PMINDIA
My dear countrymen, Namaskar. The 31st of October is the birth anniversary of our beloved Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. This year too, the youth of the country is all set, to take part in the ‘Run for Unity’. The weather too these days is pleasant. I urge you to participate in the largest possible numbers in this run for unity. Six months or so before Independence, on the 27th of January, 1947, the world – famous international Magazine ‘Time’ had a photograph of Sardar Patel on the cover page of that edition. In their lead story, they had depicted a map of India; it was nowhere close to what the map looks like now. It was the map of an India that was divided into myriad fragments. There existed over 550 princely states. The English had lost interest in India; they wanted to leave India fragmented into pieces. Time Magazine had opined that hovering over India then were the dangers of problems like partition, violence, food scarcity, price rise and power-politics. The magazine further observed that amidst that plethora of problems, if there was anyone who possessed the capability to unite the country and heal wounds, it was SardarVallabhbhai Patel. The story also brings to the fore other aspects of the life of the Iron Man of India… the manner in which he had managed relief operations during the Ahmedabad floods in the 1920s; the way he steered the BardoliSatyagrah. Such was his sense of honesty & commitment that the farmer, the worker right up to the industrialist trusted him with full faith. Gandhiji considered Sardar Patel as the only one capable of finding a lasting solution to the vexed issue of the states and asked him to act. Sardar Patel formulated solutions one by one, weaving the warp & weft of unity on the axis of a single thread. He ensured the merger of all princely states with the Dominion of India. Whether Junagadh, Hyderabad, Travancore, or for that matter the princely states of Rajasthan, if we are able to see a United India now, it was entirely on account of the sagacity & strategic wisdom of Sardar Patel. It is but natural for us to solemnly remember SardarVallabhbhai Patel as we exalt the spirit of unity that binds our Nation, our Mother India. The 31st of October this year will be special on one more account- on this day, we shall dedicate the statue of unity of the nation as a true tribute to Sardar Patel. Erected on the banks of river Narmada in Gujarat, the structure is twice the height of the Statue of Liberty. This is the world’s tallest scyscraping statue. Every Indian will now be proud to see the world’s tallest statue here on Indian soil. Sardar Patel, a true son of the soil will adorn our skies too. I hope every Indian being will swell with pride on this remarkable feat of mother India… and will sing paeans of glory in its praise with the head held high. Of course, the inner wish to visit the statue of unity will come naturally to every Indian. I am sure this will turn out to be a described destination for one & all across the country.
My dear brothers & sisters, we celebrated ‘Infantry Day’ yesterday. I respectfully bow before all of them who are part of the Indian Armed Forces. I also salute the families of our soldiers. But, do you know why we Indian citizens commemorate this day as Infantry Day? This is the very day when Indian Forces landed in Kashmir and saved the valley from the clutches of aggression. This incident too is directly related to SardarVallabhbhai Patel. I was reading an old interview with the celebrated Army officer samManekshaw. In that interview, field Marshal Sam Manekshaw was reminiscing on times when he was a Colonel. Around this time, military operations commenced in Kashmir. Field Marshal Manekshaw has mentioned how in a meeting,SardarVallabhbhai Patel was irked on the delay in sending troops to Kashmir During the proceedings, Sardar Patel gave him a characteristic glance and reiterated that there should be no delay in our Army operation and that a solution should be sought swiftly. And immediately after that, our troops flew to Kashmir… we’ve seen how our Army was successful. The 31st of October also is the death anniversary of our former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Our respectful tributes to Indira ji too.
My dear countrymen, who doesn’t love sports? Elements like spirit, strength, skill, stamina are extremely important in the world of sports. They are the ultimate test for a sportsperson’s mettle… all four of these virtues form the core foundation of nation – building universally. If the youth of a country possess these qualities, that country will progress not only in areas such as Economy and Science & Technology but also bring laurels home in the field of sports. Just recently I had two memorable meetings. First, I got an opportunity to meet our Para Athletes who participated in the Asian Para Games 2018 held at Jakarta. These athletes bagged a tally of 72 medals, creating a new, unprecedented record, bringing glory to the nation. I was fortunate to get an opportunity to meet all these talented athletes personally. I congratulated them. Their grit & determination; their resolve to overcome all odds in the path of success is indeed inspiring for all our countrymen. Similarly, I was blessed with a chance to meet our winners of the Summer youth Olympics 2018 held in Argentina. You will be pleased to know that in the Summer Youth Olympics 2018, the performance of our youth was the best ever. At this event we won 13 medals besides 3 in mixed events. You may recall that even, in the recent Asian Games, India’s performance was par excellence. Have you observed the way I have frequently used terms such as ‘the best ever’ or ‘new, unprecedented record’? This is the real story of Indian Sports which are witnessing an upswing with each passing day. India is setting new records not just in the field of sports but also in hitherto uncharted areas. To give you an example, I would like to mention about Para Athlete Narayan Thakur, who won a gold medal for the country in the 2018 Para Asian Games. He is a Divyang by birth. When he turned eight he lost his father. Then he spent another eight years in an orphanage. After leaving the orphanage, he eked out a living cleaning DTC buses and working as waiter at roadside eateries. The same Narayan is winning medals for India at International events. Not just that, just observe the rapidly enhancing levels of excellence in Indian sports !Hitherto, India had never won a medal in a Judo event, at the junior or senior level. But Tabaabi Devi created history by bagging the silver medal at the youth Olympics. 16 year old player Tabaabi Devi hails from a village in Manipur. Her father is a labourer and mother a fish-seller. There were times when the family had no money to buy food. Even such hardships were not able to cow down her zest & devotion. And she has created history by winning a medal for the country. Stories like these are innumerable. Every life, every being is a source of inspiration. Every young sportsperson’s passion & dedication is the hallmark of New India.
My dear countrymen, you may recall that we had successfully organized FIFA Under- 17 World Cup in the year2017. The whole world acclaimed this as a very successful tournament. FIFA Under -17 World Cup had created a record in terms of the number of viewers on the ground. More than 12 lakh enthusiasts enjoyed the romance of Football matches in various stadia across the country and boosted the morale of the young players. This year also, we have been fortunate to be the hosts of the Men’s Hockey World Cup 2018 in Bhubaneshwar. The Hockey World Cup will commence on the 28th November to be concluded on the 16th December. Each Indian who plays any game or has interest in any game has a definite interest in Hockey. India has a golden history in Hockey. India has won gold medals in various tournaments and has been the World Champion once. India has produced many great hockey players. Wheneverthere will be reference to Hockey,the story will remain incomplete without a mention of these legends. Hockey maestro Major Dhyan Chand is a renowned name all over the world. Then, from Balbeer Singh Senior, Leslie Claudius, Mohammad Shahid, Udham Singh to Dhan Raj Pillai, Indian Hockey has had a very long journey. Even today, players of Team India are encouraging the younger generation through their hard work and focused attention.
It is a good chance for the sport lovers to witness closely contested matches. Go to Bhubaneshwar and cheer up the Indian team and also encourage each team there. Odisha has a dignified historical background and has a very rich cultural tradition. People of the state are full of warmth. This is a chance for the sports lovers to see Odisha. They can visit the world famous holy places like the Sun Temple of Konark, Lord Jagannath Temple in Puri and Chilka Lake along with enjoying the games there. I convey my best wishes to our Men’s Hockey Team for this tournament and assure them that 125 crore Indians are supporting them. I also convey my wishes to all the teams from around the world coming to participate in the tournament.
My dear countrymen, the way people are coming forward and volunteering for social works is really inspirational and encouraging for all our countrymen. “Service is Supreme” has been India’s tradition since centuries and we can feel the scent of this tradition in each and every sector today as well. But, in this new era, the new generation is coming forward in a new way with a fresh vigour and spirit to fulfill their new dream. Recently, I attended a programme where a portal was launched, its name is ‘Self 4 Society’, MyGov and the IT and Electronics industry of the country have launched this portal with a view to motivating their employees for social activities and providing them with opportunities to perform in this field. Their dedication and vigour can make each Indian feel proud. A fresh and pleasant air of IT to society, We-not I, a transformation from the individual to the community is imbibed in this. Someone is teaching the old people; someone is involved in the campaign of cleanliness whereas someone is helping out the farmers. And there is no vested interest behind all these activities but a pure feeling of dedication and resolve is the driving force. One young person learned to play wheelchair basket ball in order to be able to help the wheelchair basket ball team of differently abled, divyang players. This spirit, this dedication is a mission mode activity. Will this not make every Indian feel proud. This spirit of ‘We, not I’ will surely inspire all of us.
My dear brothers and sisters, when I was going through your suggestion for Mann Ki Baat this time, I found a very interesting comment from Shri Manish Mahapatra from Pudducherry. He wrote on Mygov- Please take up the topic “in Mann Ki Baat” as to how the tribes and their traditions and rituals are the best examples of coexistence with the nature. How do we need to adopt their traditions in our lives for achieving sustainable development and learn from those traditions?Manishji, I appreciate you for bringing this subject among the listeners of Mann Ki Baat. This is one subject that inspires us to look into our dignified past and our ancient traditions, Today, the whole world and specially the western countries are discussing about environment protection and are trying to find new ways to adopt a balanced life style. Our country is also facing this problem. But, for its solution we only have to look inwards, to look into our glorious past and our rich traditions and have especially to understand the lifestyle of our tribal communities. To live in consonance and closed coordination with the nature has been an integral part of our tribal communities. Our tribal brethren worship trees and plants and flowers like gods and goddesses. The Bhil tribes of Central India and specially those in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh worship Peepal and Arjun trees religiously. TheBishnoi community in the desert land of Rajasthan has shown us a way of environment protection. Specially, in the context of serving trees, they prefer laying down their lives but cannot tolerate any harm to a single tree. Mishmi tribes of Arunachal Pradesh claim their relationship with tigers. They even treat them like their brothers and sisters. In Nagaland as well, tigers are seen as the forest guardians. People of Warli Community in Maharashtra consider tigers as their guests and for them the presence of tigers is a good omen indicating prosperity. There is a belief among the Kol community in Central India that their fortune is directly connected with the tigers and they firmly believe that if the tigers do not get food, the villagers will have to facehunger . The Gond tribes in Central Indai stop fishing in some parts of Kaithan river during the breeding season. They consider this area as a fish reserve and they get plentiful of healthy fishes because of this belief of theirs. Tribal communities make their dwelling units from natural material which are strong as well as eco-friendly. In the isolated regions of the Nilgiri plateau in South India, a small wanderer community Toda make their settlements using locally available material only.
My dear brothers and sisters, this is a fact that the tribal community believes in very peaceful and harmonious co-existence but, if somebody tries to harm and cause damage to their natural resources, they do not shy away from fighting for their rights. There is no wonder that our foremost freedom fighters were the brave people from our tribal communities. Who can forget BhagwanBirsaMunda who struggled hard against the British Empire to save their own forest land. Besides whatever I have said, there is a very long list of examples of the tribal communities which teach us how to keep a close coordination and make adjustments with the nature and the nation is indebted to our tribal people for the forest land that is still remaining with us. Come on, let us express our gratitude towards them.
My dear countrymen, in “Mann Ki Baat”, we talk about those persons and institutions who make extra-ordinary contribution for the society. These works may seem small but have a very deep impact in changing our thinking and in giving a new direction to the society. A few days ago, I was reading about a farmer brother Gurbachan Singh from Punjab. The son of this hard working farmer Gurbachan Singh ji was to be married. Gurbachan Singh ji had told the bride’s parents that the marriage would be performed in a solemn manner. There is absolutely no need to spend much on wedding reception or any other item. We have to keep it a very very simple event. But then he suddenly said that he had one condition. And, when a condition is put these days, generally it is thought that the other side is going to make a big demand which will be really difficult for the bride’s family to fulfill. But, you will be surprised to know that Bhai Gurbachan Singh was a simple farmer and what he told the bride’s father and the condition he placed reflects the true strength of our society. Gurbachan Singh ji asked him to promise that they will not burn parali or stubble in their fields. You can well imagine the social strength this statement had. This point made by Gurbachan Singh ji appears quite ordinary but this reveals how tall and strong his personality is and we have seen that there are many families in our society who connect their individual matters with the benefit of the society as a whole. ShrimanGurbachan Singh ji’s family has presented one such example before us. I have also read about a village KallarMajra which is near Nabha in Punjab. KallarMajra came into lime light as the farmers there mix the stubble with the sand by ploughing their fields rather than burning the stubble and adopt the necessary technology for the process. Congratulations to bhaiGurbachan Singh ji ! Congratulations to the people of KallarMajra and of all those places who are making their best efforts to keep the environment clean and pollution free. All of you are carrying forward the Indian tradition of a healthy life style as a true successor. Just as a sea is formed by collection of tiny drops, similarly,a small constructive step, plays a vital role in creating a positive environment.
My dear countrymen, it has been told in our epics:-
ॐ द्यौ: शान्तिः अन्तरिक्षं शान्तिः,
पृथिवी शान्तिः आपः शान्तिः ओषधयः शान्तिः |
वनस्पतयः शान्तिः विश्वेदेवाः शान्तिः ब्रह्म शान्तिः,
सर्वं शान्तिःशान्तिरेव शान्तिः सामा शान्तिरेधि||
ॐ शान्ति: शान्ति:शान्ति:||
It means- O, Lord, peace should prevail all around in all three “Lokas”,in water, in air, in space, in fire, in wind, in medicines, in vegetation, in gardens, in sub conscious, in the whole creation. Grant peace to each soul, each heart, in me, in you, in every particle and everywhere in the Universe. Om Shanti: Shanti: Shanti:.
Wherever there will be a talk of world peace, India’s name and contribution will be written in golden letters. For India, 11th of November this year has a special significance because on 11thNovember a hundred years back the World War I had ended. Ending of that war is completing one hundred years meaning thereby that a century of ending of the vast devastation and human loss would also get completed. For India, World War I was an important event. Rightly speaking we had no direct connection with that war. Despite this, our soldiers fought bravely and played a very big role and made the supreme sacrifice. Indian soldiers showed it to the world that they are second to none if it comes to war. Our soldiers have displayed great valour in difficult areas and adverse conditions. There has just been a single objective behind it- Restoration of peace. The world witnessed a dance of death and devastation during the World War I; According to estimates, around one crore soldiers and almost the same number of civilians lost their lives. This made the whole world realize and understand the importance of peace. The definition of peace has changed in the last hundred years. Today, peace does not only mean ‘no war’. There is a need to work unitedly to address issues such as terrorism, climate change, economic development to social justice through universal cooperation and co-ordination. Development of the poorest of the poor is the real indicator of peace.
My dear countrymen, our North-East has a unique distinction of its own. The natural beauty of North –East has no parallel and the people of this area are extremely talented. Now our North-east is also known for all best deeds. North east is one region that has made grand progress in organic farming. A few days ago Sikkim won the prestigious Future Policy Gold Award, 2018 for encouraging the sustainable food system. This award is given by the UN body ‘Food & Agriculture Organisation’ – FAO. You will be delighted to know that this best policy making award is equivalent to an Oscar in the sector. Not only this, our Sikkim outperformed 51 nominated policies of 25 countries to win this award. For this, I heartily compliment the people of Sikkim.
My dear countrymen, October is about to end. Quite a change is being felt in the weather. Winter has set in and with the changing weather, the season of festivals has also set in – Dhanteras, Deepawali, BhaiyaDooj, Chhatth – in a way it can be said that the month of November is the month of festivals. I extend my best wishes to all countrymen for these festivals.
I would request all of you to take best care of yourselves and take care of your health as well and also take care of social interests. I am sure these festivals are an opportunity to make new resolves. These festivals prove a chance to advance in a mission mode and to make firm resolves in your life. Your progress is a vital part of the country’s progress. The more you progress, the more will the country progress. My best wishes to you all. Thank you very very much.
My dear countrymen, Namaskar. Just a while ago, from the 4th of April to the 15th of April, the 21st Commonwealth Games were held in Australia. 71 countries, including India, participated therein. With an event of such scale & magnitude, which saw the participation of thousands of sportspersons from myriad corners of the world, can you imagine the mood that must have pervaded the atmosphere there? An air of excitement, zeal, enthusiasm, hope, aspirations, the determination to achieve – who would want to stay away from an atmosphere like that? These were the times when people all over the country pondered eagerly everyday on the line-up of sportspersons, scheduled for their respective performances. How will India’s performance be, what will our medal tally look like? These questions were but natural. Our sportspersons too lived up to the countrymen’s expectations and displayed stellar performances, winning one medal after another. Shooting or Wrestling, Table Tennis or Badminton, it was a record performance for India. 26 Gold, 20 Silver, 20 Bronze, India bagged a tally of around 66 medals. This success makes every Indian swell with pride. Of course, winning medals is a moment of joy & glory for a sportsperson; it is equally so as a festival of laurels for the country & her countrymen. After the conclusion of a match, representing India, when the athletes draped in the tricolor rise, displaying their medals, the notes of the National Anthem being played evoke a sense of joy and fulfillment, glory and honour. This is very, very special in itself. It is a touching moment that fills one’s heart with thrill; it is a moment full of zest & warmth. It is a wave of emotions that engulfs all of us simultaneously. Perhaps, to express those sentiments I’ll run short of words. But I want to share with you what I heard from these heroes. I feel immensely proud; you too will feel so.
India’s performance in the Commonwealth Games was par excellence. At the same time, it was special. Special in the sense that this time there were many pathbreaking ‘firsts’. Are you aware that out of the wrestlers who represented India, each one of them returned with a medal? Manika Batra won a medal in each of the events that she competed in. She is the first Indian woman to win a gold in the individual table tennis category too. India clinched the maximum number of medals in shooting. Deepak Lather of Haryana became the youngest Indian Weight-Lifter to win a medal at Commonwealth games. 15 year old Indian shooter Anish Bhanwala became the youngest sportsperson to win a gold for India. Sachin Chowdhary is the sole Indian Para Power Lifter to win a medal at the Commonwealth Games.
This edition of the games was special on one more count- a majority of the medalists was women athletes. In squash, boxing, weightlifting and shooting – the performance of women turned out to be par excellence. The final contest in Badminton took place between two Indian Shuttlers, Saina Nehwal and P.V. Sindhu. Everyone was thrilled for the fact that despite there being competition, the ultimate medal winner had to be India. The whole country watched it with abated breath. I too enjoyed watching the match. This year, India fared well in Athletics too. Indian sprinters Mohammad Anas & Hema Das missed a medal narrowly, but their record performance has brought glory to the nation. I congratulate them too… my best wishes to them. Athletes who participated in these games hail from various parts of the country, even from smaller towns. They have reached this pinnacle, crossing a great deal of hurdles and hardships. Today, the positions they have secured for themselves, the targets they have achieved, owes a lot to the efforts & contribution of their parents, guardians, coaches, support staff, schools, teachers, the atmosphere provided by their Schools, during this journey in their lives. Even their friends have contributed by boosting their morale under all circumstances. I also congratulate them along with the sportspersons, my good wishes to them. I feel all these athletes have brought laurels to the country with their stellar performances; the fact is, their performances are not mere displays… they are sources of encouragement for upcoming Sportspersons and the young generation of the country alike.
Last month during ‘Mann Ki Baat’, I had urged our countrymen, especially the youth to espouse ‘Fit India’. I had invited everyone to join ‘Fit India’, lead ‘Fit India’. I was overjoyed to see people getting connected to it with a lot of enthusiasm. Expressing support for this, many people have written to me, sent me letters, shared ‘fitness mantra- Fit India’ stories on social media.
A gentleman Shriman Shashikant Bhonsale, sharing his photo by the swimming pool, has written, ‘My weapon is my body, my element is water, my world is swimming’.
Rooma Devnath writes, “I truly feel happy & healthy through my Morning Walks. She further adds,” For me, fitness comes with a smile and we should smile, when we are happy.
Devnathji, indeed, happiness is fitness, and there’s no doubt about it.
Dhawal Prajapati, sharing a photograph of himself trekking, has written; ‘For me, travelling & trekking is ‘Fit India’.
It was heartening to see many eminent personalities encouraging our youth in interesting ways for Fit India. Cine artiste Akshay Kumar has shared a video on Twitter. Even I have gone through it, you too should view it- it shows him exercising with wooden beads. He has mentioned that this exercise benefits muscles of the back and the stomach, to a great extent. Another video of his has gained popularity; in this he’s trying his hand on the volleyball with others. Many other young people have shared their experiences, having joined the ‘Fit India’ efforts. I feel movements like these are beneficial for all of us, for the entire country. I would additionally like to mention, that the movement of ‘Fit India’, without any expense, is called ‘YOG’. Yog has a special significance in the ‘Fit India’ campaign. You too must be busy with preparations… the significance, the merit of 21st June, International Yog Day has been accepted & welcomed globally. Do begin preparing for the Day rightaway. And not just yourself- your city, village, neighbourhood, school, college, men, women, everyone should make an attempt to connect with yog. Nowadays, the benefits of yog in one’s holistic physical & mental development does not need to be told… neither in India nor elsewhere in the world. You must have viewed an animated video depicting me, that has been widely circulated. I congratulate those from the field of animation for highlighting nuances, just the way a teacher does. You too will benefit from it.
My young friends, you now must be out of the tread mill of exams, exams & more exams; you must be wondering about spending your holidays. You must be contemplating on ways to enjoy your vacations and places to travel to! I would like to talk to you today, to invite you on a new task. I’ve seen a lot of young people these days, spending time in learning new things. The significance of Summer Internship is soaring; as it is, an altogether new experience in itself. One gets an opportunity to experience life anew, away from closeted walls, away from paper & pen and computers. Dear young friends, today I urge you to undergo a special internship. Three Ministries of the Government of India; maybe four- Sports, HRD, Department of Drinking water have come together to launch a ‘Swachch Bharat Summer Internship 2018’. College students, young people from the NCC and Nehru Yuva Kendra, whoever want to do something substantial & learn something for the sake of society, & the country, those who want to get connected with transforming the country and be a reason for it, those who want to do something or the other for society with a positive energy- for them, there is a great opportunity! Even the cause of the cleanliness campaign will get a boost, and when we celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, we’ll surely attain a sense of fulfillment. And let me tell you, the best out of the best interns who have strived in schools & colleges with excellent work will be rewarded with recognition at the national level. Not just that, those interns who accomplish their tasks well, will be awarded two credit points each, by the UGC. Once again, I invite students & young people, boys & girls to avail of the benefits of the internship. You can register yourselves for the ‘Swachch Bharat Summer Internship’ on Mygov. I hope our youth will lend a hand in taking this movement of cleanliness forward. I too am eager to know more about your efforts. Do send in your learning experience, do post your stories, photos and videos. Come. Let us turn this vacation into a learning opportunity, for a totally new experience.
My dear countrymen! I try to watch “Good News India” programme on Doordarshan whenever I get a chance and I would appeal to my countrymen that we all should also watch this “Good News India” programme wherein we get to know as to how many people in various parts of our country are doing many good things and that such good things are happening.
Recently, I saw that they were presenting the story of some youth from Delhi who are selflessly working in a dedicated manner to help in educating the poor children. This group of youngsters has started a big campaign in Delhi for providing education to the street children and slum dwellers. Initially, shocked to see the condition of children begging around or doing some menial jobs that this group of youngsters got dedicatedly, selflessly involved into this creative mission. Starting with just 15 children from the slums near Geeta Colony in New Delhi it is now being run at 12 places and two thousand children have been brought under its fold. Young teachers associated with this campaign find out a free time of two hours from their busy schedule and contribute in this stupendous mission of bringing out a social transformation.
Dear brothers and sisters, in this very way, some farmers from hilly areas of Uttarakhand have become a source of inspiration for the farmers across the country. With their collective efforts, they have not only changed their own fortunes but have changed fortunes of the whole region. In Bageshwar in Uttarakhand, main crops sown are Mandwa, Chaulai, Corn or Barley. This being a hilly area, the farmers did not get a fair price of their produce. But, the farmers in Kapkot tehsil decided to come out of this situation and adopted a value- addition process and changed the loss incurring equation into a profit-earning one. What they did was that they started production of biscuits from their agricultural produce and sold those biscuits directly in the market. Consequently, Chaulai which the farmers were forced to sell at Rs. 25 per Kg was now selling at Rs. 50 per Kg as biscuits.
Besides, there is a strong belief that the land in this area is iron-rich and these iron rich biscuits are very good for pregnant women as they overcome the deficiency of iron. These farmers have formed a cooperative society in Munar village and set-up a biscuit factory there. Impressed by the bold initiative of these farmers, the administration has also linked this to the National Livelihood Mission. These biscuits are now being supplied upto Almora and Kousani besides being sold to about fifty Aanganwadi kendras in Bagheshwar district. With the hard work of these farmers, the annual turnover of the society has gone up from 10 to 15 lakh rupees and with more than 900 families getting employment here, people have stopped migrating to other places.
My dear countrymen, we often hear that in, times to come, the world will face a war because of water. Everyone talks about this but do we not have any responsibility towards conservation of water? Do we not feel that water conservation must be a social responsibility? This must be a collective responsibility. How can we conserve each single drop of rain water? And, we all know this. And, water conservation is not a new topic for us; it is neither a part of the academic curriculum nor a part of our languages. Our forefathers have lived this as a way of life for centuries together. They gave due priority and importance to each single drop of water. They found out newer methods in order to conserve every single drop of water. Those of you who might be getting a chance to visit Tamilnadu might have noticed that in some temples in the state, there are carvings on stone depicting irrigation system, water conservation methods and drought management. There are vast stone inscriptions in these temples and devotees get a chance to read these educative messages. May it be Mannarkovil, Chiran Mahadevi, Kovilpatti or Pudukottai – you will get to see massive stone inscriptions to this effect. Several baodis (stepwells) are famous as tourist spots but please do not forget that these are the living symbols of the water conservation campaigns which our forefathers had accomplished.
Adalaj and Patan Ki Raniki Vaav (Baodi) in Gujarat is a UNESCO World Heritage site and its grandeur is to be seen to be believed. Baodis are water temples in a way. If you happen to go to Rajasthan, you must visit Chand Baodi. This is one of the biggest and the most beautiful baodis of India and the point to be noted is that this is situated in a water-scarce area. April, May, June and July is the most suitable time when rain water harvesting can be done and if we make preparations in advance, we can reap a rich harvest. Budget under MNREGA is also utilized for this water conservation activity. During the last three years, everyone in his or her own way has contributed towards water conservation and water management. An average of 32,000 crore rupees have been spent besides the MNREGA budget each year on water conservation and water management. If we talk of 2017-18, 55 percent of the total outlay of Rupees 64 thousand crores, which comes to around rupees 35 thousand crores, has been spent on works like water conservation. In last three years, nearly 150 lakh hectares of land got more benefit through water conservation and water management measures. Some people have really benefitted very well from MNREGA budget provisions made by the Government of India for water conservation and water management works. A project of reviving the rivers which had dried out was undertaken in Kerala. Seven thousand workers under MNREGA worked very hard for seventy days and finally succeeded in reviving Kuttumperoor river there. The Ganges and the Yamuna have plentiful of water but there are many other places in Uttar Pradesh like Fatehpur district where two small rivers namely Sasur-Khaderi got dried out. After receiving the reports of Remote Sensing Imagery and Inter Department Coordination, the district administration took up the responsibility of soil and water conservation on a massive scale. They succeeded in reviving the dried out Sasur Khaderi river with the help and cooperation of people from 40-45 villages of the area. This grand achievement is a big boon for animals, birds, farmers, crops and villages. I emphasis that once again April, May, June and July are before us and we must also take up some responsibility for water harvesting and water conservation, we should also chalk out some schemes, we should also do and show something.
My dear countrymen! When “Mann Ki Baat” approaches I receive messages, letters and phone calls from all sides. Aayan Kumar Banerjee from Devi Tola village of North 24 Parganas in West Bengal in his comment on My Gov has written – “We celebrate Rabindra Jayanti every year but many people are not aware of the Nobel Laureate Rabindra Nath’s philosophy of living peacefully, aesthetically and with integrity. Kindly discuss this point in “Mann Ki Baat” programme so that more and more people may get to know about this.”
I thank Aayanji for drawing the attention of all listeners of “Mann Ki Baat” towards this point. Gurudev Tagore was a personality full of knowledge and intellect whose writings left an indelible mark on everyone. Rabindra Nath was a personality full of talent, a multi – directional personna but a teacher in his inner self can always be felt. He has written in Gitanjali – “ He, who has the knowledge has the responsibility to impart it to the students.”
I do not know Bangla but had the habit of rising early since my childhood and in Eastern India, radio broadcasts start early while in Western India these start a bit late. I have a faint memory that probably around 5:30 in the morning, Rabindra Sangeet used to be broadcast on radio and I had developed a habit to listen to Rabindra Sangeet on radio. And, whenever I got a chance to listen to poems like Anandloke and Aaguner, Poroshmoni, I used to feel as if my mind was being energised. You must also have been impressed by Rabindra Sangeet and his poems. I pay my respectful homage to Rabindra Nath Tagore.
My dear countrymen! Within a few days from now the holy month of Ramazan will dawn upon us. The month of Ramazan is celebrated with full reverence and respect throughout the world. The sociological and collective aspect of fasting is that when a person experiences hunger himself, he comes to realize the hunger of others. When he is thirsty, he realizes the thirst of others. This is an opportunity to remember the teachings of Prophet Muhammad-peace be upon him- and his message. It is our responsibility to follow the path of equality and brotherhood as morals from his life. Once a person asked the Prophet (peace be upon him): “Which is the best thing in Islam?” The Prophet Saab said, “feeding a poor and needy and meeting everyone cordially, whether you know him or not!”
Prophet Mohammad Sahib (peace be upon him) believed in twin principles of knowledge and compassion. He did not possess an iota of ego regarding himself. He preached that knowledge alone defeats ego. Prophet Mohammad Sahib(peace be upon him) believed that if you possessed anything more than your requirement, then donate it to the needy, thus donation or giving alms is important during Ramzan. People donate generously to the needy during this holy month. Prophet Muhammad Sahib believed that a person is rich because of his inherent spirituality, and not materialistic wealth. I wish all the citizens an auspicious month of Ramazan and I hope this opportunity will inspire people to follow the Prophet’s message of peace and goodwill.
My dear countrymen! Buddha Purnima is a special day for every Indian. We must be proud of the fact that India is the birthplace of Lord Buddha, the very synonym of power of compassion, service and sacrifice, who guided millions of people around the world. This Buddha Purnima reminds us of all of our obligation to emulate Lord Buddha’s teaching as well as, pledge ourselves to follow his footsteps. Lord Buddha was the fountainhead of egalitarianism, peace, harmony and brotherhood. These are human values, which are most desired in the world today. Baba Saheb Dr. Ambedkar stressed that Lord Buddha has been a great inspiration in his social philosophy. Baba Saheb had said –“My Social philosophy may be said to be enshrined in three words; liberty, equality and fraternity. My Philosophy has roots in religion and not in political science. I have derived them from the teaching of my master, The Buddha.”
Baba Saheb strengthened the oppressed, exploited, deprived and crores of people standing on the brink of marginalization via the Constitution of India. There cannot be a bigger example of compassion than this. This form of compassion was one of the greatest qualities of Lord Buddha for the alleviation of suffering of the people. The Buddhist monks used to travel to different countries carrying with them the rich ideals of Lord Buddha and this has been occurring throughout the ages. We have inherited the wisdom of Lord Buddha throughout Asia as part of our legacy.
It forges a link between us and many Asian countries like China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Cambodia, and Myanmar where Buddhist traditions and his preaching are a part of their origins. And this is the very reason that we are developing Infrastructure for Buddhist Tourism, which is going to connect Southeast Asia with the important Buddhist sites of India. I am also very pleased that the Government of India is a partner in the restoration of many Buddhist temples which also includes the centuries old magnificent Anand Temple in Bagan in Myanmar. Today, when there is confrontation and human suffering prevalent everywhere in the world, Lord Buddha’s teachings show the way to rid hatred from the world with compassion. I wish people spread all over the world who revere Lord Buddha and believe in the principles of compassion- I wish all of them an auspicious Buddha Purnima.
I seek benediction from Lord Buddha for the entire world, so that we can fulfill our responsibility in building a peaceful and compassionate world based on his teachings. Today, as we remember Lord Buddha, you must have heard about the idols of laughing Buddha, it is said that laughing Buddha brings one good fortune, but very few people know that smiling Buddha is also associated with an important event in India’s defense history. Now you will be wondering what is the connection between smiling Buddha and India’s military might?
You must remember, 20 years ago today, on 11th May 1998, the Prime Minister of India, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee had said while addressing the nation and his words filled the whole country with pride, courage and elation. The Indian diaspora was infused with new confidence. That day also was the day of Buddha Purnima. On May 11, 1998, at India’s western end a nuclear test was conducted in Pokhran, Rajasthan. It has been 20 years since Pokhranand this test was done on Buddha Purnima with the blessings of Lord Buddha. India’s test was not only successful but in a way, India had demonstrated its might in the field of science and technology. We can also say 11 May 1988 is engraved in the history of India as a demonstration of her military power.
Lord Buddha has shown the world- that the power of inner strength or that of the soul is necessary for peace. Similarly, when you are sturdy as a nation, you can be at peace with others. The month of May, 1998 is not just important for the country from the aspect that nuclear tests were conducted this very month, but the manner in which they were carried out is also important. It has revealed to the entire world that India is the land of great scientists and with a strong leadership, India can reach loftier destinations and earn new laurels. On that day, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji had given the mantra – “Jai-Jawan Jai-Kisan, Jai-Vigyan.’
Now that when we are going to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Pokhran test conducted on May 11, 1998, I ask the younger generations of our nation to imbibe the mantra of ‘Jai-Vigyan’ given by Atalji for enhancing the might and the power of India, to build a modern India, a powerful India and a self-reliant India. Synergize your energy with the strength of India. Witnessing the journey that Atal ji started, we while continuing onwards on that very path with a renewed joy will derive great satisfaction in getting ahead.
My dear countrymen, looking forward to our conversation when we will meet for another episode of Mann Ki Baat.
Thank you very much.
My dear countrymen, Namaskar. Today is the holy day of Ram Navami. My heartiest greetings to countrymen on this pious, festive occasion. We have seen how closely the power of ‘Ram Naam’, the chant of Lord Ram’s name, permeated every moment of revered Bapu’s life. A while ago, when distinguished dignitaries of all ASEAN Countries were here on the 26th of January, they were accompanied by cultural troupes from their respective countries. And it’s a matter of immense pride that a majority of these countries presented the Ramayan in front of us. This signifies that Ram & Ramayan continues to inspire and have a positive impact, not just in India, but in that part of the world too. Once again, my best wishes to all of you on the occasion of Ramnavami.
My dear countrymen, just like every time earlier, I have received a rather large number of letters, e mails, phone calls and comments from you. I read a post written on MyGov by Komal Thakkar ji, where she has referred to starting on-line courses for Sanskrit. Alongwith being IT professional, your love for Sanskrit has gladdened me. I have instructed the concerned department to convey to you efforts being made in this direction. I shall also request listeners of Mann Ki Baat who are engaged in the field of Sanskrit, to ponder over ways & means to take Komalji’s suggestion forward.
Shriman Ghanshyam Kumar ji of Village Baraakar, District Nalanda, Bihar – I read your comments written on the Narendra Modi App. The concerns you have raised on the depleting ground water levels is indeed of great importance.
Shriman Sakal Shastriji, you mentioned ‘Karnataka’… you beautifully maintained a delicate balance between words when you wrote ‘Ayushman Bharat’; ‘Long live India’ will be possible only when we express ‘Ayushman Bhoomi; ‘Long live the land’; and that will be conceivable only when we begin feeling concerned about every living being on this land. You have urged one and all to retain and keep aside some water for birds & animals, during summer time. Sakal ji, I have conveyed your sentiments to our listeners.
Shriman Yogesh Bhadresha Ji has asked me to speak to the youth concerning their health. He feels that our youth are physically weak, compared to those of other Asian countries. Yogesh ji, I feel I should speak in detail to all of you on ‘Fit India’. In fact, all you young people can come together to launch a movement of Fit India.
Recently, the President of France paid a visit to Kashi, Varanasi based Shriman Prashant Kumar has written that glimpses of that visit were extremely touching, appealing & left a deep impact. And it is his heart felt desire to see all those photos & videos being shared on social media. Prashant ji, the Government of India has already done that on social media and the Narendra Modi App, beginning that very day. You may now like them, re-tweet them, post them to your friends.
Anagha, Jayesh and many other children from Chennai have written & posted to me their heartfelt thoughts on the gratitude cards, the post script to the book ‘Exam Warriors’. Let me tell Anagha, Jayesh & other children that these letters enliven me up after a hard day’s work. Now, if I start including all those phone calls, comments, whatever I could read or hear, many of which touched my heart; if I exclusively speak about them, perhaps I’ll require a few months to respond to them in some way or the other.
This time, maximum number of letters are from children who have written about exams. They have shared their vacation plans. They’ve expressed their concern on the availability of water for birds & animals. Our farmer brothers & sisters have written on Kisan Melas, Farmer Carnivals and activities revolving around farming, being held across the country. Quite a few active citizens have sent in suggestions on the subject of water conservation. Ever since we have begun conversing with each other in ‘Mann Ki Baat’ through the medium of radio, I have noticed a pattern that in the sweltering heat of this season, most letters focus around topic pertaining to summer time. Just before examinations, letter pour in, touching on the anxieties of our young student friends who are about to appear. During the festival season, our festivals, our culture, our traditions are focused upon. This means, Mann Ki Batein, matters close to our hearts, alter with the change in season. And it’s equally true that our heartfelt thoughts do bring about a change of season in someone’s life, figuratively speaking. And why should not things change? In utterances of yours, in your experiences, in the examples that you quote, there exists immense inspiration, unfathomable energy, unparalleled warmth; a resolve to bring about something new for the country. In a way, this is endowed with the might to transform the entire season-cycle of the country. When I get to read in your letters how a rickshaw puller from Karimgunj in Assam, Ahmed Ali, has built nine schools for underprivileged children, I witness firsthand the indomitable will-power this country possesses. When I heard the story of Kanpur based Dr. Ajit Mohan Choudhary, of how he visits the underprivileged on footpaths and offers free medicines to them, it gives one an opportunity to feel the sense of brotherhood that prevails in the country. Thirteen years ago, on account of a delay in medical treatment, a Cab driver from Kolkata, Saidul Laskar lost his sister. He vowed to construct a hospital in order to ensure that none of the underprivileged face a similar situation due to lack of medical aid. In this mission of his, Saidul sold off family jewellery and raised funds through charity. His cab passengers too contributed large-heartedly. A young engineer girl donated her first salary for this noble cause. This way, after mobilizing funds for twelve long years, Saidul’s mammoth efforts paid rich dividends. Today, through sheer hard work and a firm resolve, a thirty bedded hospital has finally come up at Punri Village near Kolkata. This is the power of New India. In Uttar Pradesh, when a woman builds 125 toilets after overcoming steep challenges, inspiring women to exercise their due rights, it gives us a glimpse of ‘Matri- Shakti’, the power of maternal love & caring. Innumerable shining examples like these are the hallmark of our country. Today the whole world has changed the way it looks at India. The name ‘India’ now evokes a sense of awe & respect; the reason behind it is the ‘Purusharth’, the resolute yet selfless inner strength of such illustrious sons & daughters of Mother India. Today, the entire country, the youth, women, the marginalized, the underprivileged, the middle class, in fact every section has awakened to a new confidence … YES, we can go forward, the country can take great strides. An atmosphere of positivity built on a self confidence filled with hope has pervaded all over. This self confidence, this very positivity will by a catalyst in realising our resolve of New India, of making our dream come true.
My dear countrymen, the coming months are very crucial for our farming brothers and sisters. That is why a large number of letters on agriculture have been received. This time, I requisitioned and viewed videos of discussions with our farmers on DD Kisan Channel of Doordarshan and I feel that each farmer should get connected to this DD Kisan Channel of Doordarshan, view it and adopt those practices in his/ her own farm. From Mahatma Gandhi to Shastri ji, Lohia ji, Chaudhari Charan Singh ji, Chaudhari Devi Lal ji – they all recognized agriculture and the farmer as vital aspects of the nation’s economy and also for the common man’s life. How attached was Mahatma Gandhi attached to the soil, they farms and the farmer is reflected from this sentence in which he said- “To forget how to dig earth and to tend the soil, is to forget ourselves. Similarly, Lal Bahadur Shastriji generally insisted on conservation of trees, plants and vegetation and also highlighted the importance of an improvised agricultural infrastructure. Dr. Ram Manohar Lal ji had talked of creating a mass awakening on an extensive scale about the necessary measures to ensure a better income for our farmers and provide better irrigation facilities and to increase food and milk production. Chaudhari Charan Singh in his speech in 1979 had urged our farmers to use new technology and to adopt new innovations and underlined their vital significance. I recently visited the Krishi Unnati Mela organized in New Delhi.
It was a pleasant experience for me to talk to our farmer brothers and sisters and scientists and to listen and understand their experiences in farming and getting to know about innovations in the agricultural sector. But one thing that impressed me most was Meghalaya and the hard work of the farmers of the state. This state has a small area but it has attained a grand success. Our farmers in Meghalaya, in the year 2015-16, achieved record production as compared to the last five years. They have showed that if once the targets are set, spirits are high and with a strong resolve, the set targets can most certainly be attained. Today, the farmers have technology to help them while they work hard in their fields. This has provided a big boost to our agro- producers. I have received a number of letters in which a large number of farmers have written about MSP and they wanted that I should talk to them at length over this.
Brothers and sisters, in this year’s budget a big decision has been taken to ensure that farmers get a fair price for their produce. It has been decided that the MSP of notified crops will be fixed at least one and a half times of their cost. If I may elaborate on this, MSP will include labour cost of other workers employed, expenses incurred on own animals and cost of animals and machinery taken on rent, cost of seeds, cost of each type of fertilizer used, irrigation cost, land revenue paid to the State Government, interest paid on working capital, ground rent in case of leased land and not only this but also the cost of labour of the farmer himself or any other person of his family who contributes his or her labour in agricultural work will also be added to the cost of production. Moreover, an extensive exercise on agricultural reforms is being undertaken across the country in order to ensure that our farmers get a fair price for their crop. Efforts are on to connect local village mandis to wholesale market and then on with the global market. Twenty- two thousand rural haats in the country will be upgraded by creating the necessary infrastructure and these will be integrated with APMC and e-NAM platform- so that the farmers would not have to go to distant places for selling their produce. In other words, such a system is being set up where in farms in any part of the country will have a market-connect.
My dear countrymen, this year Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary celebrations will begin. How should the country celebrate it? Swachch Bharat is already our resolve; besides this, how can our 125 crore countrymen pay the best tribute to Gandhiji by working in close harmony? Which newer programmes can be initiated? What new practices or procedures can be adopted? I request you all to share your opinions and suggestions with everyone via MyGov. What should be the logo for ‘Gandhi 150’? What should be the slogan, mantra or a catch-phrase? Send your suggestions on all of these. We all have to pay a memorable tribute to Bapu and have to take the country to newer heights by drawing inspiration from Bapu.
Thanks, you have rightly said it and I believe that Swachch Bharat and Swasth Bharat are supplementary to each other. In the health sector the nation has now moved ahead from the conventional approach. Earlier, every aspect regarding health used to be a responsibility of the Health Ministry alone. But now, all departments and ministries- be it the Sanitation Ministry or Ayush Ministry or Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, Consumer Affairs Ministry or the Women & Child Welfare Ministry or even the State Governments- they are all working together for Swasth Bharat and stress is being laid on affordable health alongside preventive health. Preventive health care is the least costly and the easiest one as well. And, the more we become aware about preventive health care, the more beneficial will it be for the individuals, the family and the society. The first necessity for a healthy life is cleanliness. All of us took up the responsibility and the result is that in the last four years or so, sanitation coverage has almost doubled and risen to around 80 percent. Also, extensive work is going on to set up Health Wellness Centres across the country. Yoga has attained worldwide recognition as a measure of preventive health care. Yoga is a guarantee of both fitness and wellness. It is the result of our concerted efforts and commitment that Yoga has now become a mass movement and reached every house. Less than a hundred days are now left for the International Yoga Day on 21st June. On the previous three International Yoga Days, people in our country and people all over the world participated with great zeal and enthusiasm. This time too, we need to ensure that we do yoga ourselves and motivate our family, friends and all others from now itself to do yoga. Yoga has to be made popular among the youth, the senior citizens, men and women from all age groups through interesting ways. Usually, the country’s Television and electronic media do a variety of programmes on Yoga the whole year. Can we, beginning now, till the Yoga Day, devise a campaign to spread awareness on Yoga?
My dear countrymen, I am not a Yoga teacher. But yes, I surely am a Yoga practitioner and yet some people, through their creativity, have made me a Yoga teacher as well and 3-D animated videos of my yoga practice sessions have been prepared. I will share these videos with you so that we may do aasans and pranayam together. Efforts are being extensively undertaken to make health care accessible and affordable, make it easily accessible and affordable for the common man. Presently, more than three thousand Jan Aushadhi Kendras have been opened across the country and more than eight hundred medicines are being made available there at an affordable price. More such centres are being opened. I appeal to the listeners of ‘Mann Ki Baat’ to provide this information about Jan Anshadhi Kendras to the needy ones – it will cut their expense on medicines. This will be a big help to them. The cost of heart stent for heart patients has been reduced to 85%. Knee implants cost has also been regulated and reduced by 50% to 70%. Under ‘Ayushman Bharat Yojana ‘, the Government of India and insurance companies will jointly provide 5 lakh repees for treatment to about 10 crore families or say 50 crore citizens per year. In the present 479 medical colleges, MBBS seats have been increased to about 68 thousand. New AIIMS are being opened in various states with a view to providing better treatment and health facilities to people across the country. One new medical college will be set up for every three districts. A target has been fixed to make the country TB-free by 2025. This is an enormous task. Your cooperation is needed to create public awareness. All of us will need to make united efforts to become TB-free.
My dear countrymen, April 14 is the birth anniversary of Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar. Years ago, Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar spoke of India’s industrialization. According to him the industry was an effective medium by which jobs could be made available to the poorest of the poor and the poorer. Today, the campaign of Make in India is progressing successfully in consonance with Dr. Ambedkarji’s dream of India as an industrial super power-that vision of his has become our inspiration today.
Today India has emerged as a bright spot in the global economy and today the highest foreign direct investment or FDI in the world, is flowing to India. The whole world is looking at India as a hub for investment innovation and development. That the development of industries could only be possible in the cities, was the kernel of the idea of Dr. Baba Sahib Ambedkar and that was the reason he banked upon urbanization of India. In continuance with his vision, smart city mission and urban missionwere kick-started in the country so that all kinds of amenities whether good roads, water supply, health facilities, Education or digital connectivity are available in the big cities and small towns of the country.Baba Saheb had strong faith in self-reliance. He did not want anybody to languish in poverty forever. He also believed that poverty cannot be ameliorated by mere distribution of capital among the impoverished. Today our monetary policy, Start Up India, Stand Up India initiative have become seedbed for our young innovators and young entrepreneurs. In the 30s and 40s when only roads and railways were being talked about in India, Baba Saheb Ambedkar mentioned about ports and waterways.It was Dr. Baba Saheb who envisaged water power as ‘nation power’. He stressed the utilization of water for the development of the nation The genesis of different river valley authorities, different water related commissions – all these were possible due to the vision of Baba Saheb Ambedkar. Today there are landmark efforts, being embarked upon for waterways and ports in our country. New seaports are being constructed on a number of seaways of India and infrastructure is being strengthened at old ports.
In the era of 40s, while most of the discussions were centred around the Second World War, the looming Cold war and the partition –it was during those times Dr. Ambedkar had laid the foundation of Team India’s spirit in a way. He had talked about the importance of federalism, federal system and stressed on Center and states working together for the upliftment of the country. Today, we have adopted in all aspects of governance the mantra of co-operative federalism and going a step further, we have adopted competitive cooperative federalism but most importantly, Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar is an inspiration for millions of people like me, who belong to backward classes.
He showed us that to succeed it is not necessary for the person to be born in an illustrious or rich family, but even those who are born to poor families in India can also dare to dream their dreams and realize those dreams by achieving success. And of course, this is exactly what happened as many people mocked Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar, tried to pull him back and made every possible effort to ensure that the son of an impoverished and backward family would not progress in life, be something and succeed in life. But, the picture of New India is altogether different.
It is an India which is Ambedkar’s India, of the poor and the backward. On the occasion of the birth anniversary of Dr. Ambedkar from April 14 to May 5 ‘Gram-Swaraj Abhiyan,’ is being organized. Under the aegis of this campaign, separate programmes on village development, poverty amelioration and social justice will be held throughout India. I urge you all to be a part of this campaign.
My dear countrymen, a spectrum of many festivals would dawn upon us in the next few days- Bhagwan Mahavir Jayanti, Hanuman Jayanti, Easter and the Baisakhi. The day of Bhagwan Mahavir’s birth anniversary is a day to remember his sacrifice and penance.
The life and philosophy of Lord Mahavirji, the apostle of non-violence will inspire us all. I extend felicitations to all on the occasion of Mahavir Jayanti. The very mention of Easter reminds us of the inspirational preaching of Lord Jesus Christ which has always impressed on mankind the message of peace, harmony, justice, mercy and compassion. Vaisakhi will be celebrated in Punjab and in parts of western India in April; simultaneously, the twin festive connects of Jud -Sheetal and Satuwain in Bihar, and Poila Vaisakh in West Bengal will envelop everyone with joy and delight. All of these festivals are connected in one way or another to our fields and granaries, and through these festivals, we thank nature for the priceless gifts we receive as produce. Once again, my best wishes to you all on the occasion of the festivals coming our way. Many many thanks.
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.
Governor of Maharastra, C. Vidhya Sagar Rao, Chief Minister of Maharastra, Devendra Fadnavis, Minister in the Maharastra Govt. Shri Vinod Tawde, Vice Chancellor of Mumbai University,Shri Devenand Shinde, Romesh Wadhwani ji, Sunil Wadhwani ji,
Ladies and Gentlemen, I am happy to be here today at the inauguration of the Wadhwani Institute of Artificial Intelligence.
Let me begin by congratulating Romesh Wadhwani ji and Sunil Wadhwani ji,The Government of Maharashtra, and Mumbai University for coming together to make this Institute a reality. This is a prime example of how the public sector and the private sector can combine with good intention to build a world-class institute aimed at benefiting the poor.
I have had various interactions with Indian diaspora across the globe during the last three and a half years or so. I have felt an intense desire, to make a contribution to India. Through this Institute, Romesh ji and Sunil ji have blended this desire with a futuristic vision of a prosperous and vibrant India. In doing so, they have set an example that is worthy of emulation.
Friends, today India is one of the fastest growing economies of the world. We are using technology in an un-paralleled way from agriculture to aeronautics and from space missions to service delivery. We are also witnessing a wave of entrepreneurship ranging from small enterprises to big-ticket investments. These are just a few indicators to show, how well-placed we are to fare in the upcoming fourth industrial revolution.
Friends, with the arrival of Artificial Intelligence, Bots and Robots there is no doubt that our productivity will further go up. But, there are also rising fears of human redundancy because there is a competition between the mind and the machine. Such fears are neither un-founded nor new.
At every stage of technological evolution, we have faced such doubts and questions. This leads to two views of the future. First brings hopes and aspirations and second brings fears of disruption.
Technology opens entirely new spheres and sectors for growth. It also opens up an entirely new paradigm of opportunities. With each wave of new technology, many new opportunities arise. New opportunities have always out-numbered the lost ones. Human ingenuity has always prevailed and it will continue to do so in the future. This optimism stems from my firm faith in Ancient Indian Thinking that blended science and spirituality and found Harmony between the two/ for the greater good of mankind.
I am reminded of the ज्ञान सूक्त from the यजुर वेद तैत्त्रेय आरान्यका: “सत्ये सर्वम प्रतिष्ठितम ”. The spirit of scientific enquiry was rooted in the pursuit of Truth.
Our ancient texts go on to further list the mental faculties that assist in this pursuit of the Truth. श्रद्धा (dedication),मेधा (mental capacity), मनीषा (intelligence), मनसा (mind), शान्ति (peace), चित्त (elevated state of consciousness), स्मृति (memory), स्मरण (recall) and विज्ञान (application of knowledge).
From this scientific enquiry this pursuit of the truth is to be obtained the ultimate creative bliss for the greater good of mankind. It is this Vision of Technology for Development that I am inspired by and it is this spirit of Scientific Advancement that gives me optimism about the future.
The road ahead for Artificial Intelligence depends on and will be driven by Human Intentions. It is our intention that will determine the outcomes of artificial intelligence. With every industrial revolution, the scalability of technology has increased manifold. This has given human increasingly more power to create an impact in whatever he does through technology. It is this ethic of development that will ensure equity for all peoples. The March of Technology cannot be at the expense of further increasing the difference between societies over access to technology. The evolution of Technology has to be rooted in the ethic of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas.
Friends, Can we take the global lead on creating Artificial Intelligence that is less about making humans redundant and more about enhancing human abilities and expanding human capacities. Can we make the future less about machines dis-placing humans to a future about humans becoming better humans by converting their weaknesses into their strengths for the greater good of mankind?
Friends, at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence, Big Data and Human understanding is the solution of many problems we are facing. We need to make Artificial Intelligence in India and Make Artificial Intelligence work for India.
I would urge all of you to identify the grand challenges that Artificial Intelligence can solve for India. We are such a diverse nation of tens of languages and hundreds of dialects. Can we have intelligent Artificial Intelligence that makes communication and conversations across these languages and dialects easier? I have always believed that the Divyangs are our asset and the Nation owes it to them to empower them.
Can we have Artificial Intelligence and Robotics that enhances their abilities empowering them to perform tasks and bring out their true potential? Can the combination of teachers and Artificial Intelligence help us bridge the gap in teacher student ratio? This will help us deliver quality education to every student across India. Can Artificial Intelligence help us take quality healthcare to every corner of India by expanding capacities of our healthcare workers? Can Artificial Intelligence help us predict natural calamities? Can Artificial Intelligence help us detect serious health conditions before they manifest physically? Can Artificial Intelligence help our farmers make the right decisions regarding weather, crop and sowing cycle?
Friends, our Government is of the firm belief, that we can use this power of twenty-first century technology to eradicate poverty and disease. In doing so, we can bring prosperity to our poor and under-privileged sections. We are committed to achieving this vision. The Digital India Initiative, aims at transforming India into a digitally empowered society and a knowledge economy. Under Bharat-Net, we are providing broad-band Internet connectivity to our villages. This digital infrastructure provides the backbone for innovative IT solutions for service delivery, and innovative applications.
The Union Government’s National Skill Development Mission is also aimed to ensuring a rightly-skilled workforce, keeping in mind global job requirements of the next few decades. We have also launched the Atal Innovation Mission to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship. Its objective is to serve as a platform for promotion of world-class Innovation Hubs, Grand Challenges, Start-up businesses and other self-employment activities, particularly in technology driven areas. The Atal Innovation Mission is establishing Atal Tinkering Laboratories in schools across India with a vision to encourage one million children in India to become young innovators. Through these steps, we aim to keep pace with emerging technologies so that they can be used for the benefit of our people.
Friends, I am sure, the scientists, researchers and pioneers at this Institute, will have the best interests of the common people of India in their hearts, as they go about their work. I wish them well in their efforts. I hope that India shall be in a unique position to show the entire world how Artificial Intelligence can be applied safely and responsibly for the benefit of the people.
I am pleased to inaugurate this institute, and hope that it shall remain committed to the service of our people.
Thank You.
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has extended his greetings on World Radio Day to all those associated with the world of radio, which includes those working in the industry and the listeners.
On WorldRadioDay, I convey my greetings to all those associated with the world of radio, which includes those working in the industry and the listeners. May this medium always remain a focal point of learning, discovering, entertaining and growing together.
The radio brings us closer and I am continuously experiencing this through MannKiBaat. Here is where you can hear all the episodes. https://www.narendramodi.in/mann-ki-baat”, the Prime Minister said.
My dear countrymen, Namaskar. This is the first episode of ‘Mann Ki Baat’ in the year 2018. Just a couple of days ago, we celebrated our Republic Day festival with gaiety fervour. This is the very first time in history that heads of 10 Nations attended the ceremony.
My dear countrymen, Shriman Prakash Tripathi has written a rather long letter on the Narendra Modi App, urging me to touch upon the subjects he has referred to. He writes, “The 1 st of February is the death anniversary of astronaut Kalpana Chawla. She left us in the Columbia space shuttle mishap, but not without becoming a source of inspiration for millions of young people the world over”. I am thankful to Bhai Prakash ji for beginning his long letter with the sad departure of Kalpana Chawla. It’s a matter of sorrow for all of us that we lost Kalpana Chawla at that early age, but her life, her work is a message to young women across the world, especially to those in India, that there are no upper limits for Nari Shakti …. the power of women. If one possesses the will & the determination, a firm resolve to achieve something, nothing is impossible. It’s a matter of joy that women in India are taking rapid strides of advancement in all fields, bringing glory to the Nation.
In our country, respect for women, their status in society and their contribution has proved to be awe inspiring to the entire world, since ancient times. There has been a long tradition of Vidushis… women exponents or women champions. Many Vidushis of India have contributed in composing the verses of the Vedas. Lopamudra, Gargi, Maitreyee…it’s a long list of names. Today, we talk about ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’, ‘save the girl child, educate her’. But centuries ago, it has been mentioned in our ancient texts, in the Skand Puran :
दशपुत्र-समाकन्या, दशपुत्रान् प्रवर्धयन्
यत फलम् लभते मRर्य:, तत् लभ्यम् कन्यकैकया ॥
This means, a daughter is the equivalent of ten sons. The ‘Punya’ that you earn through ten sons amounts to the same earned through just one daughter. This underscores the importance that has been given to women in our society. And that is why, in our society, women have been accorded the status of ‘Shakti’. This woman power binds closely together society as a whole, the family as a whole, on the axis of unity & oneness. Be it the erudition of the Vidushis of the Vedic Period. Lopamudra, Gargi, Maitreyee; be it the learning & devotion of Akka Mahadevi or Meerabai, be it the governance of Ahilyabai Holkar or the valour of Rani Lakshmibai, woman power has always inspired us. They have always brought glory to the Nation.
Shriman Prakash Tripathi has further cited some examples. He writes that the flight of our courageous Defence Minister Nirmala Seetharaman in a Sukhoi 30 fighter plane is inspirational for him. He also refers to INSV Tarini, with an all women crew on board under the command of Vartika Joshi, which is currently circumnavigating the globe. Three braveheart women Bhavna Kanth, Mohana Singh and Avani Chaturvedi have become fighter pilots and are undergoing training on the Sukhoi- 30. An Air India Boeing jet with an all woman crew led by Kshamata Vajpayee flew from Delhi to San Francisco, USA and back. These are all women achievers. You are absolutely right. Today women are not just advancing in myriad fields; they are leaders. Today there are many sectors where our woman power is playing a pioneering role, establishing milestones. A few days ago, Hon’ble President took an initiative. He met a group of extraordinary women who have achieved something significanty new in their respective fields. Women achievers of our country… the first female Merchant Navy Captain, the first female passenger train driver, the first female fire fighter, the first female Bus Driver, the first woman to set foot on Antarctica, the first woman to reach Mount Everest… ‘First Ladies’ in every field. Our woman power achieved extraordinary feats, breaking the age old shackles of social mores, creating new records. They proved that through perseverance, grit and a firm resolve, all kinds of obstacles and barriers can be broken & crossed, to chart out an all new path… a path that could act as a beacon of inspiration not just to their contemporaries, but for generations to come. It will infuse afresh energy, newer enthusiasm into them. A book has beencompiled on these women achievers, first ladies, so that, the entire country comes to know about the power of these women and derive inspiration from their life work. This is also available as an e-book on the Narendra Modi Website.
The country’s woman power has contributed a lot in the positive transformation being witnessed in our country & society these days. Today, as we speak of women empowerment, I would like to refer to a railway station. You must be wondering what a railway station has got to do with women empowerment. Matunga station in Mumbai is the first station in India which is run by an all woman staff. All departments have women performing duties… the commercial department, Railway Police, Ticket checking, Announcing, Point persons, it’s a staff comprising over 40 women. This time, after watching the Republic Day Parade, many people wrote on Twitter and other social media that a major highlight of the parade was the BSF biker contingent comprising women participants. Daredevil stunts performed by them was awe inspiring for our foreign guests. Empowerment is another form of self reliance. Today our Nari Shakti is assuming leadership roles. It is becoming self reliant. By the way, this also reminds me of tribal women of Chattisgarh, who have done something extraordinary and set a remarkable example. When we refer to Adivasi women, a stereotypical image comes to our minds, comprising jungles, pathways in the woods and women carrying kindlewood on their heads.But the woman power of Chattisgarh, the tribal women there broke this stereotype & presented an all new picture of themselves. Dantewada in Chattisgarh is a Maoist infested region. Violence, torture, explosives, guns, pistols… the Maoists have created a scary reign of terror. In this dangerous atmosphere, Adivasi women are becoming self reliant by driving e-rickshaws. In a short span of time, a umber of women have become part of this phenomenon. This has three benefits- on the one hand self-employment has empowered them; on the other, the Maoist infested region is witnessing a transformation. And simultaneously as a consequence, it is strengthening efforts towards protecting the environment. I laud the efforts of the District Administration which has played a significant role in the successful endeavour of these women by ensuring availability of grants imparting training to them.
Time and again we keep hearing people utter ‘There is something special that we as a people possess… no threat is big enough to annihilate our existence’. What is that ‘Special Something’? That ‘Something’ is flexibility, the ability of transformation. Leaving out things that are beyond the constraints of time and accepting betterment in things wherever necessary. And this is a salient feature of our society… relentless efforts towards self-improvement, self correction. We have inherited this Indian tradition as a cultural legacy. The benchmark of any living society is its self correcting mechanism. In our country, there have been unending endeavours against social ills and evil practices, both individually & collectively. Just a while ago, Bihar launched an interesting initiative. In order to uproot social ills in the state, the world’s longest human chain spanning over thirteen thousand kilometers was formed.
This campaign made people aware of social maladies such as child-marriage and the dowry system. The entire state thus resolved to fight against these social evils. Children, the elderly, the youth full of energy and enthusiasm, women, girls turned out to participate in this battle. The human chain that commenced formation from Gandhi Maidan in Patna gained momentum, touching the state borders. In order to ensure that the fruits of progress rightly reach all sections of society, it is imperative that our society is freed of these ills. Come, let us pledge to come together to wipe out these evil customs from our social fabric… let us build an empowered, capable New India. I appreciate the people of Bihar, the Chief Minister, the administration, in fact every member of the human chain for this massive, special initiative towards social welfare.
My dear countrymen, Shriman Darshan from Mysore, Karnataka has written on My gov. He was undergoing an expenditure of six thousand rupees a month on medicines alone for the treatment of his father. Earlier, he wasn’t aware of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Yojana. But now that he’s come to know of the Jan Aushadhi Kendra, he has begun purchasing medicines from there and his expenses have been reduced by about 75%. He has expressed his wish that I mention this in ‘Mann Ki Baat’, so that it reaches the maximum number of people and they can benefit from it. Over some time lately, many have written on this subject; many of them have been telling me about it. I too have seen videos put up on social media by beneficiaries of this scheme. It is a matter of joy learning about happenings like these. It gives you inner satisfaction. I felt good to see Shriman Darshan ji think about sharing with others what he gained from it. The motive behind this scheme is making healthcare affordable and encouraging Ease of Living. Medicines available at the Jan Aushadhi Centres are 50% to 90% cheaper than branded drugs available in the market. This is great help for the common man, especially for senior citizens who require medicines on a daily basis and results in a lot of savings. Generic medicines sold under this scheme strictly conform to prescribed standards set by the World Health Organisation. That is why good quality medicines are made available at affordable prices. Today, over three thousand Jan Aushadhi Kendras have been set up across the country. This has led to not only availability of cheaper medicines, but also new employment opportunities for individual entrepreneurs. Affordable medicines are now available at ‘Amrit Stores’ at Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Jan Aushadhi Centres & at hospitals. The sole aim behind this step is ensuring availability of Quality & affordable health service to the poorest of the poor, so that a healthy & prosperous India comes into being.
My dear countrymen, Shri Mangesh from Maharashtra has shared a photo on the Narendra Modi Mobile App. It was such a striking photo that my attention was magnetically drawn towards. The photo showed that a grandson was participating in the Clean Morna River along with his grandfather. I came to know that the citizens of Akola had organized a cleanliness campaign to clean the Morna river under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan The Morna river was a perennial river flowing throughout the twelve months of the year but now it has become seasonal. The second painful fact was that the river was completely filled with wild grass and hyacinth. A lot of garbage was being dumped into the river and along its banks. An action plan was chalked out and on January 13 th a day before Makar-Sankranti, in the first phase of Mission Clean Morna sanitation of the two sides of the bank of the Morna river at fourteen places spread over an area of four kilometers, was carried out.
This noble and grand task named Mission Clean Morna involved more than six thousand denizens of Akola, more than 100 NGOs, Colleges, Students, children, the elderly, mothers, sisters, almost everybody participated in this task. On January 20 th , 2018, this Sanitation Campaign continued in the same vein and I’ve been told that this campaign will continue every Saturday morning till the Morna river is completely cleaned. Mission Clean Morna shows that if a person is determined to do something, then nothing is impossible. Huge social reforms can be brought about through mass movements. I congratulate the people of Akola, the district and the municipal corporation’s administration, all the citizens who were associated with this mass movement, I laud your efforts which are not only very much appreciated but this will inspire the other citizens of the country.
My dear countrymen, these days you must be hearing a lot about the Padma Awards. These awards also attract attention innewspapers and television also. But if you scrutinize, then you will be proud of the fact that there many loftier personalities amidst us and you will naturally be proud of the very fact that today the common man is being cited for Padma awards without any recommendations. There was a certain methodology of awarding Padma Awards every year, but this entire process has been changed for the past three years. Now any citizen can nominate any person in our country. Transparency has been brought about in the entire process by making it operable online. In a way, the selection of these awards has been transformed completely. You may have noticed that many ordinary people not visible in big cities, in newspapers or on TV are being awarded with Padma citations. Now the identity of the awardee is not the deciding factor of the award, rather the importance of his work is increasing. You must have heard the name of Arvind Gupta ji. It will gladden your heart to know, that Arvind ji, a student of IIT Kanpur, spent all his life creating toys for children. He has been making toys from garbage for over four decades so that children can increase their curiosity towards science.
He has been trying to get children inspired to conduct scientific experiments using waste; towards this end he has been encouraging children by showing them films made in 18 languages in three thousand schools across the country. What a wonderful life, what a dedicated mission! A similar story is that of Sitavaa Jodatti from Karnataka. She has not been hailed as Goddess of women empowerment just for nothing! For the past three decades, in Belagavi, she has made a great contribution towards changing the lives of countless women. At the age of seven she had dedicated herself as a Devadasi but in a turnaround, for the welfare of the Devdasis, she has spent her entire life. Not only this, she has done unprecedented work for the welfare of Dalit women too. You must have heard the name of Bhajju Shyam of Madhya Pradesh, Shri Bhajju Shyam was born in a very poor tribal family. He was employed in a small job for eking out his living, but he was also fond of painting in the traditional tribal art form. Today, due to this hobby, he garnered respect not only in India but the entire world. He has exhibited his paintings in many countries like Netherlands, Germany, England and Italy. The talent of Bhajju Shyam ji, who made India proud in many nations abroad, was also recognized and he was awarded the Padma Shri.
You will be pleasantly surprised listening to the story of Keralas tribal lady Lakshmikutti. Laxmikutty is a teacher in Kallar and still resides in a hut made of palm leaves in a tribal tract amidst dense forests. She has created five hundred herbal medicines relying solely on her memory. She has mastery in synthesizing medicines used for treatment of snake bites. Lakshmi Ji is continuously serving society with her knowledge of herbal medicines. Identifying her anonymous persona, she has been honoured with the Padma Shri for her contribution to society. I would like to mention another name today, that of 75 year old Subhasini Mistri, hailing from West Bengal, who was selected for the award. Subhasini Mistri is a woman who, in order to construct a hospital, cleaned utensils in the homes of others and also sold vegetables. At the age of 23 she lost her husband due to lack of proper treatment, and this incident inspired her to build a hospital for the poor. Today, thousands of poor people are treated free of cost in this hospital that has come up through hard-work. I am convinced that there are many men and women in our land filled with gems, Bahuratna-Vasundhara, many gifted women and men who remain faceless or unknown.The failure to identify such people is also a loss to the society, the Padma awards are only a medium of acknowledgement, but I would also like to tell the countrymen that people serving the society around us, people giving up all that they have got for the sake of society, millions of people who have worked for a life time for us bestowed with one or the other useful attribute should be acknowledged in our midst. They do not labour for any honor, but their work inspires us. These people should be invited to schools and colleges to share their experiences. Beyond awards, there should be some more efforts from our society in acknowledging their contribution.
My dear countrymen, we celebrate Pravasi Bharatiya Divas on January 9 th every year. It was on the 9 th of January, when our revered Mahatma Gandhi returned to India from South Africa. On this day, we celebrate the unbreakable bond that exists between Indians in India and Indians living around the globe. This year we organized a program on Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, where all MPs and Mayors of Indian origin were invited. You will be pleased to know that in this programme, Malaysia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Portugal, Mauritius, Fiji, Tanzania, Kenya, Canada, Britain, Surinam, South Africa and America, and many other countries wherever our Mayors or MPs of Indian Origin exist, all of them participated. I am happy that the people of Indian origin who live in different countries continue to serve those countries and at the same time they have maintained their strong relationship with India as well
This time, the European Union, has sent me a calendar, in which they have displayed the contributions by Indians in various fields of life living in different countries of Europe; whether working in the field of cyber security, or dedicated to Ayurveda, entertaining the society through music, or through poetry; someone researching on climate change or working on ancient Indian texts, someone driving a truck for livelihood, who went on to construct a Gurudwara or has built a mosque – wherever our people are, they have in their own way embellished or adorned the land of their adoption. I would thus like to thank the European Union, for recognizing the people of Indian origin and through them in making people in India and people the world over aware of their exemplary work.
The 30 th of January is the death anniversary of our revered Bapu, who showed us a new path. On that day we also observe martyrs day in solemn memory of the great martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the defense of the country and pay our homage at 11 in the morning. The path of peace and non-violence, is the path of Bapu and this is applicable not only for India or the world, but also for a person or a family or a society. The ideals which Bapu practiced in his life, things that he imparted are relevant even today. They were not just mere theories. At present we witness at every step how accurate Bapus words were. What can be a bigger tribute than taking a vow that we shall tread the path of Bapu – and walk, as far as possible?
My dear countrymen, with my best wishes to all of you for 2018, my speech draws to a close. Thank you very much.
Namaskar.
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, 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.
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, has invited ideas for his address to the nation on 15th August 2017. The Prime Minister has urged people to share their ideas for the speech on the specially created open forum on the Narendra Modi App.
“When I address the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on 15th August, I am merely the medium. The voice is of 125 crore Indians.
Share your ideas for the speech on 15th August, on the specially created open forum on the NM App. http://nm4.in/dnldapp”, the Prime Minister said.
