Urdu couplet, Chanakya’s arthshastra in Nirmala Sitharaman’s maiden Budget

The Parliament on Friday echoed with a couplet and a quote from Kautilya’s ‘arthshastra’ when finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her maiden Budget in the Lok Sabha.

“Yakeen ho toh koi rasta nikalta hai, hawa ki ot kar bhi chiraag jalta hai” (You find ways somehow if you have faith. The lamp burns bright even in gushing wind), she said reciting a couple which was received with appreciation by members.

Affirming faith in the budget presented by her, Sitharaman asserted that Chankaya neeti says “Kaarya purusha kare na lakshyam sampa dayate”. (With determined human efforts the task will surely be completed.

She further opined that her government’s objective has been and continues to be “mazboot desh ke liye, mazboot nagrik” (strong citizen for a strong country).

Breaking the tradition of carrying a briefcase to the Parliament for presenting the Budget, she posed outside the House with a ledger book instead.

This is the 89th Union Budget.