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| India Independence Day: Modi tells parents – 'Don't bring your sons up as rapists' | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| India has been 'shamed' by a recent flurry of high-profile sexual attacks, its new leader Narenda Modi has said. | India has been 'shamed' by a recent flurry of high-profile sexual attacks, its new leader Narenda Modi has said. |
| Delivering his first Independence Day address, Modi said girls in India were repeatedly asked questions by their parents while boys were not. | Delivering his first Independence Day address, Modi said girls in India were repeatedly asked questions by their parents while boys were not. |
| “When we hear about these rapes our heads hang in shame,” said Mr Modi, speaking without notes from the ramparts of the 17th Century Red Fort in Delhi. | “When we hear about these rapes our heads hang in shame,” said Mr Modi, speaking without notes from the ramparts of the 17th Century Red Fort in Delhi. |
| “Young girls are always asked so many questions by their parents, such as ‘where are you going?’. But do parents dare to ask their sons where they are going?” | “Young girls are always asked so many questions by their parents, such as ‘where are you going?’. But do parents dare to ask their sons where they are going?” |
| He added: “Those who commit rape are also someone’s sons. It’s the responsibility of the parents to stop them before they take the wrong path.” | He added: “Those who commit rape are also someone’s sons. It’s the responsibility of the parents to stop them before they take the wrong path.” |
| Mr Modi was elected in May when his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won a massive landslide following a campaign in which he had promised to bring change to a country that was hungry for jobs, development and proper infrastrture. | Mr Modi was elected in May when his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won a massive landslide following a campaign in which he had promised to bring change to a country that was hungry for jobs, development and proper infrastrture. |
| Two teenagers were found hanging from a mango tree in May 2014 in a village in Uttar Pradesh after been raped The 63-year-old, son of a tea salesman, promoted himself as someone who had overseen economic growth in the state of Gujarat where he served four terms as chief minister. | Two teenagers were found hanging from a mango tree in May 2014 in a village in Uttar Pradesh after been raped The 63-year-old, son of a tea salesman, promoted himself as someone who had overseen economic growth in the state of Gujarat where he served four terms as chief minister. |
| Yet in recent weeks, a flurry of reports have quoted supporters of Mr Modi expressing disappointment that he had yet to announce any major plans or outline of what he intended his term in office would achieve. An interim budget was seen as cautious. | Yet in recent weeks, a flurry of reports have quoted supporters of Mr Modi expressing disappointment that he had yet to announce any major plans or outline of what he intended his term in office would achieve. An interim budget was seen as cautious. |
| Mr Modi’s speech on Friday, marking India’s 68 years of independence from Britain, may go some way to answering those critics. During his hour-long address, delivered while wearing a bright-red turban, he stressed the need for better governance in a nation where corruption and unaccountability are endemic. | Mr Modi’s speech on Friday, marking India’s 68 years of independence from Britain, may go some way to answering those critics. During his hour-long address, delivered while wearing a bright-red turban, he stressed the need for better governance in a nation where corruption and unaccountability are endemic. |
| He also outlined plans to provide bank accounts for the 40 per cent of the population who do not have one and are obliged to use money lenders. He said he planned to build toilets in every school in the country, something that would encourage girls to attend lessons. | He also outlined plans to provide bank accounts for the 40 per cent of the population who do not have one and are obliged to use money lenders. He said he planned to build toilets in every school in the country, something that would encourage girls to attend lessons. |
| Protests demanding the safety and fair treatment of Indian women have increased He said he wanted to boost manufacturing in the country as a way of creating jobs. He urged investors to come and “make in India” and said he would be scrapping the central Planning Commission, a socialist-era institution that has overseen the country’s long-term policies. | Protests demanding the safety and fair treatment of Indian women have increased He said he wanted to boost manufacturing in the country as a way of creating jobs. He urged investors to come and “make in India” and said he would be scrapping the central Planning Commission, a socialist-era institution that has overseen the country’s long-term policies. |
| India has been having an unprecedented debate about the role of women and their position in society since the December 2012 gang-rape and murder of a young student. The previous government introduced new laws and fast-track courts to deal with offenders. | India has been having an unprecedented debate about the role of women and their position in society since the December 2012 gang-rape and murder of a young student. The previous government introduced new laws and fast-track courts to deal with offenders. |
| Mr Modi said that while those laws would help, Indian society must itself be raising sons in the best manner. Talking more about the problems faced by Indian women, Mr Modi said he wanted to end open defecation and provide proper toilets. | Mr Modi said that while those laws would help, Indian society must itself be raising sons in the best manner. Talking more about the problems faced by Indian women, Mr Modi said he wanted to end open defecation and provide proper toilets. |
| “I don’t know if people will appreciate my talking about dirt and toilets from the Red Fort but I come from a poor family. I have seen poverty and the attempt to give dignity to the poor starts from there,” he said. | “I don’t know if people will appreciate my talking about dirt and toilets from the Red Fort but I come from a poor family. I have seen poverty and the attempt to give dignity to the poor starts from there,” he said. |
| “We are in the 21st Century and yet there is still no dignity for women as they have to go out in the open to defecate and they have to wait for darkness to fall. Can you imagine the number of problems they have to face because of this?” | “We are in the 21st Century and yet there is still no dignity for women as they have to go out in the open to defecate and they have to wait for darkness to fall. Can you imagine the number of problems they have to face because of this?” |