PMINDIA
My dear countrymen Namaskar. After a rather long pause, we are resuming once again, our series of touching upon matters close to people and their hearts; in fact subjects close to every person’s heart… I am once again amidst you with our ‘Mann Ki Baat’. The rigours of Elections called for hectic preoccupation, but the one thing that was missing was the sheer joy of ‘Mann Ki Baat.’ For me, it was like experiencing a kind of void. It used to be a chat in a genial atmosphere amidst the warmth of one’s own family of 130 crore countrymen; we would listen, we would re-iterate; at times our expressions would turn into an inspiration for someone close to us. You can imagine how this period must have made one feel. Sunday, the last Sunday, at 11 o’clock, even I used to be uneasy, with a nagging feeling of a kind of emptiness… you too felt the same, didn’t you? I am sure you did. Perhaps, this was not a lifeless programme. It was full of liveliness, warmth and fondness. And that is why, for me the intervening period was very difficult to bear. I used to miss something every moment; when I express myself through ‘Mann Ki Baat,’ the one speaking is me, the words are mine, the voice is mine, but the story is yours, the ‘Purusharth’ pertaining to your pursuits and goals is yours, the ‘Parakram’, the achievement is yours. I just used my words and my voice and that is why, I was not missing the programme… I was missing you. I was undergoing a bout of emptiness. There came a moment when I felt the need to reach out to you immediately after the Elections concluded. Then I thought… No! The established Sunday sequence should be maintained. But this Sunday has made one wait endlessly! Anyway, finally the opportunity has dawned. In a family like atmosphere, these plain, simple reflections become the reason for change in life, in society. Begetting a new spirit, in a way fortifying the spirit of New India, let us wish this endeavour embarks upon its onward journey.
Over the last few months, many messages have poured in, with people stating that they have been missing ‘Mann Ki Baat’. When I read them, when I hear them, it gives me joy. It’s a warm feeling of kinship. There are times when I feel that this is my journey from the self to the unabridged whole; my journey from ‘I’ to ‘We’. For me, this nonvocal conversation with you was a part of my feelings during my spiritual journey. Amidst hectic Election engagements, many people asked me a flurry of questions on why I had gone up to Kedarnath. You have every right; I can understand your curiosity… and I too feel that my sentiments reach you. But today, I think, if I change the course of the conversation that way, the entire complexion of ‘Mann Ki Baat’ will change. Amidst the rigours of the Election, speculations on victory or defeat, before the polling was yet to start; I undertook the journey. Most people have derived political conclusions out of that. For me, it was an opportunity to meet myself. In a way, I undertook the journey to meet my inner self. I shall not reveal other things today, but I certainly want to tell you that perhaps in that solitary cave, I got an opportunity to fill up the vacuum caused due to the long pause that ‘Mann Ki Baat’ had to go through. The rest is your inquisitiveness… I think, someday I’ll talk about that too. WHEN, I can’t say, but I’ll do it for sure. You have every right as far as I am concerned. The way people have expressed their wish to know about Kedar, I feel a similar effort on your part to lay emphasis on positive things, which I get to know through your expressions.
The letters which steadily pour in for ‘Mann Ki Baat’, the inputs that are received are entirely different from routine Government matters. One way, a letter from you can act as a source of inspiration for me; on the other it may turn out to be a source of energy for me. There are times when some of your words act as a catalyst in sharpening my thought process. People bring to the fore challenges facing the country and society; they also come out with solutions for the same. I have seen for myself that in their letters, people go to great lengths in describing their problems; it is fascinating to see that in the same breath, they express directly or indirectly, a relevant solution or two, one suggestion or the other, or even an idea! If someone refers to sanitation and cleanliness, he or she invariably voices angst against filth & dirt, but on the same page appreciates efforts being under way to ensure cleanliness. When somebody talks about the environment, one can easily sense his or her crucial concerns on the matter; at the same time, experiments that the person has attempted or seen also come to the surface, with vivid descriptions of new ideas on the issue. This means, I can closely get a fair idea of your point, in terms of extrapolating a solution to a certain problem on a society- wide scale. ‘Mann Ki Baat’is like a mirror to the country & our society. It conveys to us that there is no dearth of inner fortitude, strength & talent within our countrymen. The need of the hour is to synergise those strengths and talents, to provide opportunities, to implement them. ‘Mann Ki Baat’ also tells us that a 130 crore countrymen wish to be, strongly and actively, a part of the nation’s progress. I receive a lot of letters and phone calls in ‘Mann Ki Baat’, but the element of complaint is negligible and I would like to tell you that in the last five years, I have not come across a single instance where somebody has asked for something for personal gain. Just imagine… a person writing to the Prime Minister of the country, but seeking nothing for one’s own self… it is a reflection on the lofty collective demeanour of crores of people in the country. When I analyse this, you can visualise how heartening it must be for me, what a source of energy it is for me. You possibly don’t know that you are the ones who make me walk, who make me run and keep me full of life and zest… this is the very bond that I used to miss. My heart is filled to the brim with joy today. When it was about to end, I had stated that we would meet once again after 3 or 4 months, people assigned a political hue to it, saying ‘Hey, Modi ji is so full of confidence, he is certain!’
The confidence was not Modi’s. This trust was the trust of your foundation. You were the ones who transformed yourself into a pillar of trust. And that is why in the last episode of ‘Mann Ki Baat’, then, I effortlessly said that I would be back after a few months. Actually speaking, I have not RETURNED; you brought me back, you positioned me here and gave me the opportunity to speak once again. With this sentiment, come, let’s take ‘Mann Ki Baat’ forward.
When Emergency was imposed on the country, resistance against it was not limited to the political arena or politicians; the movement was not curtailed to the confines of prison cells. There was an outrage in the conscience of one and all. The collective torment on the loss of democracy was evident. Day and night, when one gets to eat food on time, one doesn’t realize what hunger pangs are. Similarly, in day to day life, it is difficult to savour the joy of democratic rights, unless they are snatched away. During Emergency, every citizen of the country had started getting the feeling that something that belonged to him had been snatched away. If what was snatched had never been enjoyed by that person, ever, it had to eventually precipitate into a painful inner agony. And it was not just on account of the fact that the constitution of India has made certain provisions that enabled Democracy to blossom. Of course, in order to ensure smooth conduct of the social order, a constitution is required… laws & rules are necessary, rights and duties should be part of due discourse. But, India can proudly proclaim that for us, beyond laws & rules, Democracy is embedded in our sanskar; Democracy is our culture. Democracy is our heritage; we grew up, nurturing ourselves on the fruits of that very heritage. And that is why the lack of it can be felt deeply by our countrymen, which is what we underwent during Emergency. And precisely for that, the country sacrificed one full Election, not for her own sake, but for the sake of protecting democracy. Perhaps, nowhere else in the world had citizens voted, without bothering about other rights & requirements, just for the sake of saving democracy. And the country had witnessed one such Election in ’77. Just recently, our country celebrated a mega festival of democracy, a mammoth Election Campaign, from the rich to the poor, all were happily eager in this festival to decide the fate of their country.
When something is in close proximity of us, we tend to underestimate its importance; we ignore even amazing facts about it. We have been blessed with a Democracy so invaluable, yet we take it for granted so easily. But, we must keep reminding ourselves that our Democracy is gloriously great, it flows in our veins, through centuries of Sadhana, dedicated practice, through the sanskar, attributes that have been passed on from generations over, through a collective largeness of the heart. In the 2019 Loksabha Election, India saw over 61 crore voters exercising their franchise… yes 61 crores. We can think of this figure as one ordinary but if I place it in a global perspective, if you exclude China, the number of people who voted in India exceeds the population of any other country in the world. The number of people who voted in the 2019 Lok Sabha Election is more than the entire population of America, close to double the figure. The total number of voters in India exceeds the entire population of Europe. This stands for the sheer size & spread of our Democracy. The 2019 Lok Sabha Election in history by far, was the largest democratic Election ever held in the world. You can imagine the kind of resources and manpower that was required for such a mammoth exercise. Lakhs of teachers, officers & staff strived day & night to make it possible. In order to successfully conclude this ‘Mahayagya’, on the one hand, whereas close to three lakh paramilitary personnel discharged their duty; on the other, 20 lakh Police personnel of various states too, persevered with due diligence. It is on account of these people that this time voting took place on a larger scale compared to the previous Election. For the voting, there were around 10 lakh polling stations, more than 40 lakh EVM machines, over 17 lakh VVPAT machines… you can imagine the gargantuan task! All this was done, just to ensure that no voter was deprived of his or her voting rights. In a remote area of Arunachal Pradesh, just for a lone woman voter, a polling station was created. You will be amazed to know that it took a journey of two days for personnel of the Election Commission, just to reach there… this is honour to democracy at its best. The world’s highest located polling station too, is in India. At an altitude of 15,000 feet, it is located in the LahaulSpiti region of Himachal Pradesh. Besides this, there is another fact pertaining to these Elections, that swells our hearts with pride. Perhaps, this is the first time ever, that women have enthusiastically voted, as much as men did. This time the ratio of men & women who voted was almost the same. Another encouraging fact is that, today, there are a record 78 women Members of Parliament. I congratulate the Election Commission and every person connected with the electioneering process and salute the aware voters of India.
My dear countrymen, you may often have heard me say “No bouquet, just a book”! I had urged all to choose books over flowers in welcome or felicitation ceremonies. Since then, people have been offering books at many a place. Just recently, someone gave me a book entitled ‘Premchand Ki LokapriyaKahaniyan’, popular short stories by Premchand. It was a great feeling. Of course, I couldn’t get much time, but during my travelling, I got an opportunity to read some of his short stories once again. Images of the stark social realities that Premchand has portrayed in his stories vividly start forming in one’s mind when you read them. Each & every element of his writings comes alive. His stories are expressions of human emotions through simple, lucid language… they have touched my heart. His stories embody the collective psyche’, the cumulative being of the country, of the land. While reading one of his stories ‘Nashaa’, I couldn’t help but notice the scourge of economic disparity plaguing society. I was reminded of my younger days… how debates on this subject would carry on through entire nights! The moral of this story featuring the landholder’s son Eeshwari and Beer from a poor family is that if you are not careful enough, you will never know when the bane of bad company engulfs you. The other story that touched the core of my heart was ‘Eidgah’… the sensitivity of a young lad, his unsullied love for his grandmother, such maturity at that early age! When 4-5 years old Hamid comes back to his grandma with a pair of tongs, indeed, it stirs human emotions to their supreme pinnacle. The concluding line of this story makes one very emotional since it holds a vital truth about life, “Young Hamid played the role of aged Hamid – aged Ameena had turned into child Ameena”.
Another such poignant story is ‘Poos Ki Raat’. In this story, the living depiction of the paradoxes in a poor farmer’s life is seen. Halku the farmer is happy even after his crops are destroyed by frost, because now he will not be forced to sleep in his fields in the cold winter. Though these stories were written about a century ago but remain relevant all the same even today. After reading these stories, I felt myself to be empathetic.
Now that we are conversing about reading, then in some extension of media, I had read about the Akshara Library in Kerala. You will be surprised to learn that this library lies in a village nestling within the dense forests of Idukki. A Primary school teacher, P.K.Muralidharan and P.V.Chinnathampi who runs a small tea shop, have between them worked tirelessly for this library. There was a time when the books were brought here stuffed in sacks and carried on the back. Today this library is a beacon guiding tribal children on a new path.
The Vaanche Gujarat campaign carried out in Gujarat was a successful experiment. Participants hailing from every age group in lakhs, participated in this campaign to read books. I will still urge you in today’s digital world and in the time of Google Guru, to take some time out from your daily routine and devote it to the book. You will really enjoy it a lot and do write about whichever book you read on the NarendraModi App so that all the listeners of Mann Ki Baat’ also get to know about it.
My dear countrymen, I am happy that the people of our country are thinking about issues, which are posing a challenge not only at the present but also the future. I was reading your comments on NarendraModi App and Mygov and I saw that many people have written a lot about the prevailing water problem. PawanGaurai of Belagavi, Sitanshu Mohan Parida of Bhubaneswar, Yash Sharma, ShahabAltaf and many others have written about the challenges related with water. Water is of great importance in our culture. Rigveda’sApahSuktam says this about water:
आपो हिष्ठा मयो भुवः, स्था न ऊर्जे दधातन, महे रणाय चक्षसे,
यो वः शिवतमो रसः, तस्य भाजयतेह नः, उषतीरिव मातरः |
Meaning that it is water which is the life force and also, the source of energy. Please bless us like a mother and may your blessings continue on to be showered upon us.
Water scarcity affects many parts of the country every year. You will be surprised that only 8% of the water received from rains in the entire year is harvested in our country. Just and just 8%! Now the time has come to find a solution to this problem. I believe, like the other problems on hand, we can also solve this predicament by the participation of the people, Janbhagidariand their power, Janshakti we are bound to find a solution through the strength, cooperation and resolution of one hundred and thirty crore citizens.
Therefore keeping the importance of water in mind, a new Jalashakti ministry has been created in the country. This will allow faster decision-making on all subjects related to water. A few days ago I tried to do something different. I wrote a letter to the Sarpanchs and Gram Pradhans across the country. That in order to save water, to collect water, to save the very drops of the rainwater, they should convene a meeting of the Gram Sabha and sit and discuss the resolution to this problem with the villagers. I am happy that they have shown exemplary enthusiasm on this front and on 22nd of this month crores of people contributed free labour, Shramdaanacross thousands of panchayats. People in village after village resolved to accumulate every single drop of rainwater.
Today, I want to narrate the story of a sarpanch in the ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme. Come let’s listen to what the Sarpanch of LupungPanchayat of Katakmasandi block in Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand has to say to all of us through this message:
DILIP KUMAR RAVIDAS
This is BirsaMunda’s land, where cohabiting in harmony with nature is a part of the culture. The people here, once again, are ready to play their active role in water conservation. For my part I wish good luck to all the village heads and all the sarpanchs for their dynamism. There are several Sarpanchs across the country who have taken the lead in water conservation. In a way, entire villages have grasped this opportunity as collective responsibility. And it seems that the denizens of the villages have become involved in the competition for raising a ‘water temple,’ in their respective villages. As I’ve said, a collective effort begets massive positive results. There cannot be a single formula for dealing with water crisis across the country. For this, efforts are being made in different parts of the country, in diverse ways. But the goal remains the same, and that is to save water and adopt water conservation.
The drainage lines are being fixed in Punjab. This effort would rid of the problem of water logging. The construction of the water-tank in Telangana’sThimmaipalli is changing the lives of the people of the village. There has been a major change through construction of small ponds in the fields at Kabirdham in Rajasthan. I was reading about the collective endeavour in Vellore of Tamilnadu where 20 thousand women came together to revive the Nag river. I have also read about those women of Garhwal, who are working together on the good work of implementing rainwater harvesting. I believe that many such attempts are being made and we can turn impossible in to possible when we are together and strive with collective resolve. When people will join hands, water will be conserved. Today, through the ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme, I am entreating 3 requests to the fellow countrymen.
My first request is that just like cleanliness drive has been given the shape of a mass movement by the countrymen, let’s also start a mass movement for water conservation. We together should all resolve to save every drop of water and I believe that water is God’s prasad to us, water is like philosopher’s stone! Earlier it was said that by the touch of philosopher’s stone, iron could be transmuted in to gold. I tell you, water is philosopher’s stone and its mere touch creates and regenerates life! Let us start an awareness campaign to save even a single drop of water. In this campaign not only should we focus on water related problems but propagate ways to save water as well. I specifically urge the luminaries belonging to different walks of life to lead promotion of water conservation through innovative campaigns. Whether it be from the world of films, sports, our friends in the media, people belonging to social organizations, people associated with cultural organizations or people involved in conducting devotional congregations such as Katha – Kirtan, everyone should lead this movement in their own fashion. We must wake up the society, unite the society and join the society in this endeavour. You’ll see, we will find change occurring in front of our own eyes.
My second request to the countrymen is to share many traditional methods that have been in use over the centuries in our country for the conservation of water. I urge all of you to share these traditional methods of water conservation. If any of you gets an opportunity to go to Porbandar, the place of birth of revered Bapu, then there is a house behind the house of revered Bapu, where a 200-year old water tank still exists. It is still capable of storing water and has a mechanism to harvest rain water! As I always say that whosoever visits KirtiMandir, should also pay a visit to that Water Tank. And there must be many types of such examples of experimentation in water conservation throughout our nation!
My third request to all of you is that share the information concerning the people who are making significant contributions towards water conservation, NGOs and everyone else associated in the area of water conservation in order to create an intensive database of individuals and organizations dedicated to water preservation. Come let us join water conservation, and involve ourselves in making a list of more and more innovative methods to motivate people to conserve water. You can all share your content using the # JanShakti4JalShakti hashtag.
My dear countrymen, I must express my gratitude to you and to the people of the world for one more thing! On 21st June, once again, Yoga Day was celebrated together with fervor and enthusiasm, there were instances of three-four generations of each family coming together to participate on Yoga Day. The awareness about Holistic Health Care has enhanced the glory of yoga and Yoga day. In any corner of the world, yoga enthusiast welcomes the sun as soon it rises and then there is the complete journey ending with sunset. There must hardly be a place where a human being exists without a bond with Yoga; Yoga has assumed such an iconic form. In India, over the Himalayas, across the Indian Ocean, from the lofty heights of Siachen to the depths of a Submarine, from air-force to aircraft carriers, from air-conditioned gyms to hot desert and from villages to cities – wherever possible, yoga was not just practiced everywhere, but was also celebrated collectively.
The Presidents, Prime Ministers, celebrities and ordinary citizens of many countries of the world showed me on the Twitter how they celebrated Yoga in their respective nations. On that day, the world appeared to be like one big happy family.
We all know that healthy and sensitive denizens are required to build a healthy society and Yoga ensures this very principle. Therefore promotion of Yoga is a great example of social service. Should we not recognize such service and bestow it with honour? In the year 2019, the announcement of Prime Minister’s Awards for excellence in the promotion and development of yoga was a matter of great satisfaction for me. This award would be bestowed on those organizations around the world, whose significant and unique contributions in the promotion of yoga you cannot even imagine!
For example, take ‘Japan Yoga Niketan’, which has made Yoga popular throughout Japan. Japan Yoga Niketan runs many institutes and conducts various training courses. Italy’s Ms. AntoniettaRozzi, has started “Sarv Yoga International,” and popularized Yoga throughout Europe. These are inspirational examples in themselves. If there is a topic related to yoga, then can Indians lag behind others? The Bihar Yoga Vidyalaya in Munger dedicated to yoga from past many decades was also honoured. Similarly, Swami Rajarsrhi Muni the founder of Life Mission and Lakulish Yoga University was also honoured. The widespread celebration of Yoga and honouring those missionaries taking Yoga to the doorsteps of the common folk made this Yoga day special.
My dear countrymen, we’re embarking on a new journey from today armed with new emotions, new realizations, new resolve and renewed vigour. But yes! I will keep on waiting for your suggestions. The process of linking with your thoughts through ‘Mann Ki Baat’ as a medium is a very important and personal journey for myself. Let us keep on meeting and keep on talking. Let me keep on listening to your thoughts, let me keep on understanding and cherish them. Let me sometimes try to live those very emotions. May your blessings remain there for me! You are my inspiration and you are my energy! Let’s sit together and while enjoying ‘Mann Ki Baat’ try to fulfill the responsibilities of life. Once again next month we will meet again for another episode of ‘Mann Ki Baat’. I Thank all of you once again.
Namaskar
My dear countrymen, Namaskar. Of late, News of abundant rainfall has been steadily coming in. At places, we are hearing of rising concerns on account of excessive showers; at some places, people are anxiously waiting for the rains to begin. The vastness and diversity of India, in fact, at times even rains play hide & seek through partiality laced likes & dislikes. But why should we blame the rains! After all it was humankind that chose the path of conflict with Nature and consequently earnt her periodic wrath. And that is why it becomes our collective responsibility… Let us be lovers of nature, protectors of Nature, conservers of Nature… and thus, ensure spontaneous balance in her myriad bounty.
Come to think of it, recently an incident pertaining to a natural disaster attracted global attention, leaving every heart & mind perturbed. All of you must have watched it on T.V… in Thailand a team of 12 teenaged football players and their coach went on an excursion to a cave. Usually it takes a few hours to enter and exit that cave. But destiny had different plans that day. Barely had they entered deep into the cave that a sudden heavy downpour caused water logging at the inlet of the cave. Their exit was completely blocked. Not able to find a way out, they perched themselves a top a mound inside the cave; not for a day or two, but an entire 18 days. One can only imagine the predicament of these teenagers in the face of death, where every second was fraught with danger. On the one hand they were struggling against all odds; on the other, the world over, humanity joined hands in expressing the noblest & the most righteous of human virtues. The world over, people prayed for the safe & secure exit of these children. No stone was left unturned to trace their where abouts, their well-being and their rescue. Their timely evacuation was of a prime concern, since the heavy monsoon would have delayed rescue-attempts by a few months. Anyway, the good news of their safe exit spread a sigh of relief, a sense of inner calm. But I feel like viewing the entire sequence of events from another perspective, i.e, how the operation was conducted! The sense of responsibility & commitment, prevailing at every level was astonishing. The government, their parents, family members, media, citizens of that country, each one of them displayed an awe-inspiring sense of peace and patience. All of them came together as a team to accomplish their mission. I feel the self-control exercised by each one of them in conduct is worth understanding and emulating. It is not that the parents were not aggrieved, it is not that the mothers’ eyes had ceased to be moist. Their patience, their restraint, in fact the calm composure exercised by the entire society is commendable & worth following. During the operation, a sailor from Thailand Navy sacrificed his life. The whole world is be wildered at the way they held on with courage and patience, without losing hope, despite the odds against them in the water-logged dark cave. This proves that when humanity stands together, it creates wonders. What is certainly required is focusing on your goal with a calm & steady demeanour and the will to strive.
A few days ago, the country’s beloved poet Neeraj Ji left us forever. Neeraj ji was blessed with a special quality… it was a combination of hope, faith, a firm resolve and self-confidence. Every word of Neeraj ji’s work can instill a lot of strength & inspiration in us Indians. He wrote
The darkness shall be dispelled
Whether you brew up storms
Or make lightening strike
Now that the lamp has been lit
The darkness shall be dispelled
My heartfelt respectful tributes to Neeraj ji.
Usually, the months of July and August are very important for farmers and the youth. This is the time which is Peak season for colleges. Like Satyam, Hundreds of thousands of youth leave schools to join colleges. Whereas February and March get consumed in exams, papers and answers, April & May are meant for enjoying vacations, followed by results and thereafter, shaping a course for one’s life through career choices. July is the month when the youth step into a new phase of life, where the focus shifts from questions and veers towards cut-offs.
The attention of students steers from home to hostel. Students submit themselves to the tutelage of Professors vis a vis the shadow of their parents. I firmly believe that my young friends must be enthusiastic & happy on the commencement of their college life. Leaving home for the first time, moving out of one’s village, coming out of a protective environment amounts to taking charge of the course of one’s life. This multitude of young people leave their homes for the first time to chart a new direction for their lives. Some students might have joined their respective colleges and some must be about to join. All I would like to say to you is ‘Be calm, enjoy life, seek inner happiness in life. There is no alternative to books, one has to study, yet one’s bent of mind should be towards discovering new things. Old friends are invaluable. Childhood friends are precious, but selecting, making & maintaining new friendships is a task that requires immense prudence. Keep learning something new, such as newer skills and languages. Young people who leave their homes for the sake of studies should discover their new places, know more about the people, language, culture & tourism facets related to them. My best wishes to all the young people about to begin a new innings. Referring to the college season reminds me of someone I saw in the News recently… how Asharam Choudhury a student from an extremely poor family in Madhya Pradesh overcame life’s many challenges to achieve success. In his maiden attempt, he cracked the Entrance exam for MBBS at AIIMS, Jodhpur. His father earns his daily bread by waste-picking. I congratulate him on his success. There are many such instances of students from deprived families who, through sheer determination & perseverance overcame all odds and stood out to be beacons of inspiration to others. Examples such as Prince Kumar of Delhi, whose father is a DTC bus driver, Abhay Gupta of Kolkata who studied on foothpaths under street lights, Bitiya Afreen Sheikh of Ahmedabad, whose father drives an auto rickshaw, Nagpur’s daughter Khushi, whose father is a school bus driver, Karthik of Haryana, whose father is a watchman or Ramesh Sahu of Jharkhand, whose father is a brick-kiln labourer… or Gurgaon’s divyang angel Anushka Panda, who suffers from a hereditary disorder called spinal muscular atrophy… all of them overcame each & every obstacle through their firm resolve and Zeal, attaining success for the world to see. If we look around, we can see many such examples.
Any commendable incident from any part of the country infuses my heart with energy and inspires me. And when I mention the glorious journey of these youth, I am reminded of Neeraj ji’s line which sum up the raison d’etre of life. Neeraj ji has said
How I wish to make the sky listen to
the song of the earth
How I wish to inspire every strand of darkness
to come to the radiance of light
And I wish to conquer the might of the sword
With the fragrance of flowers
And to awaken the mountains
with the Sweetness of songs.
My dear countrymen, a few days ago I happened to glance through a news item, it said- “Two youths make Modi’s dream come true”. On reading further, I came to know how our youngsters put in efforts to transform the lives of the common man by making smart and creative use of technology.
It so happened that once I was interacting with Indian youth in San Jose town of America hailed as a Technology Hub. I had appealed to those young people to think over how could they use their talent to India’s benefit and do something in that direction whenever they found time. I had made an appeal to change brain-drain into brain-gain. Two IT Professionals from Rae Bareilly Yogesh Sahu ji and Rajneesh Bajpayee ji accepted my challenge and made a unique attempt. With their joint efforts, Yogesh ji and Rajneesh ji have developed a SmartGaonApp by utilizing their professional skills. This App is not only connecting the villagers with the whole world but now they can obtain any information on their own mobile phones. Residents of the village Taudhakpur in Rae Bareilly, village chief, District Magistrate, CDO and every one joined in to create awareness amongst the masses. This App is actually bringing in a Digital Revolution in the village, with the help of this App, it has since become easier to record, track and monitor developmental work being done in the village. This App contains phone directory, News section, events list, health centre and information centre of the village. This App is very useful for the farmers and the grammar feature of the App and FACT rate among the farmers functions like a market place for their products. If you look into this incident minutely, one thing will strike you and that is the young man living in America adhering to that country’s life-style and ideology, who left India many years ago but, knows the finer details about his village, knows about the challenges and still is emotionally attached to his village. This seems to be the reason as to how he could develop this App which is most suited to needs of the village.
A sense of belonging towards the village and towards one’s roots and also a spirit to show and do something is naturally there in each and every Indian.
But, sometimes because of time, sometimes because of distance and at times because of situations that spirit gets faded but just with a touch of a tiny spark, everything re-emerges which takes one back to old memories. We should also check if such a thing has happened in our case too whether circumstances, situations, distances have made us alien, whether dust has gathered over our determinations.
Do think.
Santoshji, many – many thanks for your phone call. Actually, Pandharpur Wari is an amazing journey in itself. Friends, Ashadhi Ekadashi, which fell on 23rd July, is celebrated as a day of grand transformation of Pandharpur Wari. Pandharpur is a holy town in Solapur district in Maharashtra. About 15-20 days before Ashadhi Ekadashi warkari or pilgrims start the Pandharpur Yatra on foot. This yatra (journey) is known as Wari and lakhs of warkaris join this. Wooden foot wear or padukas of great saints like Saint Gyaneshwar and Saint Tukaram are placed in a palki and pilgrims begin their pilgrimage chanting “Vitthal-Vitthal”. Pilgrims go to have a darshan of Vitthal who is also known as Vithoba or Pandurang. Lord Vitthal safeguards the interests of the poor, the deprived ones and the ones who are suffering. People from Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Telengana have deep devotion and respect for Vitthal.
Visiting Vithoba temple in Pandharpur and its grandeur, beauty and spiritual bliss is a unique experience in itself. I request the listeners of “Mann Ki Baat” to visit Pandharpur Wari at least once, whenever they get a chance. Innumerable saints like Gyaneshwar, Namdev, Eknath, Ram Dass, Tukaram are relevant even today in educating the masses. They are imparting energy to fight against superstition in each and every corner across the country. May they be compositions like Bharud (Hkk:M) or Abhang (vHkax), we get a great message of amity, love and brotherhood. We get the mantra to enable the society to fight against blind-faith through devotion and bhakti. These were the people who, at times restrained and corrected the society, even showed a mirror and ensured that old evil traditions get eradicated from the society and that people inculcated a culture of compassion, equality and righteousness. Our mother India is a land full of gems and treasures and the tradition of these great saints that adorned our land are at the same level as the great men who dedicated and sacrificed their lives for our Mother India. One such great man has been Lok Manya Tilak who has left a very deep impression on the hearts of a large number of Indians. We remember and pay our homage to Tilak ji on his birth anniversary on 23rd July and his death anniversary on 1st August.
Lokmanya Tilak was full of courage and self-confidence. He had the courage to show a mirror to the British about their wrong doings. The British were so afraid of Lok Manya Tilak that they tried to charge him of sedition thrice in two decades; this is no small thing. I want to narrate an interesting incident to the countrymen which is connected with Lok Manya Tilak and his statue in Ahmedabad. When in October 1916, Lok Manya Tilak ji came to Ahmedabad, more than 40,000 people that time gave him a welcome and during that very visit, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel had a chance to talk to him. Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel was greatly impressed by Lok Manya Tilakji. When on August 1 1920, Lok Manya Tilakji passed away, Patel ji had decided then itself that he would build his statue in Ahmedabad. Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel was elected the Mayor of Ahmedabad municipal corporation and he immediately selected Victoria Garden as a venue for Lok Manya Tilak’s memorial and this was the very Victoria Garden which was named after the British Queen. The British were naturally not happy with this and the collector continually kept denying permission. But Sardar Saheb was also Sardar Saheb after all, he was persistent and had remarked that he might have to give up on his post but Lok Manya Tilakji’s statue would certainly be built there. Finally, the statue got built and Sardar Saheb got it unveiled by none other than Mahatma Gandhi on 28th February, 1929; and the most interesting point is that during that inaugural ceremony revered Bapuji said that with the coming of Sardar Patel, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has not only got a man but it has got the strength on the basis of which, building the statue of Tilakji has become possible. And my dear countrymen, the speciality about this statue is that this is a rare statue of Tilakji in which he is sitting in a chair and in this “Swaraj is our birthright” (“Swaraj Hamara Janma Sidhha Adhikar Hai”) is inscribed right below Tilakji’s statue. And this all happened during the period of British rule. Tradition of publicly celebrating Ganesh Utsav was also initiated with the efforts of Lok Manya Tilakji. The celebration of Ganesh Utsav publicly had become an effective medium in promoting a spirit of social awakening, integration, amity and equality among the masses besides projecting a sense of dedication and festivity in them. This was the period when there was a need for people to get united in the fight against the British; these festivals, by breaking the barriers of casteism and communalism served the purpose of uniting all. Such events gained more popularity with the passage of time. Thus, it becomes clear that our younger generations still care for the brave heroes of our ancient past, its heritage and history. Today, you can see Ganesh pandals in almost every street of various cities. All families in that street collectively organize these pandals. This is an excellent chance for our youth wherein they can learn qualities of leadership and organization and inculcate these in themselves.
My dear countrymen! I had requested last time too and now, while remembering Lokmanya Tilak, I will once again urge all of you to celebrate Ganesh Utsav with great enthusiasm and fervour whole heartedly but insist on keeping these celebrations eco-friendly. Right from Ganesh idol to all decorative material everything ought to be eco friendly and I will appreciate that separate competitions be organized in each city, prizes be awarded for these; and I will like that eco friendly items related to Ganesh Utsav are displayed for wider publicity on My Gov and Narendra Modi App.
I will surely send your ideas and efforts to the people. Lokmanya Tilak evoked self- confidence amongst our countrymen and gave the slogan “Swaraj is our birth right and I shall have it.” Today is the time to say that Good Governance is our birth right and we will have it.
Every Indian should have access to good governance and positive results of development. It is the factoring in of this outreach that will create a new India. After 50 years of Tilak’s birth, on the same day i.e. on July 23, another son of Mother India was born, who sacrificed his life so that his countrymen could breathe freely in an atomsphere of freedom. I am talking about none other than Chandrasekhar Azad. Where will you find a young man in India who will not be inspired listening to these lines –
Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamare dil mein hai
Dekhna hai zor kitna baazu-e-qaatil mein hai
(The desire for martyrdom is now in our hearts
Let us see the strength in the arms of my executioner)
These lines inspired many young people like Ashfaq Ullah Khan, Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad and many others. Azad’s courage and passion for freedom inspired the youth of the day. Chandrashekhar Azad put his life on the stake, but he never bowed in front of the foreign rule. It was my privilege and good fortune that I had the opportunity of going to Chandrasekhar Azad’s native village of Alirajpur in Madhya Pradesh. I had the opportunity to pay homage in Chandrashekhar Azad Park in Allahabad, Chandrasekhar Azad Ji was a brave man who did not wish to die by the bullet of foreigners – he wished to fight for independence as a free man and if he had to die, he wished to remain a free man! This is what was so special about him. Once again, I bow and pay tributes to the two great sons of Bharat Mata – Lokmanya Tilakji and Chandrasekhar Azad ji.
Just a few days ago, in the Junior Under-20 World Athletics Championship in Finland, India’s brave daughter and a farmer daughter Hima Das made history by winning the gold medal in the 400-meter race event. Ekta Bhyan, another daughter of the country, in response to my letter, has emailed me from Indonesia, where she is now preparing for the Asian Games. Ekta in her e-mail writes – ‘The most important moment in the life of any athlete is that when he or she holds the tricolor and I am proud that I could do that.’ Ekta, we all are proud of you. You have brought glory to the Nation. Ekta has won the gold and bronze medals in World Para Athletics Grand Prix 2018 held in Tunisia. Her achievement is all the more special because she has made the imposing challenges in her life the key to her success.
Daughter Ekta Bhyan in 2003, lost the use of half of her lower body due to road accident, but this daughter did not lose courage and made herself all the more stronger to perform this grand feat. Another Divyang, Yogesh Qathuniaji, has won the gold medal in the discus throw in Para Athletics Grand Prix in Berlin and in the process bettered the world record, along with Sundar Singh Gurjar who also won the gold medal in javelin. I salute Ekta Bhyanji, Yogesh Qathuniaji and Sundar Singh Ji, all of you for your fortitude and passion, and congratulate you! May you go further than these successes, keep on playing and keep on blooming.
My dear countrymen, the month of August is significant because it is filled with historically important dates and festivals, but due to the weather sometimes sickness also enters the house. I wish all of you best wishes for good health, for this month of August imbued with the spirit of patriotism and for many festivals that have continued over centuries. We will meet once again for ‘Mann Ki Baat’ next time.
Many Many Thanks.
Namaskar. My dear countrymen, I’m fortunate once again to be face to face with you in the ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme. Just a few days ago, a historic Cricket match took place in Bengaluru. Of course you must have realized that I am referring to the test match between India and Afghanistan. It was Afghanistan’s first international match and it’s a matter of honour for us that this historic match for Afghanistan was played with India. Both teams performed par excellence. Besides, bowler Rashid Khan had performed exceedingly well in the IPL earlier this year. I remember Afghanistan President Shriman Ashraf Ghani’s words on Twitter tagging me along “The people of Afghanistan are extremely, proud of our hero Rashid Khan. I’m also thankful to our Indian friends who created a platform for our players to showcase their skills”. Rashid represents what constitutes the best of Afghanistan. He is an asset to the world of cricket. Then he quipped “No, we are not giving him to anyone!” This match will remain etched in our memories for a long time. Anyway, being the first match, it is naturally memorable, but I will cherish it for a special reason. The Indian team did something that is exemplary to the whole world. What does a winning team do while receiving the trophy? The Indian team, while receiving the trophy, warmly invited the Afghanistan team which had played its first international match to pose together for photographs. This incident exemplifies the very spirit of sportsmanship. Sports is an excellent route to unite society and to showcase the talents & skills of our youth. I felicitate both the teams of India & Afghanistan. I sincerely hope, that in future too, we’ll play with each other with the best sportsman spirit & shine together.
My dear countrymen, this 21st of June, the fourth Yoga Day presented the rarest of sights. The whole world appeared as one entity. In the European Parliament in Brussels, at the UN headquarters in New York, on Japanese naval warships, there were sights of people performing yoga. Saudi Arabia witnessed its first, historic yoga programme and I am told many aasans were demonstrated by women. On the snow capped mountain peaks of Ladakh, Indian and Chinese soldiers performed yoga in unison. Yoga breaks all barriers of borders and unites people. Zealous citizens of hundreds of lands overlooked divisions of caste, religion, region, colour and gender to transform this occasion into a massive festival. If people from the entire world ardently participated in programmes on Yoga Day, why should India not feel elated many times over?
It is a matter of great pride for a hundred & twenty five crore people to witness members of our armed forces perform yoga on land, sea & sky. A section of our brave soldiers did yoga in submarines; some of them chose the snow clad mountainous terrain of Siachen for the same. Our air warriors astounded everyone by performing yogasans in mid sky, some 15 thousand feet above the earth. Spectacular was the fact that they achieved this feat not inside an airplane but while floating mid air. Schools, colleges, offices, parks, skyscrapers, playgrounds came alive- as yoga venues. Heartwarming was an instance in Ahmedabad. Around 750 divyang brothers and sisters assembled at one place to do yoga and thus created a world record.Yogahas broken barriers of caste, creed and geography to unite the people of the entire world, which is the very essence of the real sentiment innate to Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam that we have followed in letter and spirit over centuries. Our Rishis, sages and saints have laid emphasis on certain tenets; yoga has proved them in a concrete manner. I believe that the concept of wellness today is bringing about a revolution. I hope the campaign of wellness through yoga will gain further momentum. More and more people will come forward to make it a part of their lives.
My dear countrymen, many of you have urged me on My gov and Narendra Modi app to mention Doctor’s Day, the 1st of July. You are absolutely right. We think of doctors only during times of distress. But this is a day when the nation celebrates the achievements of our doctors and expresses gratitude for their spirit of service and commitment towards society. We are a people who, by nature, revere the Mother as the equivalent of god since she is the source of our very existence, our life. On the other hand, there are times when it is the Doctor who gives us re-birth. The role of a doctor is not limited to mere treatment of ailments. Often a doctor plays the role of a family friend, a lifestyle guide. They not only cure but also heal. Today, doctors possess not just medical expertise; they have a vast experience on the co- relation between general lifestyle trends and their effect on our health. Indian doctors have carved a niche for themselves in the entire world through their capabilities and skills. Our doctors have gained recognition for their expertise in the medical field, hardworking attitude and the ability to solve complex medical problems. Through Mann Ki Baat I extend my warmest felicitations on behalf of the countrymen to all our doctors, ahead of Doctor’s Day on the 1st of July.
My dear countrymen, as a people, we are truly blessed to be born in this land, bhoomi of Bharat, India. India has had a rich historical canvas. Every single month, every single day in fact, is a marker of one historical event or the other. Every place in India is replete with signposts of heritage. Every place has been blessed with a saint, a luminary or a great, famous personality who has contributed through his sagacity.
Thank you very much for your phone call. It is correct that I am reaching Maghar on the 28th. I am sure you know about Kabirwad in Gujarat when I used to work there, I had organized a National session of people belonging to the tradition of saint Kabir. Once again I have been blessed with the opportunity to visit this Samadhi sthal, this shrine. You must be aware that in eastern Uttar Pradesh, there is a place called Maghar. It is here that Sant Kabir Das ji attained Samadhi. Do you know why Kabir Das ji chose to go to Maghar? In those days it was believed that death in Maghar was a roadblock in one’s pathway to heaven. On the contrary, breathing one’s last in Kaashi was a guarantee for entry into heaven. Maghar was considered unholy but Sant Kabirdas never subscribed to that view. He toiled relentlessly to quell many such superstitions and evil social customs of his times. That is why he went to Maghar and chose to attain Samadhi there. Sant Kabir Das ji, through his verses ‘Saakhis’ and ‘Dohas’ stressed upon the virtues of social equality, peace and brotherhood. These were his ideals. We can feel the essence of these ideals in his compositions. They are relevant & inspiring even in modern times. I quote a doha
कबीरसोईपीरहै, जोजानेपरपीर |
जोपरपीरनजानही , सोकापीरमेंपीर ||
The true saint is the one who recognizes & understands the sufferings of others. Those who do not feel the pain of others are insensitive, uncompassionate. Kabir Das ji laid great emphasis on social cohesion. He was a thinker way ahead of his times. In those days, when the whole world was undergoing strife and degradation of moral values, he spread the message of peace & harmony. He worked towards uniting the populace, bridging their differences.
“जगमेंबैरीकोईनहीं, जोमनशीतलहोय
यहआपातोडालदे, दयाकरेसबकोय”
There will be no enmity in the world if the inner being is at peace.
Compassion should be the universal way of life.
In another doha, Kabir has written.
जहांदयातहंधर्म, जहांलोभतहंपाप
जहांक्रोधतहंकालहै, जहांक्षमातहंआप
Compassion leads to righteousness,
Greed leads to sin.
Anger is sure to devour you,
Forgiveness is a great virtue.
He said
जातिनपूछोसाधूकी, पूछलिजियज्ञान
Never ask a saint his caste or creed;
Ask him about his repository of knowledge.
He appealed to the people to rise above divisions of religion & caste and make knowledge & wisdom the sole basis of recognition. His principles are relevant even after several centuries have gone by.Since we are referring to Sant Kabir Das ji, I am reminded of a doha couplet in which he says,
“गुरुगोविन्ददोऊखड़ेकाकेलागूंपांय|
बलिहारीगुरुआपने, गोविन्ददियोबताय“||
Such is the exalted status accorded to the guru, the teacher. And one such guru is Jagatguru, Guru Nanak Dev. He showed the righteous path of life to millions, inspiring them for centuries. Guru Nanak Dev’s teachings endeavoured to eradicate caste based discrimination prevalent in society. He perceived humankind as one & urged everyone to embrace humanity.
Guru Nanak Devji said that the service to the poor and the needy is service to God. Wherever he went, he took many initiatives for the welfare of the society. The establishment of a kitchen free of social discrimination where a person of any caste, sect, religion or community could eat or what we know as the langarsystem was initiated solely by Guru Nanak Dev Ji. The 550th Prakash Parv of Guru Nanak Dev Ji will be celebrated in 2019. I want all of us to join this great festival with enthusiasm and fervour. To celebrate this festival in the entire Indian society and around the world I also urge you to suggest new ideas, new concepts, and innovations on which we can ponder and make preparations and thus we can also celebrate the Prakash parv as Prerna Parv with great pride .
My dear countrymen! The history of India’s struggle for independence is very long, very vast and is filled with countless sacrifices. There is another chapter of history associated with Punjab. In the year 2019, 100 years of the horrific incident of Jallianwala Bagh will come to a full circle, it was an incident that embarrassed the entire humanity. Who can forget that dark day of April 13, 1919, when abusing all limits of power, crossing all the boundaries of cruelty; theguiltless, unarmed and innocent people were fired upon. How can we remember the completion of 100 years of this horrific event is something we canall give a thought to, but we must also remember the everlasting message that this incident has imparted that is – violence and cruelty can never solve any problem. It is peace and non-violence, renunciation and martyrdom that are triumphant in the end!
My dear countrymen! Mr. Raman Kumar of Rohini, Delhi, has written on ‘Narendra Modi Mobile App’ that oncoming July 6 happens to be Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee’s birthday and he wants me to talk about Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee in this episode of Mann Ki Baat. Thank you very much, Raman ji. It feels great to see your interest in India’s history. You know, yesterdayjune 23, was the death anniversary of Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee. Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee was associated with many fields, but the areas which were closest to his heart were education, administration and parliamentary affairs, very few people would know that he was the youngest vice-chancellor of the University of Calcutta at merely 33 years of age.
Very few people would also be knowing that in 1937, on the invitation of Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore addressed the convocation in Kolkata University in Bangla. This was the first time under British rule that the convocation in Kolkata University had been addressed to in Bangla. From 1947 to 1950, Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee was the first Industries minister of India and, in a sense, helaid a strong foundation for India’s industrial development, he had prepared a solid base, it was he who had prepared a stout platform. The first industrial policy of Independent India, which came in 1948, was stamped with his ideas and vision. Dr. Mukherjee’s dream was for India to be industrially self-reliant, competent and prosperous in every sphere.
He had wanted India to develop heavy industries and also pay full attention to MSME, handloom, textiles and cottage industry. For the proper development of cottage and small industries with finance availability and organizational setup- All India Handicrafts Board, All India Handloom Board and Khadi & Village Industries Board were established between 1948 and 1950. There was also a special emphasis by Dr. Mukherjee on indigenization of India’s defence production, in the establishment of four most successful mega projects- Chittaranjan locomotive works factory, Hindustan aircraft factory, Sindri fertilizer factory and Damodar Valley Corporation and other river valley projects, Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee contributed significantly. He was very passionate about the development of West Bengal. It was the result of his understanding, prudence and activism that a part of Bengal could be saved and it is still a part of India.
For Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, the most important thing was the integrity and unity of India – and for this, at the young age of 52, he also sacrificed his life. Come! Let us forever remember Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee’s message of unity imbued with the spirit of goodwill and brotherhood and remain proactive with all our might for the progress of India.
My dear countrymen! During the past few weeks, I had the opportunity to interact with the beneficiaries of different schemes of government through video call. I got an opportunity to know beyond the confines of the files the changes which are being ushered in the lives of people directly from them. People spoke about their determination, their happiness and their achievements. I believe that this was not a mere governmental programme for me, but it was a unique learning experience and during this time the joy of seeing people’s faces lit with happiness, can be the moment of greatest satisfaction in anyone’s life? When I would listen to the stories of a common man, his guileless words narrating his experience would touch my heart.
In far-distant villages, daughters are providing services ranging from pension to issuance of passport to senior citizens through the aegis of common service centers. Asister from Chhattisgarh collects custard apple and does business by making its ice cream. Like Anjan Prakash in Jharkhand, many lakhs of young besides running the Yuva – Jan Aushidhi kendras in the country are providing affordable medicines in the nearby villages. At the same time a young man from West Bengal desperately seeking a job two to three years ago is now a successful entrepreneur ; And not only this he is providing employment to ten to fifteen people. Whereas young school students from Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Goa are working on an important topic like waste management in their school’s tinkering lab. I just do not know how many such stories were shared with me, there wasn’t a single corner of the country where people did not have a success story of theirs to share with me. I am glad that in this entire programme I witnessed the accomplishments of the common man more than the achievements of the government, of the country’s power, the power of New India’s dreams, the power of the resolve of the new India – this is what I experienced!
There are certain people in society, who find no solace till they do not express their frustrated views, their depressed views and seek ways to divide rather than unite. In such an environment, when the common man comes to you talking about emerging hope, new zeal and events that have taken place in his life, it is not to the government’s credit. An incident regarding a small girl from a remote village too can inspire the hundred and twenty five crore people. With the help of technology, through the video bridge even a single moment spentwith the beneficiaries was very enjoyable, very motivational and provided satisfaction to work more. There is a renewed joy in dedicating your life for the upliftment, and you’re left with renewed fervour and inspiration.
I am very grateful to the countrymen. 40-50 lakh people participated in this video bridge program and imparted me with a new strength. I again want to express my gratitude to you all.
My dear countrymen! I always feel that if we look around us, somewhere or something good always happens. Many good people out there are involved in beneficial work. We can also smell the fragrance of righteousness. In the past, one thing came to my attention and it happens to be a very unique combination. On one hand, where we have professionals and engineers, on the other hand, there exist farmers tilling the fields, our brethren-sisters associated with agriculture. Now you must be wondering that these are two completely different occupations – what is the relation between these professions? But there exists a link, in Bangalore, corporate professionals and IT engineers came along and created an effortless ‘Samridhi trust’ with which they have doubled the income of the farmers by successful activation of this trust. This trust remained associated with farmers, drew plans and made successful efforts to increase the income of farmers. The training to inculcate organic farming while teaching latest agricultural techniques and how to grow more crops along with a single cash crop in the fields was imparted through the professional, engineers and technocrats associated with this trust started giving training to the farmers. The farmers who initially used to depend on the same single cash crop in their fields and that too the yield was also not good begetting lesser profits, today are not only growing vegetables but also marketing their own vegetables and getting good prices through the trust. Farmers producing grains have also become associated with this trust.
On one hand, farmers have a major role in the entire chain from cultivation till the marketing of crops, whereas on the other hand, to make certain the farmers’ participation in reaping profits is an attempt to guarantee their right. A separate seed bank has been created to make good agricultural strains available for reaping a bumper harvest. Women have also been added in this activity and they supervise the work of this seed-bank. I congratulate these young people for this innovative experiment and I am happy that these young professionals, technocrats and others associated with the world of engineering, got out of their comfort zone to make a connect with the farmer, the village, fields and barns.
Friends! Your youth-power is really inspiring for any young person. Many other young people of our country will definitely visit your website and look closely at your work and will also be inspired by how they can be of use in different areas of the social milieu in their area. I once again felicitate the youth of my country for their innovative experiments, some of which I might have got to know, some might have escaped me, some people might or may not be aware of but nonetheless I wish countless people involved in doing beneficial work ,very good luck from my side.
My dear countrymen! It’s been an year when GST was implemented. ‘One Nation, One Tax’ was the dream of the people of this country that has become a reality today. If I’ve to give credit to anyone for successful implementation of ‘One Nation One Tax reform’, then I credit the states of our nation. GST is a great example of Cooperative federalism, where all the states decided to take a unanimous decision in the interest of the nation, and then such a huge tax reform could be implemented in the country. So far, there have been 27 meetings of the GST Council and we can all feel proud that people from different political ideologies have been involved in these meetings. These meetings involve representatives of different states; states which have different priorities, but in spite of all this, all the decisions that have been taken in the GST Council so far have been taken with absolute consensus. Before the onset of GST scheme, there were 17 different types of taxes prevailing in the country, but now only one tax is applicable in the entire country. GST is not only the victory of integrity but it is also a celebration of honesty. Earlier, in the case of taxation and allied affairs in the country, there were rampant complaints of Inspector Raj.
In the GST scheme,information technology has replaced the inspector. Everything from return to refund is done through online information technology. The check post has become extinct after the arrival of the GST scheme and the movement of goods has become faster, which not only saves time but is also accruing benefits in the areaof logistics. GST is probably be the biggest tax reform in the world. The successful implementation of such a huge tax reform in India was successful only because the people of the country adopted it and through the power of the masses, fuelled the success of the GST scheme. It is generally believed that such a big tax reform, in a huge country like ours with such a large population takes 5 to 7 years for effective adoption. However within a year, the enthusiasm of the honest people of this nation, the celebration of integrity in the country and the participation of people resulted in this new tax system managing to create a space for itself, has achieved stability and according to the need, it will bring reform through its inbuilt arrangement. This is a huge success in itself which 125 crore Indians have earned for themselves.
My dear countrymen! Once again, while concluding this episode, I wait most eagerly for the next chapter of ‘Mann Ki Baat’, of meeting you and talking to you. I wish you many felicitations.
Thank you very much.
Namaskar. Through ‘Mann Ki Baat’, I once again have been blessed with the opportunity to be face-to-face with you. I am sure you distinctly remember that for the last many months, a naval team comprising six women Commanders was on a voyage. I want to tell you something about the ‘Naavika Saagar Parikrama’. These six illustrious daughters of India circumnavigated the globe for over more than 250 days on board the INSV Tarini, returning home on the 21st of May. The entire country welcomed them with open arms, with high spirits. They traversed a multitude of oceans, many a sea, over a distance of almost twenty two thousand nautical miles. This was a first of its kind event in the entire world. Last Wednesday, I got an opportunity to meet these daughters and listen to their experiences. Once again, I congratulate these daughters and their spirit of adventure for bringing laurels to the country, for raising the glory of the Navy and significantly so, for conveying to the world that India’s daughters are no less. Who does not know of the sense of adventure? If you view the journey of human evolution, you will notice that breakthroughs in progress have taken birth in the womb of some adventure or the other. There is an umbilical link between development and adventure; the resolve to achieve something, the burning desire to do something unparalleled, the sentiment proclaiming “I too can do it”. The number of such people may be miniscule, but they turn out to be sources of inspiration for millions of others, spanning an array of eras. Recently, you must have come across quite a few notable happenings pertaining to mountaineers attempting to scale Mount Everest. For centuries, Everest has been throwing the gauntlet at humankind. And for long, brave hearts have been responding to the challenge.
On the 16th of May, a team comprising five tribal students of an Ashram School in Chandrapur, Maharashtra- Maneesha Dhurve, Pramesh Ale, Umakant Madhavi, Kavidas Katmode and Vikas Soyam- scaled the world’s highest peak. These Ashram School students began training in August, 2017, covering Wardha, Hyderabad, Darjeeling and Leh-Ladakh. These young boys & girls had been selected under ‘Mission Shaurya’. True to its name, they brought glory to the country with their brave deed of conquering the Everest. I congratulate these young friends and members of the school in Chandrapur, from the core of my heart. Just a while ago, 16 year old Shivangi Pathak became the youngest Indian woman to scale Everest from the Nepal side. Heartiest congratulations, Beti Shivangi.
Ajit Bajaj and his daughter became the first ever father-daughter duo to ascend Everest. And it’s not that only the young are climbing Everest. On the 19th of May, Sangeeta Bahal, aged more than 50, scaled the Everest. There are some mountaineers who have shown that apart from possessing skills, they are sensitive too.
A few days ago, under the ‘Clean Ganga Campaign’, a group from the BSF Scaled the Everest and while returning, removed loads of trash littered there and brought it down. This deed is commendable indeed; it also displays their commitment towards cleanliness and the environment. People have been ascending the Everest for years & many have managed to reach the peak successfully. I congratulate these daredevils, especially the daughters from the core of my heart.
My dear countrymen, especially my young friends, just a couple of months ago, when I mentioned ‘Fit India’, I did not think it would draw such a good response; that a large number of people would come forward to support it. When I say ‘Fit India’, I believe that the more we play, the more we will inspire the country to come out & play. People are sharing videos of Fitness Challenge on social media; they are tagging each other to spread the challenge. Everybody is now getting connected with this Fit India Campaign. People from the film fraternity, from the world of Sports, common citizens of the country, members of the armed forces, school teachers or even those toiling in fields and farms, their rising notes are building up a crescendo ‘Hum Fit toh India Fit’… ‘If we are fit, India is fit’. For me, it’s heartwarming that the captain of the Indian Cricket team Virat Kohli ji has included me in his challenge… and I too have accepted his challenge. I believe this is gainful and this kind of a challenge will inspire us to be fit alongwith others, as well.
My dear countrymen, many a time in ‘Mann Ki Baat’, you must have heard me mention a thing or two about sports & sportspersons. And in the last episode, our heroes of the Commonwealth Games shared with us their ‘Mann Ki Baat’, matters close to their hearts through this programme.
Chhavi Yadav ji, thank you very much for your phone call. It is true that sports & games that were once a part & parcel of every child’s life, in every lane in the neighbourhood, are fading into oblivion. These games used to be a special feature of summer holidays. Sometimes in scorching afternoons; at times after dinner, children used to play with exuberant abandon for hours together, leaving all worries behind. Some games saw the participation of the whole family. Aiming the ball at the crooked column of stone slats- Pitthoo, playing marbles, testing one’s agility in Kho kho, spinning the top, Lattoo, or applying skills in swiftly flicking the tapered- edged wooden peg and hitting it aloft-Gilli-Danda, innumerable games were an inseparable part of each & every child’s life from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, from Kutch to Kamrup. Of course, those games were known by different names, depending on the place. Pitthoo is one such game. Some called it Lagori, at other places it was Satoriya, Saat Pathar, Dikori, Satodiya… one game with many names! Traditional sports and games comprise both varieties… outdoor and indoor as well. The unity, intrinsic to our country’s diversity can be witnessed in these games. A single game is known by distinct names at different places. I am from Gujarat. I known of a game played in Gujarat called Chomal Isto. It is played with cowries or tamarind seeds or dice on an eight by eight square board. It used to be played in almost every state. Known as Chowkabara in Karnataka, Attoo in Madhya Pradesh, Pakidakaali in Kerala, Champal in Maharashtra, Daayaam and Thaayaam in Tamilnadu, Changaa Po in Rajasthan, it had innumerable names. One realizes after playing, despite not knowing the language of a particular state, “Oh! We used to play this game in our state as well!” Who amongst us would not have enjoyed playing Gilli-Danda in our childhood? This is a game that is played across villages and cities. It is also known by different names. In Andhra Pradesh it is called Gotibilla or Karrabilla.In Odisha it’s called Gulibadi and in Maharashtra, Vittidaaloo. Some games are seasonal. There is a season for flying kites. While flying a kite or playing a game, one freely expresses one’s inherent unique qualities. You must have seen many a child, shy by nature, leap up with zest, the moment a game begins. Even children with a seemingly serious countenance start expressing themselves; while playing, the innate child within them comes to the fore. Traditional sports and games are structured in such a manner that along with physical ability, they enhance our logical thinking, concentration, alertness and energy levels. Games are not just games; they teach us values in life, such as, setting targets, building up determination, developing team spirit and fostering mutual co-operation. I recently noticed in a training programme in Business Management, our traditional sports and games being used for improving overall personality development and interpersonal skills. These games are proving to be handy in overall development. And then, there is no prescribed age limit for participating in them. From tiny tots to Grandfather-Grandmother, when we all play these games together then the term ‘Generation Gap’ disappears on its own. At the same time, we also come to know about our culture and traditions. Many games also make us aware about our society, environment and other spheres.
It is a matter of concern, whether these sports & games will fade away to the point of extinction. It will not just be a loss of a game; it will be the loss of the spirit of childhood, something that will exist only in the verses of poetry.
Ye daulat bhi le lo
Ye shohrat bhi le lo
Bhale chheen lo mujhse meri jawani
Magar mujhko lauta do bachpan ka sawan
Wo kagaz ki kashti, wo baarish ka paani
Take away all my riches
Bereave me of all this fame
Snuff out my youth if you so wish
But do return the monsoon that drenched me as a child
The puddles & my paper boats, the magic of my rains.
And we will be forever reduced to listening to this song, hence we must keep our traditional sports alive.It is crucial that today schools, neighbourhoods and youth congregations should come forward and promote these games. Through crowd sourcing we can create a very large archive of our traditional games. The Videos of these games can be shot, outlining the way to play these games along with the mandatory rules and regulations.Animation films can also be made so that our young generations for whom these games played in our streets are something to marvel about, can see, play for themselves and thus bloom.
My dear countrymen, on the 5th of June, our nation, India will officially host the World Environment Day Celebrations. This is a very important achievement for India and it is also an acknowledgement as well as recognition of India’s growing leadership in the direction of tackling climate change.
This time the theme is ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’. I appeal to all of you, that while trying to understand the importance of this theme, we should all ensure that we do not use low grade polythene and low grade plastics and try to curb the negative impact of plastic pollution on our environment, on our wild life and our health. Let us all visit the World Environment Day website ‘wed-india 2018’ and try to imbibe and inculcate the many interesting suggestions given there into our everyday life.
Whenever we face a torrid summer, or floods, incessant rains or unbearable cold, everybody becomes an expert, analyzing global warming and climate change. But does empty talk bring about any solutions? Being sensitive towards nature, protecting nature, should come naturally to us; these virtues should be embedded in our sanskar.
In the past few weeks, we all witnessed that there were dust storms in the different regions of the country, along with heavy winds and unseasonal heavy rains. There was also loss of life and property. These calamities are basically the result of the change in weather patterns. Our culture, our traditions have never taught us to be at loggerheads with nature.
We have to live in harmony and in synchronicity with nature, we have to stay in touch with nature. Mahatma Gandhi had advocated this wisdom at every step of his life. Today when India speaks of climate justice or plays a major role in the Cop21 and Paris agreements or when we unite the whole world through the medium of International Solar Alliance, they all are rooted in fulfilling that very dream of Mahatma Gandhi.
On this environment day, let all of us give it a good thought as to what can we do to make our planet cleaner and greener? How can we progress in this direction? What innovative things can we do? The rainy season is fast approaching; we can set a target of achieving record plantation of trees this time and not only plant trees but also nurture and maintain the saplings till they grow.
My dear countrymen and especially my young friends, you do remember the 21stof June now;not only you and I, June 21stremains a part of the entire world’s collective consciousness. The 21stof June has been mandated and is celebrated as the International Yoga Day in the entire world and people start preparing for it months in advance. The news being received these days is that there are preparations afoot in the whole world to celebrate 21st June as International Yoga Day.
Yoga for unity and a harmonious society conveys a message that has permeated the world over. Centuries ago, the great Sanskrit Poet Bhartahari had written in his ‘Shataktrayam’.
धैर्यंयस्यपिताक्षमाचजननीशान्तिश्चिरंगेहिनी
सत्यंसूनुरयंदयाचभगिनीभ्रातामनःसंयमः।
शय्याभूमितलंदिशोSपिवसनंज्ञानामृतंभोजनं
एतेयस्यकुटिम्बिनःवदसखेकस्माद्भयंयोगिनः।।
[A man whose father is patience, mother is forgiveness and peace as consort, Truth as his friend, compassion as his sister and restraint for brother as family members and whose bed is the great earth, is clothed by the great sky and whose food is only knowledge. Is indeed a Yogi who won’t know any fear.]
Thisobservation expressed centuries ago, straightaway implies that practicing yogic exercises on a regular basis leads to imbibing benefic attributes which stand by our side like relatives and friends. The practice of yoga leads to building up of courage, which always protects us like a father. The practice of yoga leads to germination of a sense of forgiveness in the same manner as a mother has for her children and mental peace becomes our permanent friend. Bhartahari has said that with regular yogic exercise, truth becomes our child, mercy becomes our sister, self restraint our brother, earth turns in to our bed and knowledge satiates our hunger. When so many attributes become one’s partner, then that yogi conquers all forms of fear. Once again, I appeal to all the citizens to adopt their legacy of yoga and create a healthy, happy and harmonious nation.
My dear countrymen, today is the 27thof May, the death anniversary of the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru ji. I render my pranam to Pandit ji. Memories of this month are also linked with Veer Savarkar. This was the very month, the month of May 1857, when Indians had displayed their strength against the British. In many parts of the country, our youth and farmers demonstrated their bravery whilst standing up against the injustice. It is indeed sad that we kept on calling the events of 1857 only as a rebellion or a soldiers’ mutiny for a very long time.
In fact, May 1857 was not only evaluated as a minor historical incident but was also an attempt to dent our self-respect. It was Veer Savarkar who boldly expostulated by writing that whatever happened in 1857 was not a revolt but was indeed the First War of Independence. Savarkaralong with his band of brave hearts celebrated the 50thanniversary of the First War of Independence with great fanfare at India house in London. It is also an amazing coincidence that the month which witnessed the First Struggle for Independence was the month in which Veer Savarkar ji was born. Savarkar ji’s personality was full of special qualities; he was a worshipper of both weapons or shashtra and Knowledge or shaashtras.
Generally Veer Savarkar is renowned for his bravery and his struggle against the British Raj. But besides these sterling qualities, he was also a striking poet and a social reformer who always emphasized on goodwill and unity. A wonderful account about Savarkarji has been given by our dear honorable Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ji. Atal ji had said – Savarkar means brilliance, Savarkar means sacrifice, Savarkar means penance, Savarkar means substance, Savarkar means logic, Savarkar means youth, Savarkar means an arrow, and Savarkar means a Sword! Behold! What an accurate depiction of Savarkar by Atal ji! Savarkar marched alongwith both poetry and revolution. Besides being a sensitive poet, he was also a courageous revolutionary.
My dear brothers and sisters, I was watching a story on TV about our underprivileged daughters of certain slums in Sikar, Rajasthan. Our daughters, who were forced to sift through garbage and beg from home to home in order to earn a living – today they are learning sewing and stitching clothes to cover the impoverished. This is an example where the daughters are stitching ordinary to good quality clothes for themselves and other families. Along with this, they are undergoing a training course in skill development.
These daughters have become self-reliant today and are living their lives with respect and have become a strong support to their families. I wish all these daughters, brimming with hope and trust, a very bright future. They have demonstrated that if you have the desire to do something and if you are determined towards that goal then success can be achieved despite all odds! And this is not only about Sikar, but in every corner of India, you will witness something akin to this. If you observe in your neighbourhood, then you will witness for yourselves how people overcome the difficulties in their lives!
You must have realized that whenever we go to a tea shop, and enjoy tea there, a discussion with some of the customers automatically ensues. These discussions are also political and social in nature, can be about movies, sports and sportspersons or can focus even on the problems of the country – any problem with probable solutions are discussed at length – but often the problems and their solutions remain limited to such animated discussions only.
But there are some people who go ahead with their work, to bring about a change through their hard work and dedication; they make it a reality. Such is the story of D. Prakash Rao, living in the slums of Cuttack, Orissa, who gave up everything of his in order to adopt and realize the dreams of others!Just yesterday I’ve had the good fortune of meeting D. Prakash Rao.
Shriman D. Prakash Rao has been a tea vendor in the city of Cuttack forthe past five decades. A meagre tea vendor; today you will be surprised to know that the lives of more than 70 children are being illuminated through education due to his efforts. He has opened a school named ‘Asha Ashvaasan’, spending 50% of his incomefor children living in slums and hutments. He ensures education, health and meals for all the children coming to this school. I congratulate D. Prakash Rao for his hard work, his persistence and for providing a new direction to the lives of those poor children attending his school. He has banished the darkness from their lives.Who amongst us does not know the Vedic shloka ‘Tamso Ma Jyotirgamaya’! However, it has been put intopractice by D. Prakash Rao. His life is an inspiration to us, our society and the whole country. Your surroundings too must be full of such inspiring happenings. There must be innumerable incidents. Come, let us take positivity forward.
The month of June is so hot that people anxiously wait for the rains, gazing towards the sky for the clouds to appear. People will wait for the moon in a few days from now onwards.Witnessing the moon means that the festival of Eid can be celebrated. After an entire month of fasting during Ramzan, the festival of Eid is a harbinger of celebrations.
I hope and believe that everyone will celebrate Eid with gaiety and fervor and on this occasion children will specially get a grand ‘Eidi’. I hope that the festival of Eid will further strengthen the bonds of harmony in our society. Heartiest felicitations to all of you. My dear countrymen, many thanks to you all. We shall meet once again in another episode of ‘Mann Ki Baat’ next month.
Namaskar
Ladies and Gentlemen
I am happy to inaugurate the World Congress on Information Technology. This event is being held in India for the first time. It has been organized in partnership with NASSCOM, WITSA and the Government of Telangana.
I am sure, it shall be of mutual benefit to investors, innovators, think-tanks and other stakeholders from across the world. I would have liked to be there in person. I am happy, however, that the power of IT enables me to address you remotely.
To all the delegates joining us from abroad: Welcome to India. Welcome to Hyderabad.
On the side-lines of this conference, I hope you shall have some time to explore the vibrant history, and delectable cuisine of Hyderabad. I am sure, it shall encourage you to visit other parts of India as well.
Indeed, India is home to ancient, rich and diverse cultures, through which runs an under-lying theme of unity.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The concept of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam– the world is one family”, is deeply imbibed in Indian philosophy. It reflects our inclusive traditions. IN the twenty-first century, technology is becoming an enabler or this concept. It helps us create a seam-less, integrated world.
A world where geographical distance no longer remains a barrier in collaborating for a better future. Today, India is the hot-spot of digital innovation, across all sectors.
We not only have a growing number of innovative entrepreneurs, but also a growing market for tech innovation. We were and we remain one of the most tech friendly populations in the world. With over one lakh villages linked with optical fiber, 121 crore Mobile phones, 120 crore Adjara and 50 crore internet users,
India is best placed to leverage the power of technology and leap-frog into the future while ensuring empowerment of every citizen. Digital India is a journey bringing about digital inclusion for digital empowerment aided by digital infrastructure for digital delivery of services. Leveraging technology in such a holistic manner was unthinkable some years ago.
We have successfully completed this life-cycle in the last 3 and a half years. This has been possible through a change in public behavior and processes. Digital India has not remained merely a Government initiative, but has become a way of life.
Technology has transcended power-point presentations and has become an inseparable part of people’s lives. While most Government initiatives depend on a Government push, Digital India is succeeding because of the people’s pull.
The JAM trinity of combining 320 million Jan Dhan bank accounts of poor with Aadhaar and Mobile with direct benefits of welfare measures has saved Rupees 57 thousand Crores.
Around 22 million digital hospital transactions across 172 hospitals in India are bringing comfort in the lives of patients. The National Scholarship Portal for easy Scholarships today has 14 million students registered on it.
eNAM- an online agriculture market offering the best prices to the farmers has 6.6 million farmers registered and 470 agriculture markets connected. Digital payments through BHIM-UPI has registered transactions of Rupees fifteen thousand Crore in January 2018.
The unique Umang app launched only three months back is already offering 185 Government services.
Today 2.8 lakh Common Services Centers are there in different parts of the country giving many digital services to people. About 10 lakh people work in these centers, including thousands of women entrepreneurs. In order to leverage the skills & talent of our youth, BPOs have started operating from places like Kohima and Imphal in North East India to areas of Jammu and Kashmir.86 Units across 27 states and Union territories have already become operational and many more are likely to come up soon.
To ensure digital literacy in every house-hold, we have initiated a Pradhan Mantri Rural Digital Literacy Mission to make 60 million adults digitally literate in rural India. Under this10 million people have already been trained.
We have come a long way with the convergence of Make In India & Digital India. From only two mobile manufacturing units in India in 2014, today there are 118 units operational in India, including some of the best global brands.
Government e-Market-place has been developed as the National Procurement Portal of India. It enables small and medium enterprises to compete in meeting the procurement requirements of the Government. This simple IT framework has improved transparency in Government procurement. It has also speeded up procurement processes, and empowered thousands of small and medium enterprises.
Yesterday, at Mumbai University, I had the opportunity to dedicate to the nation, the Wadhwani Institute for Artificial Intelligence. This is an independent, non-profit research institute, with a mission of Artificial Intelligence for Social Good.
A few days ago, in Dubai, at the World Government Summit, I had the opportunity to visit an exhibition on the “Museum of the Future.” This has been planned as an incubator for ideas, and a driver for innovation. I appreciate the pioneers of technology, some of whom are in the audience today, for the work they are doing. They are helping to secure a better, more comfortable future for humanity.
We stand today, at the cusp of the fourth Industrial Revolution. Technology, if used well for public good, can deliver lasting prosperity to mankind and a sustainable future for our planet. It is in this context, that I place the World Conference on Information Technology, in India today.
The key themes at this Conference, reflect the opportunities that await us. Disruptive technologies such as Block-chain and the Internet of Things, will have a deep impact in the way we live and work. They will require rapid adaptation in our workplaces.
Skilling citizens for the workplace of the future is Important. In India, we have launched the National Skill Development Mission to prepare our children and youth for a bright future. We also need to ensure that our existing work-forces able to re-skill, as new technologies emerge.
One of the invited speakers at this event, the robot Sophia shows the potential of new technologies. We need to reflect on the changing nature of jobs, in the emerging age of intelligent automation .I compliment NASSCOM for developing the “Skills of the Future” platform.
I am told, NASSCOM has identified eight important technologies. They include Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality, Robotic Process Automation, Internet of Things,
Big Data Analytics, 3D Printing, Cloud Computing, Social and Mobile. NASSCOM has also identified fifty-five job roles that are going to be in high demand globally.
I am sure, the “skills of future” platform will greatly help India maintain its competitive edge. Digital technology is now at the heart of every business.
New technologies must be embedded in various operations and processes of a business entity.
How can we prepare our millions of small and medium businesses for this transformation, in a short time? Keeping in mind the importance of innovation, in the future of economy and business, the Government of India has launched the Start-up India initiative.
We believe our startups are the key to finding viable and economical solutions across sectors and verticals.
Under the Atal Innovation Mission, we are building Atal Tinkering Labs in schools across India. The objective of this scheme is to foster curiosity, creativity and imagination in young minds.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am sure, that as you deliberate on various themes of Information Technology, you shall keep the interests of the common man at the back of your mind. I once again welcome the distinguished delegates from across the world, to India. May your deliberations be productive?
May the outcomes benefit the poor and the under-privileged across the world?
Thank You.
My dear countrymen, Namaskar. This is the last edition of ‘Mann Ki Baat’ this year and it’s a coincidence that this day happens to be the last day of the year of 2017. You and I shared many thoughts and ideas the entire year. Your steady stream of letters to ‘Mann Ki Baat’, your comments, this exchange between minds always infuses new energy in me. A few hours later, the year will change, but this sequence of our conversation will go on, just the way it is. We will renew this exchange of thoughts on newer topics in the year to come, we’ll share new experiences. Heartiest New Year greetings to all of you. Over the last few days, the festival of Christmas was celebrated across the world with gaiety and fervor. People in India too celebrated Christmas with warmth and cheer. The pious occasion of Christmas reminds us of the great teachings of Jesus Christ who laid much emphasis on the spirit of service, ‘Sewa bhaav’. The essence of the spirit of service can be felt in the Bible too.
The Son of Man has come, not to be served
But to serve’
And to give his life, as blessing
To all humankind.
This conveys the immense significance attached to the sanctity of service. Be it any religion, caste or creed, tradition or colour in this world; the spirit of service is an invaluable hallmark of the highest human values. In our country we refer to ‘NishKaam Karma’, selfless deeds, meaning a service done without any expectations. It is mentioned in our land ‘Sewa Parmo Dharmah’… service is the noblest way of life, ‘Jeev Seva hi Shiv Seva’… Service to living beings is service to god. Gurudev Ramkrishna Paramhans used to cite, ‘serve living beings as if worshipping the almighty. The inference is that the world over, these are shared, common human values. Come, let us remember great men & their ideals; let us be reminded of the essence of holy occasions; let us infuse a new awakening, a new drive into our great value system. Let us try & live, abiding by them.
My dear countrymen, this year was also the 350th ‘Prakash Parv’ of Guru Gobind Singh ji. The illustrious life of Guru Gobind Singh ji, full of instances of courage & sacrifice is a source of inspiration to all of us. Guru Gobind Singh ji preached the virtues of sublime human values and at the same time, practiced them in his own life in letter & spirit. A guru, a poet, a philosopher, a great warrior, Guru Gobind Singh ji, in all these roles, performed the great task of inspiring people. He fought against oppression & injustice. His teachings to people focused on breaking the cordons of caste and religion. In this endeavour, he stood to lose a lot on his personal front. But he never let antagonism raise its ugly head in his path. In every moment of his life, the message of love, sacrifice & peace was palpable. His personality was filled to the brim with the greatest of virtues. I’m fortunate that at the beginning of this year, I got an opportunity to participate in the 350th birth anniversary celebration organized at Patna Sahib. Come, let us all resolve to imbibe & abide by lessons from his great teachings & exemplary life and mould our own life in accordance with them.
The 1st of January, 2018, i.e. tomorrow, in my view, is a special day. You’ll be surprised, since the New Year comes every year, the 1st of January arrives every year! But, when I refer to it as special, I really mean it as special. People born in the year 2000 or later; those born in the 21st century will gradually begin to become eligible voters from the 1st of January, 2018. The Indian Democracy welcomes the voters of the 21st century, the ‘New India Voters’. I congratulate our youth & urge them to register themselves as voters. The entire nation is eager to welcome you as voters of the 21st century. As voters of this century, you too must be feeling proud. Your vote will prove to be the bedrock of New India. The power of the vote is the greatest strength of a democracy. The vote is the most effective tool in bringing about a positive change in the lives of millions of people. And it’s not just about you acquiring the right to Vote. It’s about you determining & deciding the course of the nation in the 21stcentury, your dreams in the India of the 21st century. You too can be the makers of 21st century India and this opportunity comes into being, very specially, on the 1st of January. And today, in this edition of Mann Ki Baat, I wish to speak to our successful young men & women between 18 & 25, all infused with energy and resolve.
I consider them ‘New India Youth’, ‘New India Youth’ stands for aspirations, enthusiasm & energy. I firmly believe that the dream of our ‘New India’ will be realized through the skill & fortitude of these energetic youth.
When we talk of new India then that new India will be free from the poison of casteism, communalism, terrorism and corruption; free from filth and poverty. In the New India everyone will have equal opportunity and aspirations and wishes of everyone will be fulfilled. New India will be a place where peace, unity and amity will be our guiding force. My New India Youth should come forward and deliberate on how this New India would be formed. One should decide one’s own path and also decide a way for connecting along those attached to one and the Caravan should get going. You should move forward and thus should the country move ahead. Right now, while taking to you I got an idea whether we could organize a mock parliament in every district of India? Where the youth between 18 and 25 could sit together and brain storm about new India, find ways and chalk our plans. How could we realize our resolves before 2022? How could we build an India of the dreams of our freedom fighters? Mahatma Gandhi had transformed the freedom movement into a mass movement. My young friends, the need of the hour is that we build up a mass movement for making a magnificent- glorious 21st century India; a mass movement of development, a mass movement to build a capable and strong India.
I propose that a mock Parliament be organized around the 15th August in Delhi comprising one young representatives selected from every district of India who would participate and deliberate on how a new India could be formed in the next five years. How can resolve be transformed into reality? Today, a lot of new opportunities have been created for the youth. Our youth are coming forward in areas like skill development, innovation and entrepreneurship and are achieving success. I wish that the New India Youth get information and details of all these new opportunities and plans at one place and a system be created so that every young person on turning 18 should automatically get to know all this and benefit from it.
My dear countrymen, I had talked about positivity during the previous episode of Mann Ki Baat. I am reminded of one Sanskrit Shloka-
Utsaaho balwaanarya, Naastyutsaahaatparam balam |
Sotsaahasya cha lokeshu na kinchidapi durlabham ||
This means that a man full of enthusiasm is very strong since there is nothing more powerful than zest. Nothing is impossible for a man having positivity and zeal. In English too, it is said, ‘Pessimism leads to weakness, optimism to power’. During the previous episode of Mann Ki Baat, I had appealed to the countrymen to share their positive moments of 2017 and to welcome 2018 in a positive atmosphere.
I am very glad that a large number of people gave positive responses on social media platform, MyGov and the Narendra Modi App and shared their experiences. Lakhs of tweets were posted on Positive India hashtag (#), which reached out to more than nearly 150 crore people. In a way, a wave of positivity which emanated from India spread all over the world. All tweets and responses received were really inspiring. It was indeed a delightful experience. Some countrymen shared those incidents of this year which left a special impact on their minds, a very positive one at that. Some people even shared their personal achievements.
# SOUND BITE #
# My name is Meenu Bhatia. I reside in Mayur Vihar, Pocket-1, Phase- I, Delhi. My daughter wanted to do M.B.A. I needed to take a bank loan which I got very easily and my daughter was able to continue her studies.
# My name is Jyoti Rajendra Waade. I am speaking from Bodal. One rupee per month was being deducted towards insurance premium which my husband had subscribed to. He died in an accident. Only we know of the situation we faced at that time. Assistance from the government helped us a lot and I could gather the strength to stand myself.
# My name is Santosh Jadhav. A national highway has been constructed in 2017 through our village Bhinnar. As a result of this, our roads have improved a lot and business there will surely get a boost.
# My name is Deepanshu Ahuja. I live in Mohalla Saadatganj, district Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Two actions taken by our Indian soldiers deserve a special mention – one was the Surgical Strike carried out in Pakistan which destroyed launching pads of terrorists and the second was the unique valour displayed by Indian soldiers in Doklam. These are without parallel.
# My name is Satish Bewani. We had a problem of water scarcity in our area and we used to depend on an army pipeline for the last forty years. Now an Independent pipeline has been constructed. So, this is our achievement in 2017.
There are a large number of such persons who have brought in positive transformation in the lives of many people through endeavour at their own level. In fact, this is the New India which we are all collectively building. Let us enter into the New Year with such little achievements, begin our New Year and take concrete steps in the journey from ‘Positive India’ to ‘Progressive India’. When we all talk of positivity, I also feel like sharing one experience. Recently, I came to know about the inspiring story of Anjum Bashir Khan Khattak who is a topper in Kashmir Administrative Service Examination. He actually extricated himself from the sting of terrorism and hatred and topped in the Kashmir Administrative Examination. You will be surprised to know that terrorists had set his ancestral home on fire in 1990.
Terrorism and violence were so widespread there that his family had to leave their ancestral land and flee from there. For a young child, such an atmosphere of violence could easily create darkness and bitterness in the heart, but Anjum did not let it be so. He never gave up hope. He chose a different path for himself – a path of serving the people. He overcame the adverse situation and scripted his own success story. Today, he has become a source of inspiration not only in Jammu & Kashmir but for the youth of the whole country. Anjum has proved that however adverse the circumstances be, the clouds of despair and disappointment can easily be cleared by taking positive steps.
Just last week, I had a chance of meeting some daughters of Jammu & Kashmir. I was amazed at the spirit that they had, the enthusiasm that was there in their hearts and the dreams they nurtured. I was listening to them on how they wanted to make progress in various facets of life and, how their lives were filled with hope. I talked to them, there was no sign of despair; there was only enthusiasm, optimism, energy, dreams and a sense of resolve. Whatever little time I spent with these daughters, I got inspired myself. These are the strength of our nation, they are my youth, they are the future of my country.
My dear countrymen, whenever there is a reference to famous religious places, not only of India but of the whole world, it is very natural to mention about the Sabrimala temple of Kerala. Millions of devotees come to this world famous temple, seeking blessings of Lord Ayyappa Swami. It is a huge challenge maintaining cleanliness around such a large religious place where devotees in such huge number come. And especially, since this place is situated in the midst of hills and forests. But, Sabrimala temple in itself is an example to show how this challenge could be converted into a sanskar, a habit and what a tremendous strength public participation has! One police officer P. Vijayan initiated a programme Punyam Poonkavanam and commenced a voluntary campaign of creating awareness on cleanliness. And, he began a tradition that the yatra of devotees will remain incomplete if they do not contribute by performing some physical labour or the other in the cleanliness programme. No one is big or small in this campaign. Every devotee considers doing physical labour in the cleanliness drive as a part of the Lord’s worship. Every morning, there is a uniquely pleasant scene of cleanliness here when all devotees join in the drive. However big a celebrity be, or however rich one might be or however high an official be – each one contributes as an ordinary devotee in this Punyan Poonkavanam programme and becomes a part of this cleanliness drive.
There are many such examples before us. This cleanliness drive in Sabrimala and the contribution of Punyan Poonkavanam in this are so immense that each devotee contributes and participates in it.
Here, a strong resolve of maintaining cleanliness also is as important as the strict discipline observed during worship.
My dear countrymen, all of us made a resolve on Bapu’s birth anniversary on October 2, 2014 to take forward Bapu’s unfinished task of building a ‘Clean India’ and ‘a filth- free India’. Revered Bapu fought for this cause all through his life and made all out efforts. And, all of us took a resolve that on the 150th birth anniversary of revered Bapu, we shall make some contribution in the direction of making Clean India which he had dreamt of. Efforts in the direction of cleanliness are being widely taken across the whole country. A change can now be seen in the form of public participation in rural and urban areas alike. Cleanliness Survey 2018, the largest in the world, will be conducted from the 4th of January to 10th of March, 2018 to evaluate achievements in cleanliness level of our urban areas. This survey will cover a population of more than 40 crores in more than four thousand cities.
During this survey, the matters to be surveyed include freedom from defecation in the open in cities, collection of garbage, transport facilities to lift garbage, processing of garbage using scientific methods, efforts to usher in behavioural changes, innovative steps taken for capacity building to maintain cleanliness and public participation in this campaign. Separate teams will go to cities for inspection. They will talk to the people there and gather their reactions. They will analyse the use of the Cleanliness App and also about bringing reforms and improvements in various kinds of service centres. It will also be observed whether the cities have created a system wherein cleanliness of cities will became public habit, or the city’s habit for that matter. It is not for the government alone to maintain cleanliness. Every citizen and people’s organizations have a big responsibility. And I appeal to every citizen to actively participate in the Cleanliness Survey to be undertaken in the coming days. And take the full onus to ensure that your city should not lag behind and your street or mohalla should not look to be wanting. I am very sure that using blue and green dustbins to collect dry and wet garbage respectively must have become your habit by now.
For waste- collection the principle of reduce, reuse and re-cycle is very effective. Now ranking of cities will be done on the basis of this survey- if your city has a population of more than one lakh, ranking will be done on the national level and if the population of your city is less than one lakh than it will be ranked on regional level. Achieving the highest ranking must be your dream and you should put all out efforts in this direction. Be sure that you do not remain lagging behind in the Cleanliness Survey to be conducted from 4th January to 10th March, 2018. This should become the talking point in every city. And all of you must have a dream – ‘Our city – our efforts’, ‘Our progress – country’s progress’. Let us all, once again remembering revered Bapu and taking a resolve to build a Clean India, put in our best endeavours.
My dear countrymen, there are a few things which appear small but they have a far reaching impact on our image as a society. Today, in this episode of Mann Ki Baat, I want to share one such thing with you. It has come to our notice that if a Muslim woman wants to go on Haj Pilgrimage, she must have a ‘Mehram’ or a male guardian, otherwise she cannot travel.
When I first heard about it, I wondered how it could be possible! Who would have drafted such rules? Why this discrimination? And when I went into the depth of the matter I was surprised to find that – even after seventy years of our independence, we were the ones who had imposed these restrictions. For decades, injustice was being rendered to Muslim women but there was no discussion on it. Even in many Islamic countries this practice does not exist. But Muslim women in India did not have this right. And I’m glad that our government paid heed to this matter.
Our Ministry of Minority Affairs issued corrective measures and we ameliorated this restriction by phasing out a tradition that had been in practice for the past seventy years. Today, Muslim women can perform Haj without ‘mahram’ or male Guardian and I am happy to note that this time about thirteen hundred Muslim women have applied to perform Haj without ‘mahram’ and women from different parts of the country from Kerala to North India, have expressed their wish to go for the Haj pilgrimage. I have suggested to the Ministry of Minority Affairs that they should ensure that all women who have applied to travel alone be allowed to perform Haj. Usually there is a lottery system for selection of Haj pilgrims but I would like that single women pilgrims should be excluded from this lottery system and they should be given a chance as a special category. I not only reiterate this wholeheartedly but it is my firm belief that the journey of India’s progress has been possible due to women-power and on the basis of their talent and we will continue to march onwards on this path of progress. It should be our constant endeavor that our women also get equal rights and equal opportunities just like men get so that they can proceed simultaneously on the path of progress.
My dear countrymen, 26th January is a historic festival for all of us. But 26th January, 2018, will especially be remembered through the ages. The Republic Day will be celebrated with leaders of all ten ASEAN countries coming to India as Chief Guests.
This time, not one but Ten chief guests would grace the Republic Day. This is unprecedented in India’s history. The year 2017 has been special for both ASEAN and India. ASEAN completed its 50 years of formation in 2017 and in 2017 25 years of India’s partnership with ASEAN were completed. On 26th January the arrival of great leaders of 10 nations of the world as a unit is a matter of pride for all Indians.
My Dear countrymen, this is the season of festivals, by the way our country is a country of festivals. There is hardly a day which does not have a festival ascribed to it. All of us have just celebrated Christmas and the New Year is on its way. May the New Year bring greater happiness, glad tidings and prosperity for all of you. Let us move forward with all renewed zeal, enthusiasm, fervor and new resolve. The month of January is the period of the northward movement of the Earth on the celestial orbit around sun and in this month Makar-Sankranti is also celebrated. This is a festival linked with nature. Though all of our festivals are associated with nature in one way or the other, but in our country blessed with the bounty of cultural diversity, there are different ways to celebrate this wonderful episode of nature in different forms. Lohdi is celebrated in Punjab and North-India, while UP-Bihar eagerly await for Khichdi and Til-Sankranti. In Rajasthan, it is called Sankrant, Magh-bihu in Assam and Pongal in Tamil Nadu – all these festivals are special in their own right and they have their own importance. All of these festivals are usually celebrated between 13th and 17thJanuary.
These festivals may have different names, but their origins stems from attachment to nature and agriculture. Felicitations to all of you on the occasion of these festivals. And once again, best wishes for the New Year 2018 to all of you.
I thank you my dear countrymen. We shall converse again in 2018.
Thank you.
My dear countrymen, Namaskar. The mega festival of Chatth, celebrated 6 days after Diwali, is one of those festivals which are celebrated in accordance with strict rituals & regimen. In everything associated with it like cuisine or attire, traditional norms are adhered to. The unique festival Chhath Pooja is deeply linked with nature & worshiping nature. Surya & Jal –The Sun & Water are central to the veneration in Chhath, whereas utensils made of bamboo & clay and tubers are an essential part of the Pooja articles. In this mega festival of faith, veneration of the rising sun and worship of the setting sun convey a message that is replete with unparalleled Sanskar. The world respects & venerates those who rise; the Chatth Pooja bestows upon us the sanskaar to respect & revere those whose setting, whose dusk is imminent. The expression of the significance of cleanliness in our lives is intrinsic to this festival. Before the advent of Chatth, people come together to clean up their homes, and along with that cleansing of rivers, lakes, pond banks and pooja locations, that is ghats, with utmost enthusiasm & fervour. Sun worship or Chhath Pooja is a festival of protecting the environment, ushering in wellness and discipline.
Usually, people shy away from borrowing from others. But in Chhath Pooja, it is specially customary to ask for Prasad after the morning Arghya ritual. It is believed that the rationale behind this tradition is that, it destroys his ego that proves to be an impediment in one’s path of progress. It is natural for each one of us to feel proud of this great tradition of India.
My dear countrymen, ‘Mann – Ki – Baat’ has garnered accolades; it has also attracted criticism. But whenever I look at the overall outcome of ‘Mann Ki Baat’, it reinforces my belief, that it is intrinsically, inseparably woven into the warp & weft of our common citizens’ lives, cent per cent. Take the examples of Khadi and handloom. On Gandhi Jayanti I have always advocated the use of handloom and Khadi. What has it led to? You will be glad to know that on the 17th of this month on the day of Dhanteras, the Khadi Gramodyog Bhavan store in Delhi witnessed a record sale of Rupees one crore, twenty lakhs. You too must be feeling happy with a sense of satisfaction at this mega sale in just one Khadi & Handloom store. During Diwali, Khadi gift coupon sales recorded an overwhelming 680 per cent rise. Compared to last year, the total sales of Khadi & Handicrafts have risen almost by 90%. One can clearly see that today, the youth, the elderly, women, in fact every age group is taking to Khadi & handloom.
I can imagine how many weaver families, poor families, and the families working on handlooms must have benefitted from this. Khadi was Khadi foundation earlier and we talked of Khadi fashion but with my recent experience I can say that after Khadi for nation and Khadi for fashion now, it is becoming Khadi for transformation. Khadi and handloom have transformed the lives of the poorest of the poor and are emerging as a powerful means of empowering them. It is playing a very important role for gramodaya.
Shriman Rajan Bhatt has written on NarendramodiApp that he wants to know about my experience of celebrating Diwali with security forces and he also wants to know how the security forces celebrate Diwali. Shriman Tejas Gaikwad has also written on NarendramodiApp whether there could be an arrangement to send our homemade sweets to the security forces. We also remember our brave security forces. We also feel that our homemade sweets must reach our country’s soldiers. All of you must have celebrated Deepawali with traditional fervour. To me, Diwali brought a special experience. Luckily I got another chance to celebrate Deepawali with our courageous and brave heart security personnel. Memories of Diwali celebrations with our security forces in Gurez sector of Jammu & Kashmir will stay long cherished in my heart. On behalf of all our countrymen, I salute every soldier of our security forces who guard the country’s borders with utmost dedication and a spirit of sacrifice, braving all odds. Whenever we get a chance or whenever there is an opportunity we must try to know the experiences of our soldiers and listen to their tales of valour. Many of us may not be aware that the jawans of our security forces play an important role not only on our borders but they play a very vital role in establishing peace the world over. As UN Peacekeepers, they are bringing glory to the nation in the comity of nations. United Nations Day was observed recently all over the world on the 24th of October.
Everybody recalls the efforts and constructive role of the UN in establishing peace throughout the world. And, we are believers in “Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam” which means the whole world is our family. And with this belief, India has been cooperating very actively in various important initiatives taken by the UN. You may be aware that the preface of the Indian Constitution and the preface of the UN Charter; both start with the words ‘We the people’. India has always stressed on the importance of equality for women and the UN Declaration of Human Rights is a living example of this.
In its initial phrase, it was proposed as ‘all men are born free and equal’ which was amended and adopted as ‘all human beings are born free and equal’ with the efforts of the Indian representative Hansa Mehta. It appears to be a minor change but it reflects a vision of a healthy thought. India’s most important contribution under the UN umbrella is its role in UN Peacekeeping Operations. India has always been extending active support to UN Peace Missions.
Many of you may be getting to know this for the first time. More than 18 thousand Indian security personnel have lent their services in UN Peacekeeping Operations. Presently, about seven thousand Indian soldiers are associated with UN Peacekeeping initiatives which is the third highest number of soldiers from any country. Till August 2017, Indian soldiers had lent their services in about 50 of the total of 71 Peacekeeping operations undertaken by the UN the world over. These operations have been carried out in Korea, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Congo, Cyprus, Liberia, Lebanon, Sudan and many other parts of the world. In Congo and Southern Sudan more than twenty thousand patients were treated in hospitals of the Indian army and countless lives were saved.
Indian security forces have not only saved people in various countries but also won their hearts with their people friendly operations. Indian women have played a leading role in peace keeping efforts. Very few people may know that India was the first country which sent a female police unit to Liberia for the United Nations Peace Mission. And see how this initiative from India became a big source of motivation for other countries too. Later, all countries started sending their women police units. You will surely feel proud to know that India’s contribution is not limited to just peacekeeping operations but it is also providing training to peacekeepers from about eighty five countries. The brave peacekeepers from this land of Mahatma Gandhi and Gautam Budha have sent a message of peace and amity around the world. Peacekeeping operation is not an easy task. Jawans from our security forces have to perform duties in difficult and remote areas. They have to live amongst many different people. They need to know and adapt to various situations and different cultures. They have to mould themselves according to the local needs and environment. While remembering our brave UN Peacekeepers today, who can forget the sacrifice of Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria who laid down his life while fighting in Congo in Africa?
Every Indian feels proud while remembering him. He was the only UN peacekeeper, a brave-heart, who was awarded the Param Veer Chakra. Lieutenant General Prem Chand ji is one among those Indian Peacekeepers who carved a special niche for themselves in Cyprus. In 1989, at the age of 72, he was appointed the Force Commander for an operation in Namibia and he gave his services to ensure the Independence of that country. General Thimaiyya, who had been India’s army chief, lead the UN Peacekeeping force in Cyprus and sacrificed everything for those peace efforts. India has always been giving a message of peace, unity and harmony to the world. We believe that everyone must live in peace and harmony and move ahead to carve a better and peaceful tomorrow.
My dear countrymen, our holy land has given great souls who selflessly served humanity. Sister Nivedita, whom we also know as Bhagini Nivedita, was one such extraordinary person. She was born in Ireland as Margret Elizabeth Noble but Swami Vivekanand gave her the name NIVEDITA. And Nivedita means the one who is fully dedicated. She later proved herself true to her name. Yesterday was the 150th birth anniversary of Sister Nivedita.
She was so impressed by Swami Vivekanand that she renounced her happy- prosperous life and dedicated herself to the service of the poor. Sister Nivedita felt very hurt by the atrocities of the British rule. The Britishers not only made us slaves but they tried to enslave us mentally as well. Constant efforts to belittle our culture and make us feel inferior were on. Bhagini Nivedita ji revived the dignity and pride of Indian culture. She brought the people together by infusing a sense of national-awakening. She travelled to various countries and raised her voice against the mischievous propaganda against Sanatan Dharma and ideology. Renowned nationalist and Tamil poet Subramanya Bharati is well known for his revolutionary poem Pudhumai Penn or New woman and is renowned for his efforts for Women empowerment.
It is said that Bhagini Nivedita was the inspiration. Bhagini Nivedita ji also helped the great scientist Jagdish Chandra Basu. She helped publication of Basu’s research and publicity through her articles and conferences.
This is India’s unique beauty that spirituality and science complement each other in our culture.
Sister Nivedita and Scientist Jagdish Chandra Basu are a powerful testimony to this. In 1899, plague broke out in Calcutta and hundreds of people lost their lives in no time. Sister Nivedita, without caring for her health, started cleaning drains and roads. She was a woman who could live a luxurious life but she dedicatedly worked for the poor. Getting inspiration from her sacrifice, people came forward and joined her.
Through her work, she spread the message of the importance of cleanliness and service to mankind. And, it is inscribed on her grave – “Here reposes Sister Nivedita who gave her all to India”. Undoubtedly, she did so. There cannot be any other befitting tribute to this great soul than every Indian taking a lesson from her life and emulating her.
Thank you for your phone call. First of all, many felicitations to all the children on the occasion of Children’s Day celebrated on the birthday of our first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru ji. Children are the emerging heroes in the creation of new India. Your concern is correct that the diseases which surfaced in old age, or emerged around the last lap of life – have started to appear in children nowadays. It is indeed surprising today, when we hear that children are suffering from diabetes.
In earlier times, such diseases were known as ‘Raj-Rog’ which means diseases that used to afflict only the rich or those who lived a life of luxury. Such diseases were very rare in young people. But our lifestyle has changed. Today these diseases are known as ‘lifestyle disorders.’ One of the main reasons for being afflicted with such diseases at a young age is the lack of physical activity in our lifestyle and the changes in our eating habits.
Society and the family need to pay attention towards this crisis. If you’ll start paying attention to it, you will see that there is no need to do anything extraordinary. You just need to make small regular changes in order to transform your habits, making them a part of your way of life. I would like the family to consciously try to inculcate in children the habit of playing in open grounds. If possible, we can make the elder family members accompany these children to the playground and play with them.
The children can be made to take the stairs instead of taking the lift. After dinner, the entire family can go for a walk with the children. Yoga for Young India. Yoga will be helpful for especially our young friends, in maintaining a healthy lifestyle and protecting them from lifestyle disorders. The practice of Yoga 30 minutes before school can impart much benefit. It can also be practised at home and the specialty of Yoga is that it is easy, simple and accessible to all. I am saying this because a person of any age can easily practise it. It is simple because it can be easily learned and it is accessible, since it can be done anywhere.
No special tools or fields are needed. There are several studies being conducted on how Yoga is effective in curbing diabetes. These studies are being carried out in AIIMS too and the results that have emerged so far are very encouraging. Do not look at Ayurveda and Yoga as a means of medical treatment only; instead of this we should make them a part of our life.
My dear countrymen, especially my young friends, we have been getting glad tidings from the field of sports. In different games, our athletes have made the country proud. In hockey, India has won the Asia Cup hockey title through its dazzling performance. Our players performed magnificently and on the basis of their sterling efforts, India has become the Asia Cup champion after an interval of ten years. India had earlier won the Asia Cup in Hockey in the years 2003 and 2007. I extend felicitations on behalf of the entire nation to the entire team and support staff.
After hockey, good news for India also came in badminton. Badminton star Kidambi Srikanth has filled every Indian’s heart with pride by clinching the Denmark Open title with his excellent performance. After Indonesia Open and Australia Open, this win has completed the triad of the super series premiere title. I congratulate our young friend, Kidambi Srikanth for this feat and enhancing the prestige of India.
Friends, the FIFA Under-17 World Cup was organized this month. Teams from all over the world came to India and all of them exhibited their skills on the football field. I also got an opportunity to go and watch a match. There was a lot of enthusiasm among the players and the spectators. This world cup was a super event where the whole world was watching you. Such a big spectacle, I was astounded to see the energy, enthusiasm, and zeal of all the young players. The world cup was successfully organized and all the teams performed their best.
Regardless of the fact that India could not win the title, the young players of India won the hearts of everyone. The whole world including India enjoyed this mega festival of sports and this whole tournament was both full of interest and entertainment for football lovers. The signs that the future of football is very bright have started to appear. I extend my congratulations and good wishes to all the players, their colleagues, and all the sports lovers once again.
My dear countrymen, a multitude of people write to me about ‘Swachch Bharat’, I feel that if I have to do justice to their feelings then I will have to do the program ‘Mann Ki Baat’ every day and every day ‘Mann Ki Baat’ will be dedicated solely to the subject of cleanliness. Some listeners send photo graphs of the efforts undertaken by children whereas others mention the role of youth in these efforts. Sometimes there is a story of an innovation to bring about cleanliness or winds of change that get ushered due to an official’s zeal.
A few days ago I received a very detailed report highlighting the story of transformation of Chandrapur Fort in Maharashtra. An NGO called Ecological Protection Organization launched a cleanliness campaign in Chandrapur Fort. In this campaign lasting for two hundred days, people performed the task of cleaning the fort, non-stop, without any fatigue and with team-work. Just think Two-hundred-days of continuous labour! They sent me photographs with a caption- ‘Before and After’! I was overwhelmed on seeing these and whoever will see these photographs, no matter how upset he is on witnessing the filth around him, and wondering how the mission of cleanliness will be fulfilled – then I have to tell such people that you can see for yourself the toil, resolve and determination of the members of the Ecological Protection Organization, in these living pictures.
Just on seeing these pictures, your disappointment will transform into hope. This mammoth effort of bringing about cleanliness is a wonderful example of fostering aesthetics, co-operation and continuum. Forts are symbols of our heritage. And it is the duty of all countrymen to keep our historical heritage safe and clean. I congratulate Ecological Protection Organization, their entire team and the people of Chandrapur.
My dear countrymen, we’ll celebrate Guru Nanak Jayanti on the 4th of November. Guru Nanak Dev ji is not only the first guru of Sikhs; he’s guru to the entire world. He envisioned the welfare of all humanity and considered all castes to be equal. He stressed on women empowerment and respect for women. Guru Nanak Dev ji undertook a 28 thousand kilometre journey on foot and throughout the journey spread the message of true humanity. He entered into a dialogue with people and showed them the path of truth, sacrifice & dedication. He advocated the message of equality in society, not through mere words but through concrete endeavour. He ran a LANGAR which sowed the seeds of the spirit of service amongst fellow beings. Partaking of LANGAR together created a feeling of unity & oneness in people. Guru Nanak Dev ji voiced three messages for a meaningful, fulfilling life- Chant the name of the Almighty, work hard and help the needy. In order to convey his ideals, Guru Nanak Dev ji composed the Gurbani. Come 2019, we are going to celebrate the 550th PRAKASH VARSH of Guru Nanak Dev ji. Come, let us try & advance on the path of his ideals & teachings.
My dear countrymen, we shall celebrate the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel ji, two days from now, on the 31st of October. All of us know that he was the one who laid the foundation stone of modern, unified India. We can learn a lot from the unparalleled saga of this great son of Mother India. The 31st of October was also the day on which Smt. Indira Gandhi left this world. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s speciality was that he not only put forth revolutionary ideas; he was immensely capable of devising practical solutions to the most complicated problems in the way. Translating a thought into reality was his forte’. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel took on the reins of weaving a unified India. He ensured that millions of Indians were brought under the ambit of one nation & one constitution. His decision making ability infused in him the strength to overcome all obstacles. Wherever respectful coercion was needed, he proceeded gently. Wherever the use of force was imperative, he did not hesitate. He set a definite goal and moved forward on its path with grit & determination. It was only he who could achieve this task of uniting India. He conceived a nation where everyone was equal. One ideal of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel will always be inspiring to all of us. He had said “No division of caste or creed should be able to stop us, all are the sons & daughters of India, all of us should love our country and we should carve out our destiny on the foundation of mutual love & harmony.
These lofty ideals of Sardar Sahab are relevant to and inspiring for our vision for a New India, even today. And that is why his birthday is celebrated as National Unity Day. His contribution in giving a unified texture to the nation is without parallel. On the occasion of the birth anniversary of Sardar Sahab, Run for Unity will be organized throughout the country, which will see the participation of children, youth, women, in fact people of all age groups. I urge you to participate in Run for Unity, the festival of mutual harmony.
My dear countrymen, you must’ve returned to your respective routines after the Diwali vacation, with a new resolve, with a new determination. May all your dreams come true, my best wishes to you.
Many many Thanks.
My dear countrymen, Namaskar to all of you! It is now a full three years since I started speaking to you over “Mann Ki Baat”. This is the 36th episode today. “Mann Ki Baat” has provided me with a unique opportunity to get connected with various feelings and positive energy of the country; emotions of our people which include their desires, expectations and at times, even grievances, which come to their minds. And I have never said that these are the expressions of my mind; Mann Ki Baat reflects our countrymen’s minds, their expressions, their expectations. And when I say things in Mann Ki Baat, people from across the country send their ideas, experiences and feelings to me. I am probably not able to convey all these to you but still I get a treasure-full of ideas over e-mail, over telephone, over mygov. or over NarendraModiApp. I receive a multitude of such ideas and suggestions. Most of these are inspiring to me.
A large number of these ideas are regarding improvements in the functioning of our government. There are personal grievances and complaints and sometimes attention is drawn to community problems. I just take half an hour of your time in a month but people keep sending suggestions, ideas and other material over Mann Ki Baat during all 30 days of the month. And, the result of this whole exercise is that the government has started realizing the sensitivities and powerful ideas of the people of far off places. And, this is why the three-year journey of Mann Ki Baat is in fact a journey of our countrymen, their emotions and their feelings. I am thankful to our countrymen for having provided me an opportunity to understand the feelings of the common man. In Mann Ki Baat, I have always remembered one sentence of Acharya Vinoba Bhave. He always used to say ‘A- sarkari, Asarkari’, meaning non government is effective. I have also tried to focus on the people of the country in Mann Ki Baat, have kept it away from political hues & tried to remain connected with you with a stable mind rather than being diverted by the heat of the moment or anguish.
I surely believe and feel that now after three years, social scientists, universities, research scholars, media experts would undertake its analysis and highlight its every aspect, positive as well as negative. And I am sure that this brainstorming could be useful for Mann Ki Baat in future and will infuse a new energy into it. And, in one episode of Mann Ki Baat I had said that while having our food, we must also be conscious of consuming only as much as we need and see to it that there is no wastage. But, later, I received letters from all corners of the country. Many social organizations and many youth are already observing this in practice. I come to know about a lot many people who were involved in ensuring that leftover food was best utilized. I derived much satisfaction and joy to learn this.
Once, in Mann Ki Baat, I had mentioned about a retired teacher from Maharashtra Shriman Chandrakant Kulkarni who donated 51 post – dated cheques of Rs. 5,000/- each for the cleanliness drive out of his total monthly pension of Rs. 16,000/-. And then I saw that a lot many people came forward to donate for this cause.
Once, I saw a selfie of a sarpanch with a daughter and referred to the same in Mann Ki Baat. In no time, “Selfie with Daughter” became a big campaign not only in India but across the whole world. This is not only an issue of social media. It became an incident to create a new self-confidence and a feeling of self pride in every daughter. Every parent started feeling that they should take a selfie with their daughter. Every daughter started regaining her own self confidence & self esteem.
I was in a meeting with the Tourism Department recently. I asked people who were planning to go travelling that where-ever they visit ‘Incredible India’, they must send photographs of those places. Lakhs of photographs from every corner of India were received which actually became a treasure for those working in the tourism sector. I’ve experienced through ‘Mann Ki Baat’ that even a tiny incident can launch a massive campaign. Today I felt like sharing it, since I thought that it has been three years, and events & incidents over those three years ran across my mind. The nation is always ready to move in the right direction. Every citizen of the country wants to do something for the benefit of others, for social good, for the country’s progress. This is what I gathered, learnt and understood from our countrymen during three years of the Mann Ki Baat campaign. This is the most valuable capital and enormous strength for any country. I heartily bow to my countrymen.
In one episode of Mann Ki Baat I had discussed about Khadi and Khadi is not a fabric but an idea, a principle. I have noticed that these days interest in Khadi has increased very much and I had just said that I was not asking people to makeover into wearing Khadi permanently; rather, since there are a number of fabrics then why not Khadi also be one of the fabrics of your choice? May be a bed-sheet in the house, a handkerchief or a curtain, it has been felt that the younger generation has got interested in Khadi. Sale of Khadi has increased and as a result of this, the poor man’s household has directly got connected to employment. Discount is offered on Khadi from 2nd October and people get quite a good rebate. I once again urge that we should try and take forward the Khadi movement. We should follow the spirit of helping the poor to be able to light a Diwali lamp. The poor of our country will derive strength from this and we must do it. The increasing interest in Khadi has infused a new thinking in those working in the Khadi sector as well as those connected, in any way, with Khadi. How do we bring in new technology, how do we increase productivity, how do we introduce looms driven by solar power? How do we rejuvenate our traditional heritage which was lying inactive for 20, 25 or 30 years?
Sewapuri Khadi Ashram at Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh was lying closed for 26 years but has got a fresh lease of life now. A number of thoughts were implemented. New employment opportunities were created for a number of people. Khadi Gramodyog revived its training centre at Pampore in Kashmir and in this sector Kashmir has so much to offer. With the reopening of this training centre, the new generation will get a boost in jobs in manufacturing , in weaving, in creating new things and it feels so good to see that even big corporate Houses have started including Khadi items as Diwali gifts. Even people have started exchanging Khadi items as gifts. We now experience how something grows naturally.
My dear countrymen, we had taken a resolve in last month’s Mann Ki Baat and had decided to observe a 15-day Cleanliness Festival before Gandhi Jayanti. We shall connect people through cleanliness. Our Honourable President inaugurated this programme and the country got connected. The old or the young, men or women, city or village everyone has become a part of this Cleanliness campaign now. And when I say “Sankalp Se Siddhi”, we can see for ourselves as to how a Cleanliness Campagin is advancing towards Sankalp Siddhi, that is Attainment through Reslove. Everyone accepts this, co-operates in this and makes a contribution in realizing this. I am grateful to our Honourable President. But, every section of society has taken this as its own campaign, everyone has got connected to this. Whether it be people from the sports world, academicians, schools, colleges, universities, farmers, workers, officers, government employees, police, or army jawans – every one has got connected with this. A kind of a pressure has been created in public places and now people resist if someone tries to spoil or to make a public place dirty in any way and even those spoiling public places are also feeling this pressure. It is a good thing and I am pleased to know that just in the first four days of “Swachhata Hi Sewa Abhiyan” more than 75 lakh people joined these activities with more than 40 thousand initiatives..
I have seen that some people are continuously working and are determined to bring out results. I noticed something else this time – one is that we clean up a place, and the second is that we become aware and do not spread filth; but if we have to inculcate cleanliness as a habit, we must start an idea- based movement also. This time a number of competitions were organized on the theme “Cleanliness is Service”. More than two and a half crore children took part in an Essay Competition on cleanliness. Thousands of children made paintings. They drew pictures based on their own imaginations. Many people wrote poems and these days I post drawings made by our young children on social media and praise their efforts. Whenever there is a reference to cleanliness, I do not forget to express my gratitude to media persons. They have taken this campaign in a religious manner. They have made a big contribution in creating a positive environment and are leading the Cleanliness Campaign in their own ways.
We can see in “Swachhata Hi Sewa” movement as to how the electronic media and the print media in our country can render a big service to the country. Just a few days ago some one drew my attention towards Bilal Dar, a young man of 18 years from Srinagar. And you will be glad to know that Srinagar Municipal Corporation has made him their brand ambassador and when there is a talk of brand ambassador, there is a general feeling that he/she must be a Cine artist or a sports-personality. But not in this case. Bilal Dar got connected to the ‘Swachhata Abhiyan’ or Cleanliness Campaign since the age of 12-13 years and has been working for the last 5 to 6 years. He clears plastic, polythene, used bottles, dry or wet waste – every piece of dirt from Aisa’s biggest lake near Srinagar. He also earns from this activity. His father had died of cancer at a very young age but he connected his livelihood with cleanliness. I congratulate Srinagar Municipal Corporation for taking this initiative towards sanitation and for their imagination to appoint an ambassador for this cause of cleanliness because Srinagar is a tourist destination and every Indian wants to go there; and if such attention is given to Cleanliness it is a very big achievement in itself. And I am glad that they have not only appointed Bilal as their ambassador but also given him a vehicle, and also a uniform and he goes to other areas and educates people about cleanliness and inspires them and keeps tracking them till results are achieved. Bilal is very young age wise but is a source of inspiration for all of us who are interested in cleanliness.
I congratulate Bilal Dar.
My dear countrymen, we will have to accept the fact that history begets history and when there is a reference to history, it is but natural to recall our great men. The month of October is a month to remember so many of our titans. From Mahatma Gandhi to Sardar Patel, there are many great leaders who gave us the direction towards the 20th and 21st century, led us, guided us and faced so many hardships for the country. 2nd October is the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri, 11th October is the birth anniversary of Jai Prakash Narain and Nanaji Deshmukh and Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay’s birth anniversary falls on 25th September. This is the centenary year of Nanaji and Deen Dayal ji. And, what was the main focus of all these great men? One thing was common and that was to live for the country, do something for the nation; they led the people not by mere sermons but by their actions. Gandhiji, Jai Prakashji, Deen Dayalji were such great personalities who remained far away from the corridors of power but lived every moment for the people, kept fighting all odds following the principle “Sarv Jan Hitay – Sarv Jan Sukhay”, they kept endeavouring tirelessly. Nanaji Deshmukh left politics and joined the Gramodaya Movement and while celebrating his Centenary year, it is but natural to honour his contribution towards Gramodaya.
India’s former President Shriman Abdul Kalamji used to speak of Nanaji’s contribution in rural development while talking to the youth. He used to mention Nanaji’s contribution with great respect and he even went to a village to see Nanaji’s work there.
Like Gandhiji, Deen Dayal Upadhyayji also talked about the last person at the farthest fringes. Deen Dayalji talked about the poorest of the poor the deprived, distressed ones and spoke of how, through education, employment or otherwise his life could be transformed. We are not obliging these great men by remembering them but we remember them so that we may be able to foresee our forays into the future and the direction we choose.
In the next Mann Ki Baat, I will surely mention Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel but on 31st October, Run for Unity – Ek Bharat Shreshth Bharat – will be organized throughout the country. There should be a number of Run for Unity programmes in every city, every town and the weather is also such that one would enjoy running – It is essential for developing a will power of steel, like that of Sardar Saheb. Sardar Saheb unified the country. We also have to run for unity in order to promote the mantra of unity.
The element of Unity in diversity being India’s speciality comes naturally to us. We feel proud of diversity but have you ever tried to feel this diversity? I would like to re-iterate to my countrymen, and specially to my young friends that we are alive & aware beings. We should feel India’s diversity, touch it, feel its fragrance. You may see for yourself, that for your inner development also, these diversities of our country work as a big teaching tool. There are vacations, Diwali is drawing near, all around in our country, there is an inclination to travel to some place or the other; people go as tourists and it is very natural. But, it is a matter of concern when we do not see our own country, we do not know about its diversities nor do we understand them. Impressed by mere superficial glitter we have started enjoying touring foreign countries only. You travel around the world, I have no issues but have a look at your own country too. People of North India may not be knowing what all is there in the South! People of West India may not be knowing what all is there in the East! Our country is full of such myriad diversities.
If you refer to Mahatma Gandhi, Lokmanya Tilak, Swami Vivekanand, our former President Abdul Kalamji then you will notice that when they toured around India, they got to see and understand India and they got inspired to do and die for the country. All these great men travelled widely in India. At the beginning of their endeavour, they tried to know and understand India; tried to live India within themselves. Can we make an effort as a student to learn, understand and try to live as per the traditions, culture, attire, eating habits and beliefs of different states, different societies, different groups of our country?
There will be a value addition in tourism only when we travel not only as a visitor but also like a student and make efforts to assimilate, understand & adapt. This is my personal experience, I had a chance of visiting more than five hundred districts of India. In more than four hundred & fifty districts, I had a night stay too. And now, when I am shouldering this responsibility in India, that travel is coming in very handy and proving to be very useful. That helps me a lot in understanding things. I request you too, to feel the “Unity in Diversity” which is not a mere slogan but is a storehouse of enormous energy. The dream of “Ek Bharat – Shreshtha Bharat” is inherent in this. How many varieties of cuisines there are ! If we eat a new dish every day, we won’t have to repeat any variety throughout our life. This is the power of our tourism. I would request that during these vacations do not go out just for a change but leave with the intention to know, understand –& gain something. Internalize India within yourselves. Internalize the diversities of millions of denizens of India within you. These experiences will enrich your lives. Your vision will expand. And, who can be a better teacher than experience!
Generally, October to March is the suitable time for tourism. People travel. I am sure that even this time if you go, you will lend further fillip to my campaign. Wherever you go, share your experiences, share photographs. You must send photographs on # incredibleindia. If you happen to meet people there, send their photos too. Write not only about architecture or natural beauty but write something about their daily life too. Write good travelogues. Send on Mygov. And on NarendraModiApp. A thought comes to my mind, that in order to promote tourism in India what could be the seven best tourist destinations in your state – every Indian must know about these seven tourist spots of his state. If possible, one must visit these seven places. Can you provide some information about that? Can you post on NarendraModiApp? Can you post on #incredibleindia? You see, if all the people of one state will do this, then I will ask the government to do a scrutiny of it and prepare publicity material based on seven common things received from each state. In other words, how can tourist destination be developed keeping public aspirations in mind? Similarly, whatever you have seen throughout India and whichever seven out of these you liked the best and you wish that someone should see these things, or should go there, should get information about them, then you must send photos and information of seven such tourist spots on Mygov. Or on NarendraModiApp. The Government of India will work on that. The government will accept suggestions about making films, videos or preparing publicity material and about promoting that destination. Come, get connected with me. You can also act as a major catalyst in promoting the tourism of our country by utilizing the time from this October to March. I invite you.
My dear countrymen, being a human being, there are many things that touch me too. They agitate my heart. They leave a deep impression on my heart. After all I am also a human being just like you. You might have noticed one recent incident, a unique example of grit, determination and patriotism that was witnessed by all countrymen. The Indian Army has got two extraordinary brave women officers; they are Lieutenant Swati and Nidhi. Their husbands laid down their lives in the service of mother India. One can imagine one’s agonizing mental state if her world gets shattered at such a early age! But Swati Mahadik, the wife of martyr colonel Santosh Mahadik – resolved to face the difficult situations and she joined the Indian Army. She received training for 11 months putting in great efforts and she put her life at stake to fulfill her husband’s dreams. Similarly, Nidhi Dubey’s husband Mukesh Dubey was a Naik in the army and attained martyrdom while fighting for his country. His wife Nidhi also took a resolve and joined the army. It is very natural for every countryman to have a deep sense of respect for these two bravehearts, our Matri Shakti. I convey my heartiest congratulations to both of them. They have evoked a new inspiration and a new awakening among millions of our countrymen. Many congratulation to these two sisters.
My dear countrymen, there is a big opportunity for our younger generation between Navratra festivities and Diwali. FIFA under- 17 world cup is being organized in our country. I am sure reverberations of the spirit of football will be heard all around. It will evince more interest in Football in every generation. There should not be a single school-college ground in India where we will not see our youngsters at play. Come on, the whole world is coming to play on Indian soil, let us make sports a part of our lives.
My dear countrymen, Navratras are going on. It is a time for praying to Ma Durga. The whole environment is filled with sacred fragrance. All around there is an atmosphere of spirituality, an air of festivities, an atmosphere of bhakti, of reverence. This is revered as a festival of Shakti Sadhana. This is also known as Sharadiya Navratri, the beginning of autumn. On this pious occasion of Navratri, I convey my best wishes to our countrymen and pray to Ma Shakti to let our country attain newer heights so that the desires and expectations of all our countrymen get fulfilled. May our nation be blessed with the strength to face any challenge.
May the nation move forward and may the year two thousand twenty two- 75 years of India’s Independence be an attempt to realize the dreams of our freedom fighters, the resolve of 125 crore countrymen, with their tremendous hard work, courage and determination to fulfill our resolve and prepare a roadmap for five years. We have moved on; may ma-shakti shower her blessings upon us. My good wishes to all of you. Celebrate festivities, enjoy with enthusiasm.
Many Many thanks.
My dear countrymen, Saadar Namaskar. When on the one hand, a sense of festivity pervades the land, and on the other, news of violence comes in, from one part of the country, it is only natural of be concerned. Ours is the country of Buddha and Gandhi, it is the land of Sardar Patel who gave up his all for the unity of the nation. For centuries, our forefathers have imbibed community values, nonviolence, mutual respect – these are inherent to us. We have been hearing and saying Ahimsa Parmo Dharmah from our childhood. In my address from the ramparts of the Red Fort, I had said that violence in the name of faith will not be tolerated, whether it is communal belief systems, whether it is subscribing to political ideologies, whether it is allegiance to a person or customs and traditions. No one has the right to take the law into one’s own hands in the name of one’s beliefs. In the Constitution given to us by Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar there is every provision for ensuring justice for each and every person. I want to assure my countrymen that people who take the law into their own handsand are on the path of violent suppression – whether it is a person or a group –neither this country nor any government will tolerate it. Each and every person will have to abide by the law; the law will fix accountability and the guilty will unquestionably be punished.
My dear countrymen, our country is a land of diversities – these diversities are not limited to our cuisine, life style and attire. We observe diversity in every walk of life. Even our festivals are replete with diversity. Ours is arich cultural heritage, spanning thousands of years – when we look at our cultural traditions, social customs, historical events, there would hardly be a day left in the year which is not connected with a festival. You would have noticed, that all our festivals follow the almanac of nature. There is a direct connect with nature. Many of our festivals are linked straightaway with farmers and fishermen.
Speaking about festivals today, I would first like to wish you all michhamidukkadam. The Jain community celebrated the Samvatsari Parva yesterday. In the month of Bhadra, ParyushanParva is celebrated by the Jain Community. The last day of ParyushanParva is observed as Samvatsari. This is indeed a remarkable tradition. The festival of Samvatsari is symbolic of forgiveness, non-violence and brotherhood. It is also known as the KshamavaniParva, and on this day, people traditionally greet each other with, ‘michhamidukkadam.’ We have been hearing in our shaastras, our holy texts, “KshamaVeerasya Bhushanam”, that is, forgiveness is the adornment of the brave. The one who forgives is valiant. And Mahatma Gandhi always said, that forgiveness is the quality of great men.
Shakespeare in his play, “The Merchant of Venice”, while explaining the importance of forgiveness, has written, “Mercy is twice blest, It blesseth him that gives and him that takes,” meaning, the forgiver and the forgiven both stand to receive divine blessing.
My dear countrymen, Ganesh Chaturthi is being celebrated with great fervor all across the country. When we speak of Ganesh Chaturthi, it is but natural to talk about Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav, that is, community celebrations of the Ganesh Festival. This tradition was established by Bal Gangadhar Tilak 125 years ago, and it was 125 years ago that Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav became a symbol of India’s struggle for freedom. And after Independence, this festival has become a vehicle of raising social and educational awareness. Ganesh Chaturthi is a ten-day festival. This Mahaparva, mega-festival stands for unity, equality, integrity and honesty. My heartiest greetings to all of you on the occasion of Ganeshotsav.
The festival of Onam is being celebrated in Kerela. Of the numerous colourful festivals of India, Onam is a prime festival of Kerela. This festival is known for its social and cultural significance. This festival showcases the rich cultural heritage of Kerala. It gives the message of love and harmony – awakens new hopes and aspirations, and gives new confidence to the people. Our festivals are now becoming great attractions for tourism. And I would like to mention to my countrymen, that festivals like Navaratri in Gujarat, or Durga Utsav in Bengal are tremendous tourist attractions. Other festivals of our country too, provide an opportunity to attract foreign visitors. We should think about what more can be done in this direction.
In this series of festivals, Eid-ul-Zuha will be celebrated in a few days from now. Heartiest felicitations and best wishes to all countrymen on the occasion of Eid-ul-Zuha. Festivals are of course symbols of faith and belief; in the New India, we should transform them into symbols of cleanliness as well. In individual households, festivals and cleanliness are linked together. In fact, preparations for festivals always begin with cleaning. This is nothing new for us, but it is important to convert it into a social character. Public cleanliness must be insisted upon not just in our homes but in our villages, towns, cities, states and in our entire country – Cleanliness has to be inextricably linked to our festivals.
My dear countrymen, definitions of being modern are perpetually changing. These days, a new measure to gauge a new dimension, a new parameter, has come in to being. It determines what your upbringing has been, how modern you are, how modern your thinking is. And that measure is your level of environment consciousness. Are your activities ecofriendly, environment friendly or otherwise? It is considered to be unacceptable in society today, of you are not environment friendly. And as a result of this I find that, the ecofriendly Ganpati, in this Ganesh Festival has turned into a huge campaign.If you go on YouTube, you will see that children in every home are making earthen Ganesh idols and are colouring them. Some are using vegetable colours, while some are pasting bits and pieces `of paper. All sorts of experiments are being carried out in every family. This is probably the first of its kind, the most widespread experiment in environment consciousness. Media houses too, are making a great effort in training people, inspiring them and guiding them towards ecofriendly Ganesh idols. What a massive transformation this has been; a pleasant one at that. And as I mentioned, our country is blessed with millions and millions of the brightest of brains. And it is nice to see all sorts of new innovations. Someone told me about a gentleman who is an engineer and who has collected and combined special varieties of clay, to give training in making Ganesh idols. The Ganesh Visarjan or immersion is done in a small bucket of water, where the idol dissolves within no time. And he didn’t stop there. A tulsi, Holy Basil, sapling was sowed in it. The campaign for Cleanliness which was initiated three years ago will be marking its third anniversary on the 2nd of October. And the positive results are now being seen. Toilets have increased from 39% to almost 67% of the population? More than two lakh thirty thousand villages have declared themselves open defecation free.
Gujarat saw devastating floods recently. Many people lost their lives. When the waters receded, there was so much filth everywhere. That is when, in Dhanera in the Banaskantha District of Gujarat, volunteers of Jamiat-Ulema-e-Hind cleaned twenty-two affected temples and two mosques in a phased manner. They came together and toiled collectively. The volunteers of Jamiat-Ulema-e-Hindset a fine, inspiring example of unity for cleanliness. If this committed effort towards cleanliness become inherent to us, our country will certainly take our nation to greater heights.
My dear countrymen, I call upon you to begin a campaign, Swachchata Hi Sewa, Cleanliness is Service, at least fifteen-twenty days prior to Gandhi Jayanti on 2nd October – on the lines of the age-old belief, Jal Seva Yahi Prabhu Seva, Service to Water is Service to God. Let’s create an environment of cleanliness in the entire country. Whenever and wherever possible, let’s look for the opportunity. But we must all come together. We could look at this as preparations for Diwali, preparations for Navaratri, preparations for Durga Puja. Do Shramdan, Donate through labor. Come together on Sundaysand Holidays. Go to settlements in your neighborhood, go to nearby villages, but do this in the form of a movement. I urge all NGOs, schools, colleges, social, cultural and political leaders, people in the government, collectors and sarpanches, to begin creating an environment of cleanliness at least fifteen days ahead of Gandhi Jayanti on the 2nd of October so that it turns out to be the 2nd October of Gandhi’s dreams. The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation has created a section on MyGov.in where after constructing a toilet you can register your name and the name of the beneficiary family, who you helped. My friends from the social media can run a few creative campaigns and thus become a source of inspiration in the virtual world, to see results in the real world. The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation has organized, the Swachch Sankalp se Swachcha Siddhi Pratiyogita, From the resolve of Cleanliness to attaining Cleanliness Competition comprising an essay competition, a short film making competition and a painting competition. You can write essays in various languages and there is no age limit. You can make a short film even with your mobile phone. You can film a two-three-minute movie that inspires cleanliness. It can be in any language; it could be silent too. The best three participants – three at the district level, three at the state level will be given prizes. I invite one and all – Come, join the Cleanliness Campaign in this manner as well.
I would like to reiterate, let’s resolve to celebrate, 2nd October Gandhi Jayanti this year as Swachch Do Aktoobar, Clean 2nd October. And to this end beginning 15th September let us take the mantra, the message, Swachchata Hi Seva, Cleanliness is Service to each and every home. Take one or another step towards cleanliness. Make your effort to be a part of it. You will see how the Gandhi Jayanti of this 2nd October shines. You can imagine the inner bliss of paying homage to our revered Bapu, with fifteen days of this cleanliness campaign, Swachchata Hi Seva, when we celebrate Gandhi Jayanti on the 2nd of October.
My dear countrymen, I want to specially express my indebtedness to you. I want to thank you from the core of my heart, not because you have been connected with Mann Ki Baat, for such a long time – I want to express my gratitude and indebtedness as millions of people from across the country come together with Mann ki Baat. The number of listeners are in crores out of which lakhs of people write letters to me, send messages, and get their messages recorded on phone, which is a huge treasure for me. This has become a great opportunity for me to understand the hearts and minds of one and all. Much as you wait for Mann ki Baat, I await your messages with greater eagerness. I always look forward with anticipation, because I find so much to learn from all that you share. It is an opportunity to test my endeavors on this touchstone. Even the smallest of your suggestions help me in thinking anew on a wide variety of subjects. I therefore express my heartfelt gratitude for your contributions and also my indebtedness to you. My endeavor always is to see for myself, hear, read and understand your thoughts. All sorts of things come to me. Now take this phone call for example. You will be able to correlate with it. You too would feel that, you would’ve committed the same mistake. Sometimes certain things become a part of our habits, that we don’t even realize that we are doing something wrong.
“Pradhan Mantri ji, I am Aparna from Pune. I want to tell you about a friend of mine. She always tries to help others, but one habit of hers amazes me. I went for shopping with her at a mall. She coolly spent two thousand rupees on a sari, and four hundred and fifty rupees on a pizza. Whereas, she haggled for a long time, over merely five rupees, with the auto driver, who took us to the mall. On the way back, we stopped to buy vegetables, and again she haggled with the vendors to save 4-5 rupees. I feel very bad. We spend extravagantly in high places, without a single thought, but when it comes to our hardworking brethren, we quarrel with them over small amounts. We don’t trust them. Please speak about this on Mann ki Baat.”
Now after listening to this phone call, I am certain that you would have been shocked and awakened and would probably have resolved not to repeat such a mistake. Don’t you feel that whenever a vendor comes to your door to sell something, on his rounds, when we come into contact with small shopkeepers, vegetable sellers, auto rickshaw drivers – in fact any person who earns through sheer hard work – we start bargaining with him, haggling with him: “No not so much, make it two rupees less, five rupees less!” And it is us, the same people, who go to dine at a fine restaurant, we don’t even bother to check the bill, we just go ahead and pay the money, without thinking twice. Not just this, when we go to a showroom to buy a saree, we don’t bargain, but when it comes to someone poor, we just cannot resist bargaining. Have you ever wondered what a poor man goes through? It is not a matter of two or five rupees, it hurts him deeply, when he feels that you are questioning his honesty. Two or five rupees make no difference to your life, but have you thought how much heartache this petty habit of yours can cause him. Madam I am grateful to you for calling me with this touching message. I am certain that my countrymen, if they are in the habit of behaving in this way with the poor will now stop doing so.
My dear young friends, the country celebrates National Sports Day on the 29th of August. This is the birth anniversary of the great hockey player, hockey wizard, Major Dhyan Chand ji. His contribution to hockey was unparalleled. I am reminding you of this because I want the younger generation of our country to take part in sports. Sports should become a part of our lives. If we are a young nation, our youth should get manifested in the field sports as well. Sports means, physical fitness, mental alertness and personality enhancement. What else does one need? Sports, in a way, is a recipe that brings people together. The young generation of our country should come forward in the world of sports – and in today’s computer era I would like to alert you to the fact that the playing field is far more important than the play station. Play FIFA on the computer, but sometimes show your skills with the football out in the field. You must be playing cricket on the computer but the pleasure of actually playing cricket in an open field under the sky is something else. There was a time when the children in the family went out to play, the mother would first ask, “When will you come back home?” Now the times are such that children, when they come home, they either start watching cartoons in a corner, or are glued to mobile games. And the mother has to shout, “When will you go out?” How times have changed! There was a time when the mother would demand to know when her son would be back. And today, she demands to know when he will go out.
Young friends, the Sports Ministry is launching a Sports Talent Search Portal to search for sporting talent and to groom them. Any talented child who has an achievement in sports, can upload his biodata or video on this portal. The Ministry of Sports will impart training to selected emerging players. The Ministry is launching the portal tomorrow. The good news for our young friends is that the FIFA Under 17 World Cup is being organized in India, from the 6th to the 28th of October. Twenty-four teams from all over the world will be making India their home.
Come, let’s welcome the young visitors from all across the world with the festival of Sports, let’s enjoy the sport, and create a conducive sporting atmosphere in the country. I speak about sports today, and just last week, a heartwarming incident took place, which I would like to share with my countrymen. I had the opportunity to meet some young daughters, some of who, were born in the Himalayas, who had absolutely no connection with the sea. Six of these young daughters are in the Navy. Their grit and zeal, is inspiring for all of us. These six young women will embark on a voyage across the seas, in a small boat, INS Tarini. The expedition has been named, Navika Sagar Parikrama. They will circumnavigate the globe and return home, after many months. Sometimes they will spend 40 days on the seas in one go; at times, thirty. Our six daughters riding the waves of the high seas, with courage, is the first instance of its kind in the world. Each and every Indian would be proud of these daughters. I salute their valour and I have asked them to share their experiences with the entire country. I too am making a separate arrangement for their experiences on the Narendra Modi App to ensure that you can read it. For this is a tale of heroism, a tale of personal experiences, and I would be happy to bring you the stories of these daughters. My best wishes and blessings to these daughters.
My dear countrymen, we celebrate 5th September as Teacher’s Day. It is the birthday of our former President, Dr. Radhakrishnan ji. He was the President, but all through his life, he saw himself as a teacher. He preferred to live a teacher’s life. He was committed to being a teacher. He was a scholar, a diplomat, the President of India and yet, quintessentially a teacher. I salute him.
The great scientist Albert Einstein said, “It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.” The most important quality of a teacher, is to awaken in his students, a sense of creativity and the joy of learning. As we celebrate Teacher’s Day this year can we come together and take a resolve? Can we run a campaign in mission mode? Teach to Transform, Educate to Empower, Learn to Lead. Can we move ahead with this resolve? Get someone committed to a five-year resolve. Show him the path of attainment, which he can achieve in five years – so that he can experience the joy of success in life. Such an atmosphere can be created by our schools, our colleges, our teachers, our educational institutions. When we speak about transformation in our country, we must think of our teachers as we do of our mothers. The teacher plays a vital role in transformation. In the life of every teacher, there are incidents of simple efforts that succeeded in bringing about a transformation in somebody’s life. We will play a big role in the transformation of the nation, if we make a collective effort. Come, let’s move forward with the mantra, Teach to Transform.
“Pranam Pradhan Mantri ji, I am Dr. Ananya Awasthi. I am a resident of Mumbai and work for the India Research Centre of Harvard University. As a researcher, I have been specially interested in Financial Inclusion. With reference to the social schemes related to Financial Inclusion, my question to you is: In the backdrop of the Jan DhanYojna launched in 2014, can you say that, do the statistics show that today, three years later, India is financially more secure and stronger, and whether this empowerment and benefits have percolated down to our women, farmers and workers, in villages and small towns. Thank you.”
My dear countrymen, the Pradhan Mantri Jan DhanYojna, financial inclusion, had been a point of discussion amongst Financial Pundits, not just in India, but all over the world. On the 28th of August 2014, we had launched this campaign with a dream in our hearts. Tomorrow on the 28th of August, the Pradhan Mantri Jan DhanYojna will complete three years. Thirty crore new families have been linked to this scheme, bank accounts have been opened. This number is larger than the population of many countries of the world. And today I feel a great sense of fulfilment, that within three years, the last man on the fringes of society has become a part of the mainstream economy of the country. His ways have changed, he has now started going to the bank. He has started saving his money. He feels financially secure. When there is cash in the hand, or in the pocket or at home, one is tempted to indulge in wasteful expenditure. There is now an air of prudence. He is now beginning to understand that the money can be of use for his children. The money can be used productively in the days to come. Not just this, when a poor person sees a RuPay Card, in his pocket, he finds himself to be equal to the privileged – that if they have a credit card in their pockets, I too have a RuPay Card in mind. He feels a sense of dignity.
In the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna, almost 65 thousand crore rupees have deposited in banks by our underprivileged brethren. In a way, this is a saving for the poor, this is his empowerment for the future. And those who opened their accounts under the Pradhan Mantri Jan DhanYojna, have received the benefit of insurance as well. Schemes like, Pradhan Mantri Jeewan Jyoti Bima Yojna, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojna, with a small premium of one rupee or thirty rupees, are giving a new sense of confidence to the poor. For many families, in times of adversity, or on the demise of the head of the family, through the one-rupee insurance, they received two lakh rupees in a matter of days. Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojna, Start Up Yojna, Stand Up Yojna – for Dalits, Adivasis, women, educated youth, youth who want to stand on their own feet – for millions and millions through Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojna, they have been able to get loans from banks without any guarantee. They have been able to stand on their own feet and have succeeded in giving employment to one or two other people as well. Banks have conducted surveys about how the common man has benefitted from Jan DhanYojna, from Insurance Schemes, from RuPay Card and Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojna. I recently met a few bankers, who shared inspiring stories from their survey. There isn’t enough time today, but I would certainly like request the bankers to upload these inspiring stories, on MyGov.in, so that people can read them and be inspired by how a scheme can bring about transformation in the life of a person, how it can bring a new energy, a new confidence – hundreds of examples have come before me. I will try my best to bring these to you; and the media can also take advantage of these inspiring stories. They too, can interview such people, and inspire the young generation.
My dear countrymen, once again, I wish you “michchamidukkadm.” Thank you very much.
My Dear Countrymen. Namaskar. The weather is changing. It has been extremely hot this year. But it is good that the monsoon is moving ahead on schedule on its natural course. The weather has become pleasant in several parts of the country with abundant showers. As a result of the rains, the cool breeze has brought about some respite from the oppressive heat of past few days. One has seen that no matter how hectic the life is, no matter how tense we are, whether its one’s personal or public life, the arrival of the rains does lift one’s spirits.
The Car festival of Lord Jagannath, the Rath Yatra, is being celebrated in several parts of the country with great piety and fervour. This festival is now also celebrated in some parts of the world. The underprivileged of the country are deeply connected to Lord Jagannath. Those who have studied the life and works of Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar, would have observed that he had wholeheartedly praised the Lord Jagannath temple and its traditions, since, social justice and social equality were inherent to these. Lord Jagannath is the God of the poor. But few would know that in English, there is a word, ‘juggernaut’ which means, a magnificent chariot, that is unstoppable. In the dictionary, the etymology of the word ‘juggernaut’ traces its roots to the chariot of Lord Jagannath. And therefore, we can observe that the world has in its own way accepted the significance of the Car Festival of Lord Jagannath, The Rath Yatra. On the occasion of Lord Jagannath’s Car Festival, I extend my heartiest greetings to all my fellow countrymen, and offer my obeisance to Lord Jagannath.
India’s diversity is its unique characteristic, and India’s diversity is also its strength. The holy month of Ramzan is observed all across, in prayer with piety. And now the festival of Eid is here. On the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr, my heartiest greetings to one and all. Ramzan is a month of charity, and sharing joy. The more you share joy, the more it multiplies. Let us come together and take inspiration from these holy festivals and share their joyous treasures, and take the nation forward.
In this holy month of Ramzan, I came across a very inspiring incident at Mubarakpur village of Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh. About three and a half thousand families of our Muslim brethren reside in that little village and in a way, form a majority of its population. During this Ramzan the villagers decided to get together and construct toilets. Now, to construct these household toilets, the government gives financial assistance, under which, they were provided a sum of 17 lakh rupees. You will be pleasantly surprised and happy to know that, during this holy month of Ramzan, these Muslim brothers and sisters, returned this money to the government, saying, they would construct these toilets with their own labour and their own money; and that this sum of 17 lakh rupees be used for providing other facilities in the village. I felicitate the residents of Mubarakpur, for transforming the pious occasion of Ramzan into an opportunity for the welfare of society on. Each and everything about them is inspiring. And the most important of it all is that they have freed Mubarakpur of the scourge of open defecation. We know that in our country there are three states that have already been declared Open Defecation Free states, that is, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh and Kerala. Uttarakhand and Haryana have also been declared ODF, this week. I express my gratitude to the administration, government and especially the people of these five states, for achieving this objective.
We know very well, that tremendous hard work is required to achieve anything worthwhile, whether it is in one’s own life or for the society. If we have bad handwriting, and we want to improve it, we have to consciously practice for a long time. Only then will the habit of the body and mind will change. Cleanliness is also similar to this. These bad habits have become a part of our nature. We have become accustomed to them. To free ourselves of these habits we will have to constantly strive and persevere. Everyone’s attention will have to be drawn. We will have to repeatedly remind ourselves of good inspirational incidents. And I’m happy to see that cleanliness is no longer confined to being a government programme. It is getting transformed into a movement by the society and the people. And when government functionaries take this initiative forward with the participation of the masses, it becomes even stronger.
Recently I came across a wonderful incident, which I would like to share with you. This happened in the Vizianagaram District of Andhra Pradesh. The district administration there undertook a huge task with people’s participation. From 6 a.m. on the 10th of March, till 10 am of the 14th of March. A hundred-hour non-stop campaign. And what was the objective? To construct 10,000 household toilets in 71 gram panchayats in those hundred hours. And my Dear Countrymen, you will be happy to learn that the administration and the people together did construct 10,000 toilets in hundred hours successfully. 71 villages became ODF. I congratulate the people in the government, government officials and the citizens of Vizianagaram district on this great accomplishment of achieving this feat through immense hard work and setting a very inspiring example in the process.
These days, people have been regularly sending their suggestions for ‘Mann Ki Baat’, on the NarendraModiApp, on MyGov.in, through letters and Akashvani.
Shri Prakash Tripathi reminiscing about the Emergency, has written, presenting 25thof June as a Dark period in the history of Democracy. Prakash Tripathi ji’s commitment to democracy is praiseworthy. Not only is Democracy a system, but also a ‘sanskar’- a part of our ethos. Eternal Vigilance is the Price of Liberty. One needs to be constantly alert about our Democracy, that is why we must also keep remembering the events that inflicted harm upon our democracy; and at the same time move ahead, carrying forward the virtues of democracy. 1975 – 25th June – it was a dark night that no devotee of democracy can ever forget. No Indian can ever forget. The country had virtually become a prison. The voice of the opposition had been smothered. Several prominent leaders including Jai Prakash Narayan had been jailed. The judicial system too could not escape the sinister shadows of the Emergency. The press was completely muffled. The present-day students of journalism and the champions of democracy have been endeavouring towards raising awareness about that dark period, by constant reminders, and should continue to do so. Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji was also in jail at that time. After one year of Emergency, Atal ji wrote a poem, in which he describes the state of mind during those turbulent times.
The scorching summer month,
The sad winter moonlight,
The sobbing monsoon,
An emptiness pervading within
An entire year has gone by.
The world confined behind bars,
But the soul like a restless bird
The freedom song resonates
From the earth to the sky,
An entire year has gone by.
The eyes are in anticipation
Counting days and moments
The beloved who went away,
Shall return one day,
An entire year has gone by.
The believers of democracy fought a prolonged war, and the great nation that India is, where the spirit of democracy pervades the very being of all its people, the strength of that spirit was demonstrated when the opportunity of elections came. We have to further fortify that legacy.
My dear countrymen, every Indian today, is proud and holds his head high. 21st June 2017 – Yoga has permeated the entire world. From the seashores to the mountains, people welcomed the first rays of the sun, with Yoga. Which Indian wouldn’t be proud of this! It isn’t as if Yoga didn’t exist before, but now the threads of Yoga have bound everyone together, and have become the means to unite the world. Almost all the countries in the world made Yoga Day their own. In China, Yoga was practiced on the Great Wall of China, and on the World Heritage site of Machu Picchu in Peru, at 2400 metres above sea level. In France, yoga was performed in the vicinity of the Eiffel Tower. In Abu Dhabi in UAE, more than 4000 persons participated in mass yoga. In Herat, in Afghanistan, on the India Afghan Friendship Dam, Salma Dam, Yoga added a new aspect to India’s friendship. In a small country like Singapore, programs were organised in 70 places, with a week long campaign. On the occasion of International Day of Yoga, the UN released ten stamps. A ‘Yoga Session with Yoga Masters’ was organised at the UN headquarters. The staff of the UN and diplomats from across the world participated.
Yoga has created a world record again this time also. In Ahmedabad in Gujarat, around 55 thousand people performed Yoga together and created a new world record. I too had the opportunity to participate in the Yoga event held in Lucknow. But I also had the good fortune to practice Yoga in the rain for the first time. Our soldiers practiced yoga in Siachen where temperatures reach minus 20, 25, 40 degrees. Whether it is our armed forces, or the BSF, ITBP, CRPF and CISF, each one of them, apart from their duties has made Yoga a part of their lives. On this Yoga Day, since this was the third International Day of Yoga, I had asked you to share photos of three generations of the family doing yoga together. Some TV channels also took this idea forward. I received a lot of photographs out of which, selected photographs are compiled and uploaded on the NarendraModiApp. One significant outcome of the way the yoga is being talked about all around the world is the portent that today’s health conscious society is now taking steps from fitness to wellness, and they have realised that fitness is, of course, important, but for true wellness, yoga is the best way.
Sound bite.
“Respected Prime Minister Sir, I am Dr. Anil Sonara speaking from Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Sir, I have a question. Recently in Kerala, we heard you speak about replacing bouquets that we give as gifts, with good books as mementos. You had started this practice while you were in office in Gujarat, Sir, but in the recent days we have not been seeing much of this. So, can we do something about it? Is there nothing we can do to have this implemented throughout the country, Sir?”
Recently, I had the opportunity to go to one of my favorite events. A very good programme is being run in Kerala for the past few years, by the P.N. Panicker Foundation, which encourages people to cultivate the habit of reading books and to enhance their awareness towards this, by organising celebrations such as ‘Reading Day’, and ‘Reading Month’. I had the opportunity to go for the inaugural function, where I was told that instead of bouquets, they gift books. I liked it. Thus I was also reminded of what had slipped my mind. Because when I was in Gujarat, I had set this tradition of welcoming, by not giving bouquets, but books or handkerchiefs instead. And that too, a ‘Khadi’ handkerchief, so that it promotes ‘Khadi’. Till the time I was in Gujarat, this habit had been ingrained in us, but after coming here, I had lost that habit. When I went to Kerala, it was rekindled. I have already begun to issue instructions in the government. Here too we can gradually nurture this habit. And the life span of a bouquet is very short. You receive it in your hand for a moment and then abandon it. But when you present a book, it becomes a part of the household, a part of the family. One can also use a ‘Khadi’ handkerchief to welcome people, and be a support to the innumerable underprivileged. The expenses are reduced as well, and the gift is well utilized too. I say this, thinking of the historical value of such gifts. During my past UK visit, in London, the Queen of Britain, Queen Elizabeth had invited me to dine with her. The atmosphere was imbued with maternal warmth, and I was served with great affection. Afterwards when she showed me a small thread-spun khadi handkerchief, her eyes lit up. With great respect and in an emotion filled voice, she said, that Mahatma Gandhi had sent this handkerchief to her as a wedding gift. So many years have passed and yet, Queen Elizabeth has treasured the handkerchief gifted by Mahatma Gandhi. And she was happy to show it to me, when I went there. As I gazed at it, the Queen encouraged me to touch it. A small gift by Mahatma Gandhi, has become a part of her life and a part of history. I know that these habits do not change overnight, and when we talk about it, we invite criticism. Despite that, one should keep talking about it, and keep making the effort. Now, I cannot say that if I go somewhere and somebody brings a bouquet I will refuse it. No, I won’t do that, but we will talk about it even though there is criticism, and then gradually, the change will happen.
My dear countrymen, as Prime Minister, there are numerous tasks to be handled. I have to remain deeply absorbed in files, but for my own self, I have developed a habit of reading daily, at least a few of the letters I receive and because of that I get a chance to connect with the common man. I get a variety of letters, written by all sorts of people. Recently, I had the opportunity to read a letter, which I feel, I should share with you. From the far south, in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, Arulmozhi Sarvanan, a housewife, sent me a letter. And what was in that letter? She wrote, that she thought about engaging in some economic activity keeping in mind her responsibilities such as children’s education, to lend some financial assistance to her family. She got some money from the bank, under the ‘Mudra’ Scheme and commenced working towards procuring some items from the market for sale. Then she came to know of the ‘Government E-Marketplace’ system initiated by the government. She tried to find out the details, and asked people about it. And then she registered herself for the scheme. Here I want to tell my countrymen, that if you get the opportunity, you should also visit, the E-G-E-M, E-GEM website on the Internet. This is a great new system. Whoever wants to supply any item to the government, small things such as electric bulbs, dustbins, brooms, chairs and tables, they can register themselves. They can mention the quality of the goods, the rate at which they sell, and it is compulsory for the government departments to visit the site and see whether the supplier can supply the goods at reasonable prices without compromising on the quality. And then the orders can be placed. That is how the middlemen can be removed from the system. The entire process becomes transparent. There is no interface. Everything is done through technology. So, when people register in E-GEM, all the government departments become aware of them. As there are no middlemen, the goods are available at very reasonable rates. Now whatever goods Arulmozhi Madam could supply, she got all those registered on this government website. And the best part is, what she has written in this letter is very interesting. She has written that she got the money from the ‘Mudra’ Scheme and started her business, then she registered the inventory of all her products on the E-GEM website, and then she got an order from the Prime Minister’s Office. It was news to me also, I wondered what the PMO would have ordered. She wrote that the PMO had ordered two thermoses, and she was paid Rupees 1600/-. This is empowerment. This is an opportunity for encouraging entrepreneurship. Had Arulmozhi not written to me I wouldn’t have realised that because of E-GEM, a housewife living far away and running a small business can have the items on her inventory purchased directly by the Prime Minister’s Office. This is the nation’s strength. This has transparency, this has empowerment, this has entrepreneurship too. Government E-Marketplace – GEM. I would certainly like that whoever wishes to sell their products or business items to the government, should increasingly get connected with this website. I believe that this is an excellent example of Minimum Government and Maximum Governance, and it’s objective is Minimum Price and Maximum Ease, Efficiency and Transparency.
My dear countrymen, on the one hand, we take pride in Yoga, on the other we can also take pride in our achievements in space science. And this is the unique attribute of India, that whereas we have our feet firmly on the ground with Yoga, we have our dreams to soar beyond horizons to far away skies. Recently, India has had many achievements in sports, as well as science. Today, India’s flag is flying high not only on earth but also in space. Just two days ago, ISRO launched 30 Nano satellites with the ‘Cartosat-2 Series Satellite.’ And besides India, these satellites are of France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain and America, nearly 14 such countries. And with India’s Nano Satellite Mission, we will get a lot of help in the field of agriculture, farming, and dealing with natural disasters. We are all aware that a few days ago, ISRO has successfully launched the GSAT-19. And of all the satellites launched by India, this was the heaviest satellite. The newspapers of our country have compared it with elephantine weights. You can well imagine the magnitude of the achievement of our scientists in space. On the 19th of June, our Mars Mission completed one thousand days. You may be aware that when we had successfully created a place for the Mars Mission in orbit, this entire mission was planned for a duration of 6 months. It had a life expectancy of 6 months. But I’m happy that the strength of the endeavours of our scientists has been such that not only has this crossed six months; even after a thousand days, our Mangalyaan Mission is at work, sending images, providing information, collating scientific data, way beyond its expected duration and life expectancy. The completion of one thousand days, is an important milestone in our scientific journey, our space odyssey.
These days we see that our youth are getting increasingly inclined to the field of sports. It is becoming evident that along with studies, our new generations can see a future in sports as well. And our sportspersons, through their prowess, skills and accomplishments win laurels for the country as well. Recently India’s Badminton player, Kidambi Shrikant has brought glory to the nation by winning Indonesia Open. I extend my heartiest congratulations to him and his coach for this victory. I had the opportunity, a few days ago to be associated with the inaugural function of the Synthetic Track of the renowned athlete, P.T. Usha’s Usha School of Athletics. The more we promote sports, the more we see the spirit of sportsmanship. Sports play an important role in personality development also. There is a great significance of sports in overall personality development. There is no dearth of talent in our country. If the children in our family are interested in sports, they should be given opportunities. They should not be forced off the playing fields to be locked in rooms with books. They should study as well, if they can do well in studies, they should certainly do so, but if they have the potential and the inclination to do well in sports, that should be encouraged and supported by the school, college, family and all the people around them. Each one should nurture dreams for the next Olympics.
My dear countrymen, let me mention once again, that this Season of Rains, with its abundance of festivals and festivities, brings with it a unique new feeling of the times. I extend my heartiest greetings to you all, until the next episode of ‘Mann Ki Baat’, when I shall share my thoughts with you once again. Namaskar.
