On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted photos from his trip to Lakshadweep, where he went snorkeling, spoke with the locals, and took in the breathtaking vistas from the immaculate coastline. He tweeted, “I am still in awe of the stunning beauty of its (Lakshadweep) islands and the incredible warmth of its people,” along with a few images that quickly gained widespread attention.
Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, PM Modi made a stop in the union territory during his jam-packed two-day tour to the South, which also included stops in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. In Lakshadweep, he declared several development projects worth over Rs 1,150 crore to be launched and lay the foundation stone for them. He also enumerated other projects that his government had done in the last ten years.
Echoing Prime Minister Modi’s promotion of Lakshadweep as a tourist destination, Home Minister Amit Shah lauded the archipelago’s “mesmerising beaches, blue water lagoons and much more”.
“Thank you to Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji for advancing Lakshadweep. This will undoubtedly increase tourism and the local economy, raising the standard of living for the people there,” tweeted“Lakshadweep has enormous potential to grow into a popular travel destination worldwide. Amit Shah.But there’s more to PM Modi’s visit to Lakshadweep than meets the eye.
“VOCAL IN SUPPORT OF LOCAL”
“Lakshadweep is more than just a collection of islands; it is a tribute to the spirit of its people and an everlasting legacy of customs. PM Modi wrote on X, “My visit has been an enriching journey of learning and growing.”
The Prime Minister’s pitch for picking Indian locations for weddings and tourism aligns with the push for Lakshadweep as a tourist destination. He questioned the tendency of planning weddings overseas, which he saw among several “big families,” in November of last year and pushed for domestic weddings as part of “Wed in India.”
“Even those in poverty will share your wedding with their kids. Is it possible to broaden the scope of “Vocal for Local”? Why don’t we have wedding ceremonies like this in our own nation? On the 107th episode of Mann ki Baat, he posed this question.
In his speech at the Uttarakhand Investors’ Summit in Dehradun last month, he reiterated his appeal, calling on Indians to plan at least “one destination wedding” in the hill state of the Himalayas. Similar to ‘Make in India,’ he suggested that a new movement called ‘Wed in India’ get underway, encouraging young people to get married in India while showcasing the nation’s strengths.