Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the Pran Pratishtha of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya on the 22nd of this month has bound crores of countrymen together around a common thread.
Addressing the nation in his Mann Ki Baat programme on Akashvani, Mr. Modi said the country saw the power of togetherness during the occasion, which is also the major basis for the Government’s resolve of a developed India. Mr. Modi said that the entire country lit Ram Jyoti and sang Ram Bhajans on the evening of the 22nd of January. Saying that Lord Ram’s rule was a source of inspiration for the makers of the Indian Constitution, the Prime Minister mentioned Dev se Desh and Ram se Rashtra. The Prime Minister expressed happiness that lakhs of people answered his call to run a cleanliness campaign from Makar Sankranti to the 22nd of January. He said people cleaned religious places in their area and sent him pictures and videos related to this. Mr. Modi stressed that this campaign should not stop. He said this power of collectivity will take the nation to new heights of success.
The Prime Minister noted that this is the first ‘Mann Ki Baat’ program of 2024 and there is a new enthusiasm in Amritkaal. He added that the nation celebrated the 75th Republic Day with great pomp and fervour two days ago. He stated that this year, the Indian Constitution is also attaining completion of 75 years. He said the Supreme Court is also completing 75 years. He said these festivals of democracy further strengthen India as the Mother of Democracy. Mr. Modi highlighted that the Constitution has come into being after such intense brainstorming that it is called a living document. In Part Three of the original copy of the Constitution, the fundamental rights of the citizens of India have been described. Prime Minister called it noteworthy that at the beginning of Part Three, the makers of the Constitution had allotted due space to the pictures of Lord Ram, Mother Sita and Lakshman.
The Prime Minister spoke about Nari Shakti during this year’s Republic Day parade, saying Women’s Power in the parade was the most discussed element. He said everyone was filled with pride when the women contingents of Central Security Forces and Delhi Police marched on Kartavya Path. Out of the 20 contingents that marched in the Parade, eleven contingents were women. Mr. Modi emphasised that 21st Century India is thus moving ahead with the mantra of Women Led Development. He also exuded pride that 13 women athletes were honoured in the Arjuna Award ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan held recently. He added that India’s daughters are performing wonders in every field.
The Prime Minister said women have made their mark in the area of self-help groups as well. He expressed confidence that the day is not far when Namo Drone Didis will be seen helping in farming using drones in every village. He mentioned how women are preparing biofertilizers and biopesticides using local ingredients in Bahraich of Uttar Pradesh. The women of Nibiya Begumpur village, associated with self-help groups, prepare bio-fertilizers by mixing cow dung, neem leaves, and many types of medicinal plants. These women also prepare an organic pesticide by preparing a paste of ginger, garlic, onion and chilli. These women together have formed an organization named ‘Unnati Jaivik Ikai’. The demand for biofertilizers and biopesticides made by them is continuously rising and more than six thousand farmers from nearby villages are buying bioproducts from them.
Mr. Modi also spoke about the Padma Awards announced a couple of days ago. He said the Padma honours have been conferred upon many people who have worked to bring about big changes in society by connecting with the grassroots. Prime Minister hailed them for engaging in social service without any limelight. Prime Minister elaborated that most of these Padma Award recipients are doing unique work, like providing ambulance service, nature conservation efforts, conservation of more than 650 varieties of rice, and spreading awareness for the prevention of drug and alcohol addiction. He stated that it is a matter of happiness that 30 of those who received the honour are women. This honour has also been conferred upon those who have done excellent work in Prakrit, Malvi and Lambadi languages. Mr. Modi said many people from abroad have also been honoured with the Padma Award, whose work lends new heights to Indian culture and heritage. These also include citizens of France, Taiwan, Mexico and Bangladesh.
Prime Minister noted that the system of Padma awards has completely changed in the last decade and it has now become the People’s Padma. He said people even have a chance to nominate themselves now and termed this as the reason why 28 times more nominations have been received this time as compared to 2014. He stressed that the prestige, credibility and respect for Padma Awards are rising every year. He extended his best wishes to all those receiving the Padma Awards.
On the topic of organ donation, the Prime Minister said there have been more than a thousand people in the country who donated their organs after their death in recent years. He appreciated the kind deeds and also the families who respected the last wishes of their near and dear ones. Mr Modi observed that many organizations are also making very inspiring efforts in this direction. Some organizations are making people aware of organ donation, and some organizations are helping in registering the people willing to donate organs. He stated that due to such efforts, a positive environment is being created in the country towards organ donation and people’s lives are also being saved. Mr. Modi shared that the Ministry of AYUSH has categorized the data and terminology related to Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani medicine, with the help of the World Health Organization. He added that through the efforts of both, the terminology related to disease and treatment in Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha medicine has been codified. With the help of this coding, all doctors will now write the same language on their prescriptions or slips.
The Prime Minister elaborated that one advantage of this would be that if patients go to another doctor with that slip, the doctor will get the necessary information from just that slip. The slip will help the doctor in knowing the patient’s illness, treatment, medicines, and treatment duration. People associated with research work will also benefit from this and scientists from other countries will also get complete information about the disease, medicines and their effects. Mr Modi expressed confidence that doctors associated with these AYUSH systems will adopt this coding as soon as possible.
The Prime Minister mentioned Yanung Jamoh Lego, who is a herbal medicinal expert in Arunachal Pradesh. She has done a lot of work to revive the traditional medical system of the Adi tribe. She has also been conferred with the Padma Award this time for her contribution. Mr Modi mentioned Hemchand Manjhi of Chhattisgarh who has also received the Padma Award. Vaidyaraj Hemchand Manjhi treats people with the help of the AYUSH system of medicine. He has been serving poor patients in Narayanpur, Chhattisgarh for more than five decades. Mr Modi lauded people like them for playing a big role in preserving the treasure of Ayurveda and herbal medicine in the country.
Prime Minister noted that radio is a powerful medium to connect the entire country, even in this era of social media and the internet. He cited an example in Chhattisgarh of the power of radio and the change it can bring. He said that a popular program has been broadcast on the radio there for almost 7 years, called Hamar Hathi – Hamar Goth. In Chhattisgarh, this program is broadcast every evening from four stations of Akashvani – Ambikapur, Raipur, Bilaspur and Raigarh. Prime Minister said people living in the forests of Chhattisgarh and its surrounding areas listen to this program with great attention. In the program ‘Hamar Hathi – Hamar Goth’, announcements are made about elephant herds and the particular forest areas they are passing. This information is useful for the people there and people become alert as soon as news reaches about the arrival of elephant herds. Information related to elephants is also being disseminated to the people through social media. This has made it easier for the people living around the forest to strike a balance with the elephants.
Speaking about National Voters Day which was celebrated on the 25th of January, Mr Modi said there are approximately 96 crore voters in the country. He said this is almost three times more than the total population of America and about one and a half times more than the total population of entire Europe. Mr Modi commended the Election Commission for making relentless efforts to strengthen democratic values in the country.
Prime Minister noted with satisfaction that while the voting percentage is decreasing in many countries of the world, the voting percentage in India is increasing. In 1951-52, when elections were held for the first time in the country, only about 45 percent of the voters cast their votes. Mr Modi highlighted that this figure has increased significantly. He said the government has also made amendments to the law so that young voters can get more registration opportunities.
Mr. Modi urged first-time voters to get their names added to the voter list online through the National Voter Service Portal and Voter Helpline App.
Prime Minister remembered freedom fighter Punjab Kesari Lala Lajpat Rai and Field Marshal KM Cariappa on their birth anniversary today. He said Lala Lajpat Rai played an instrumental role in the establishment of the Punjab National Bank and many other institutions. He said Field Marshal KM Cariappa set an example of courage and bravery by leading the army during an important period of history.
Touching upon the subject of Sports, the Prime Minister said the Khelo India Youth Games were inaugurated in Chennai just a few days ago. More than five thousand athletes from the country are participating in the Games. Mr Modi expressed happiness that new platforms are continuously being created in India for players to display their potential. He mentioned the Beach Games organised in Diu at the beginning of this year itself. These were India’s first multi-sports beach games and included competitions like Tug of War, Sea swimming, Malkhamb, Beach volleyball, Beach Kabaddi, Beach soccer, and Beach Boxing. Madhya Pradesh won the maximum medals in this tournament, where there is no sea beach.
Mr. Modi said he is looking forward to the 7th edition of ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’ tomorrow. He said the program allows him to interact with students, and mitigate their exam-related stress. He added that in the last seven years, ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’ has emerged as a very good medium to discuss various issues related to education and examinations. More than 2.25 crore students have registered for it and have also put forward their inputs.