From Urdu Shayari to Tamil poetry: How Sitharaman added flavor in her maiden budget speech

From Urdu Shayari to Tamil poetry, from Chanakya Neeti to Vivekananda to Lord Basaveshwara; Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman used couplets and quotes to make her maiden budget speech lively.

While presenting her maiden budget and the first budget of the Modi government 2.0, Sitharaman recited Urdu poet Manzoor Hashmi’s couplet in the beginning, “Yakeen ho toh koi rasta nikalta hai, hawa ki to kar bhi chiraag jalta hai” (You find ways somehow if you have faith. The lamp burns bright even in gushing wind).

Expressing her will to achieve the goal set by the government and affirming her faith in the budget, Sitharaman quoted Chanakya saying, “Kaarya purusha kare na lakshyam sampa dayate” (With determined human efforts, the task will surely be completed).

Stressing upon the significance of women empowerment, the Finance Minister quoted Swami Vivekananda.

“There is no chance of the welfare of the world unless the condition of women is improved. It is not possible for a bird to fly on one wing,” said Sitharaman amid thumping.

While talking about taxation, Sitharaman who comes from Tamil Nadu quoted Sangam-era Tamil classic’s “Yaanai Puguntha Nilam” written by Pisiranthaiyar in Purananooru.

Translated into Tamil it says, “An elephant will be happy to have two mounds of rice from a paddy field. But if it enters the land, it will have far less to eat than it will trample.”

“This is the principle we will follow in taxation. We will be happy to collect only that much taxes that is necessary from the taxpayer. We will not trample on the taxpayer,” she said.

Sitharaman also invoked 12th-century social reformer and thinker Lord Basaveshwara’s principles of welfare state and said, “Our government recognizes and follows the teachings of Lord Basaveshwara who preached “Kayakave Kailasa” (work is worship).

Lord Basaveshwara was the one who first established the concept of “Kalyana Rajya” (welfare state).