‘UCC has same spirit as sports’: PM Modi as he inaugurates National Games in Dehradun

“It has the same spirit as sports, as sportsmanship prevents discrimination. Like how every medal is achieved through collective effort and teamwork, the Uniform Civil Code, the secular civil code, does not discriminate. Everyone is equal,” he said.

The National Games is being held in 11 cities across eight districts of Uttarakhand from January 28 to February 14. Around 10,000 participants are competing in 35 sporting events. The theme for the event this year is “Green Games”.

“In the 25th year of the formation of Uttarakhand, youngsters from across the country will display their potential in this young state,” the Prime Minister said.

Comparing the budgetary allocation for sports now and 10 years ago, he said, “Now, many tournaments are organised throughout the year and several new tournaments have been included in the Khelo India series… In the last 10 years, we have focused on supporting the talent of sportspersons. Now, the sports budget is three times more than what it was 10 years ago. Even in schools, sport has become mainstream. This is evident in our medal tally in events across the world.”

Modi said sport is key to India’s holistic development. “When a country excels in sports, its reputation also improves. Sports will be linked to India’s development… Close to Dehradun, in Meerut, there are over 35,000 small and large factories producing sports equipment and have generated employment for more than 3 lakh people,” he said.

He also said that India is making a strong push to host the Olympics in 2036. “The Olympics is not just a sporting event, it drives several sectors in the host country. Sports infrastructure built for the Olympics creates jobs and provides better facilities for future athletes. The biggest benefit of all is the promotion of tourism,” the PM said.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also spoke at the event and said the BJP government was working to make the state “the best in the country”.

“We have started winter tourism, which has boosted employment. We promised in 2022 that UCC would be implemented and yesterday, we rolled it out. Without the leadership of Modi ji, this would not have been possible,” the CM said.