I was born in a very poor family. I used to sell tea in a railway coach as a child. My mother used to wash utensils and do lowly household work in the houses of others to earn a livelihood. I have seen poverty very closely. I have lived in poverty. As a child, my entire childhood was steeped in poverty.
I believe mutual respect for one another and cooperation should be the basis for relationships with foreign nations.
Canada is rich in hydrocarbons and other natural resources... India's requirements and Canada's surplus are a perfect match.
When the party gives me a responsibility, I must do it with complete dedication. God has given me the ability, which I utilise to its optimum.
I do take pride in saying that in spite of being in public life for so long, there is not a single case against me, not even for wrongly parking a scooter or driving on the wrong side.
Our constitution is a ray of hope: H for harmony, O for Opportunity, P for people's participation and E for equality.
Tourism provides employment to the poorest of the poor. Gram seller earns something, auto-rickshaw driver earns something, pakoda seller earns something, and tea seller also earns something.
We have to build the capacity of our institutions, employees and workers. Our regulatory environment has not been encouraging to research, innovation and enterprise.
Much of India that we dream of still lies ahead of us: housing, power, water and sanitation for all; bank accounts and insurance for every citizen; connected and prosperous villages; and, smart and sustainable cities.
In order to fulfill the aspirations of masses, we have to sharpen the tool called the government machinery: we have to make it keen, more dynamic, and it is in this direction that we are working.
I have been into social work since 45 years, and at an average, every day for one or two hours, I have been engaging in social discourses. It is not a small thing.
I fully understand the expectations of the state governments. Thus, I am better placed to work closely with the chief ministers.
America has absorbed people from around the world, and there is an Indian in every part of the world. This characterizes both the societies. Indians and Americans have co-existed in their natural temperament.
People's blessings give you the power to work tirelessly. The only thing required is commitment.
I like to combine visits to more than one place when I go on my international tours in order to get more done. I'm from Ahmedabad where we have a saying, 'Single-fare, double journey.'
I doubt anyone else would have travelled as extensively as I have to meet the citizens of the country.
