like Nalanda and Takshila which drew the attention of students from around the world. He underlined that the glorious years of education have to be relived if we want to restore the glory of India.
The Prime Minister said that in the last 8 years, a record number of universities have come up and medical colleges are being established in every district. He informed that 145 colleges were established between 2004-2014, whereas, more than 260 medical colleges came into existence between 2014-22. “In the last 8 years, one university and two colleges were opened every week”, the Prime Minister informed. “This speed and scale is witness to the fact that India is going to become the pool of that young talent that is going to shape the world.”
Highlighting the significant change in the education system in India, the Prime Minister underlined the importance of regional languages in the education system. He informed that engineering and medical education can now be taken up in regional languages. The Prime Minister also informed about the simplification of the patent process which has helped the patent system a great deal. The Prime Minister noted the increasing use of technology in the education system and said that the youth of today are being equipped with skills to deal with technology and innovation. “Our youth are primed for real-world problems and are actively finding solutions”, the Prime Minister said.
Noting that a strong educational system and a strong industrial ecosystem are both equally important for any country, the Prime Minister said that these two lay the foundation for the future of the youth. He pointed out the historic improvement in the ‘Ease of Doing Business’ in the last 8-9 years and informed that the country abolished 40 thousand compliances and decriminalized hundreds of provisions. He recalled how entrepreneurs were harassed using these laws which affected their businesses. “Today, the country is standing with the job creators”, the Prime Minister said as he touched upon the Jan Vishwas Bill that was introduced to reform 42 Central Acts and the Vivad Se Vishwas Scheme to instill confidence among business owners. He also mentioned that tax rates have been reformed in this year’s budget which will bring more money into the hands of employees and entrepreneurs.
“Development and heritage are equally important for a country like India”, the Prime Minister said, highlighting the uniqueness of every community and ideology in the country. Modi credited this uniqueness to the prosperous path of the development of heritage and modernity in India. He underlined that the country is working on both fronts, physical infrastructure and social infrastructure. He noted that we are celebrating ancient traditional festivals, while at the same time making use of digital payments. Reflecting on this year’s Budget, the Prime Minister informed that an announcement has been made to digitize ancient records with the help of new techniques as he urged members of all societies and sects to come forward and digitize any ancient texts associated with them. He highlighted the contributions that the Bohra community can make by associating the youth with this campaign. The Prime Minister also gave examples of programmes such as environment protection, the promotion of millets and India’s G20 Presidency where the Bohra community can encourage public participation.
Concluding the address, the Prime Minister said “The people of the Bohra community in foreign lands can act as brand ambassadors of shining India. The Dawoodi Bohra community will continue to play an important role in reaching the goal of a developed India.”
Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, HH Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, and Ministers from Government of Maharashtra were present on the occasion among others.
