Staff Reporter
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said that Mann Ki Baat has become a great medium to learn from the qualities of others. Addressing the nation in the 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat on All India Radio, Mr. Modi congratulated the listeners and said the programme belongs to them and is an expression of their feelings. He thanked the listeners of Mann Ki Baat for their letters and messages over the years, adding that he was indeed emotional at their outpouring of love.
The journey of Mann Ki Baat began on the 3rd of October, 2014 on the festival of Vijaya Dashami. The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction that any subject which ‘Mann Ki Baat’ got associated with turned into a mass movement. He gave the examples of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Swachh Bharat movement, love for Khadi, Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav and Amrit Sarovar. He credited the people for the mass success of these movements. He added that when he jointly addressed ‘Mann Ki Baat’ with the then US President Barack Obama, it became a matter of discussion all across the world.
Prime Minister recounted that when he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, it was natural for him to meet and interact with the common people. However, when he became the Prime Minister in 2014, he found that he was bound by circumstances, and the rigours of security and time limits. Mr. Modi recalled feeling empty in the initial days. He emphasised that he had not left his home fifty years ago, just to be cut off from the people of his own country. Mr. Modi highlighted that ‘Mann Ki Baat’ gave him a solution to this challenge and a way to connect with the common man. He further stated that ‘Mann Ki Baat’ is not just a programme for him, but is like a form of worship. He added that ‘Mann Ki Baat’ is like a Thaal of Prasad at the feet of God. He stressed that ‘Mann Ki Baat’ has become a spiritual journey of his being and that he sees the programme as a journey from the self to the collective.
Prime Minister said that all the people who find mention in ‘Mann Ki Baat’ are Heroes who have made this programme come alive. He lauded the people who have been planting trees on deserted hills and barren land for 40 years, and digging stepwells and ponds for water conservation for 30 years. Prime Minister praised those who have been teaching underprivileged children for 25 to 30 years, and those who are helping in the treatment of the poor.
As Mann Ki Baat reached the milestone of 100th episode, Mr. Modi spoke to some of these Heroes to know about their onward journey. Sunil Jaglan of Haryana joined him in Mann Ki Baat today. Mr. Modi had come across Sunil Jaglan’s ‘Selfie With Daughter’ campaign, and included it in ‘Mann Ki Baat’. In no time, ‘Selfie With Daughter’ turned into a Global Campaign. Prime Minister said that the result of many such efforts has led to the improvement in Gender Ratio in Haryana. Sunil Jaglan told the Prime Minister that his initiatives like Selfie with Daughter brought smiles on the faces of every daughter’s father and those who love daughters.
Mr. Modi exuded pride that hundreds of inspiring stories of woman power in the country have been mentioned in Mann Ki Baat. He recalled that he had discussed the women of Deur village of Chhattisgarh. These women, through self-help groups, run campaigns to clean village squares, roads and temples. He added that similarly, the country took inspiration from the tribal women of Tamil Nadu, who exported thousands of Eco-Friendly Terracotta Cups. In Tamil Nadu, 20 thousand women came together to revive the Nag River in Vellore. Mr Modi said many such campaigns have been led by woman power and ‘Mann Ki Baat’ has served as a platform to bring their efforts to the fore.
Prime Minister also held a conversation with Manzoor Ahmed, who was referred to while talking about Pencil Slates of Jammu and Kashmir. Manzoor Ahmed told him that his work regarding Pencil Slates is going very well and he is providing employment to 200 people. He said he is expanding his work and will be able to give employment to an additional 200 people. Prime Minister expressed delight at the prospect and said there is a tremendous prospect for Vocal for Local.
Mr Modi spoke about Venkat Murali Prasad of Visakhapatnam who did an Atmanirbhar Bharat Chart Share. He had told how he would make maximum use of Indian products only. Prime Minister emphasised that when Pramod of Bettiah set up a small unit to make LED bulbs or Santosh of Garhmukteshwar started making mats, ‘Mann Ki Baat’ had become the medium to bring their products to the fore. He said many examples were discussed in Mann Ki Baat, from Make in India to Space Start-ups among others.
Mr. Modi also had a chat with Manipur’s Vijayashanti Devi who makes clothes from lotus fibres. This unique eco-friendly idea of hers was discussed in ‘Mann Ki Baat’ and her work became known across the country. Vijayashanti Devi told the Prime Minister that she is working with a 30 person team and her goal is to employ 100 women. She said everyone is familiar with lotus stem fibre now and she will export her products to the US from this year.
Prime Minister noted that through ‘Mann Ki Baat’, many mass movements have come into being and gained momentum. He cited the examples of the toy industry, raising awareness about Indian breed dogs, ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign among others. He said that every such example has become an agent of change in the society. He spoke to Pradeep Sangwan who is one such person who has taken up the task to inspire the society. They discussed Pradeep Sangwan’s ‘Healing Himalayas’ campaign. Mr. Sangwan told the Prime Minister that earlier, they used to conduct six to seven cleaning drives in a year. Today, they collect five tons of garbage on a daily basis from different locations. Mr. Modi lauded these efforts saying people are now believing that waste is also a wealth.
Prime Minister stated that tourism is growing very fast in the country. He stressed on the importance of keeping the natural resources clean. He added that this will help the tourism industry a lot. Mr. Modi said that Incredible India movement has also been discussed often in Mann Ki Baat. Through this movement, for the first time, people came to know about nice places, which were just in their neighbourhood. Prime Minister again urged people to visit at least 15 tourist destinations in India and that these destinations should not be from the state where they reside. Mr Modi also said that topics like clean Siachen, single use plastic and e-waste have been broadly discussed in Mann Ki Baat. He said that this effort of ‘Mann Ki Baat’ is very important in solving environmental issues about which the whole world is concerned.
Prime Minister received a special message from UNESCO DG Audrey Azoulay regarding ‘Mann Ki Baat’. She gave her best wishes to all the countrymen for the completion of 100 episodes of Mann Ki Baat. Mr. Modi expressed happiness that she raised important issues of education and culture. The DG of UNESCO wanted to know about India’s efforts regarding Education and Cultural Preservation. Mr. Modi said both these topics have been favourites of ‘Mann Ki Baat’. Whether education or culture, its preservation or promotion, Mr. Modi stressed that this has been an ancient tradition of India. He added that his government has taken several initiatives in this regard, including a National Education Policy and the option of studying in a regional language. He said that years ago, programs like ‘Gunotsav and Shala Praveshotsav’ had become wonderful examples of public participation in Gujarat to provide better education and reduce dropout rates.
Prime Minister elaborated that in ‘Mann Ki Baat’, the efforts of many people who are selflessly working for education have been highlighted. He cited the example of Late D. Prakash Rao, a tea vendor in Odisha, who was engaged in the mission of teaching poor children. He also gave the examples of Sanjay Kashyap, who runs Digital Libraries in the villages of Jharkhand, and Hemlata N.K., who helped many children through e-learning during Covid.
Mr. Modi said that people from every corner of the country have sent him such examples through letters. He recalled that he had also talked about three competitions related to songs, lullabies and ‘Rangoli’ on patriotism. He said that Indian forms of education through Story Telling with Story Tellers have also been discussed in Mann Ki Baat.
Prime Minister said that this year, India is moving forward in the Azadi Ka Amrit Kaal, and also presiding over the G-20. He said this is also one of the reasons why his government’s resolve to enrich Diverse Global Cultures along with education has become stronger. He recited a mantra from the Upanishads – CharaivetiCharaivetiCharaiveti – which urges the people to keep moving forward. He said they are completing the 100th episode of ‘Mann Ki Baat’ with the same spirit of CharaivetiCharaiveti. He added that in strengthening the social fabric of India, ‘Mann Ki Baat’ is like the thread of a rosary, holding each bead together. He said ‘Mann Ki Baat’ has always moved ahead with goodwill, the spirit of service and the sense of duty. He said this positivity will take the country forward in the Amrit Kaal.
Prime Minister thanked the personnel of All India Radio who record this entire program with great patience. He also thanked the translators, who translate ‘Mann Ki Baat’ into different regional languages in a very short time. He also expressed gratitude towards the personnel of Doordarshan and MyGov, and the electronic media, who show ‘Mann Ki Baat’ without commercial breaks.