Prime Minister Narendra Modi today expressed gratitude to the people for reiterating their faith in the Constitution and the democratic systems of the country in the Lok Sabha elections. Addressing the nation in his Mann ki Baat programme on Akashvani this morning, the Prime Minister highlighted that the 2024 General Elections were the biggest elections in the world in which 65 crore people cast their votes. He said this has never happened in any other country in the world. Mr. Modi congratulated the Election Commission and everyone involved in the voting process.
Prime Minister noted that the 30th of June is an important day as ‘Hool Diwas’ is celebrated today. He said this day is associated with the courage of Veer Sidhu and Kanhu, who opposed the atrocities of the British rulers. Veer Sidhu and Kanhu united thousands of Santhal people to fight against the British in 1855 in Santhal Pargana of Jharkhand. Mr. Modi said Veer Sidhu and Kanhu attained martyrdom while displaying bravery in this struggle. He added that the supreme sacrifice of these sons of Jharkhand inspires people even today.
Mr. Modi spoke about the special campaign launched on World Environment Day this year – ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’. He appealed to people from all over the world to plant a tree along with their mothers or in their mothers’ names. He was happy to note that people are sharing pictures of planting trees with their mothers or with their photographs. He said this campaign has provided everyone with an opportunity to express affection towards their mothers, by sharing their pictures on social media with #Plant4Mother and #Ek_Ped_Maa_Ke_Naam. He added that this campaign will also benefit and protect Mother Earth.
Prime Minister elaborated that during the last decade, there has been an unprecedented expansion of forest area in India. During the Amrit Mahotsav, more than 60 thousand Amrit Sarovars have also been created across the country. Speaking about the Monsoon season, Mr Modi mentioned a special umbrella made in Kerala – ‘Karthumbhi Umbrella’. These special umbrellas are crafted in Attappady of Kerala. Prime Minister praised the tribal women of Kerala for making these colourful umbrellas and expressed happiness that the demand for these umbrellas is rising across the country. These umbrellas are also being sold online and are made under the supervision of ‘Vattalakki Cooperative Farming Society’. Mr Modi said that under the leadership of women, the tribal community of Attappady has displayed a wonderful example of entrepreneurship. They are now preparing to open a retail outlet and a traditional cafe. Prime Minister said there cannot be a better example of Vocal for Local than this.
Prime Minister also spoke about the Araku coffee produced in large quantities in Alluri Sita Rama Raju district of Andhra Pradesh. It is known for its rich flavour and aroma. Around 1.5 lakh tribal families are associated with the cultivation of Araku coffee. Mr Modi lauded Girijan cooperative for playing an important role in taking Araku coffee to new heights. He said that this has enhanced the income of the farmers and benefitted the Konda Dora tribal community. Araku coffee has received many global awards and Prime Minister was pleased to note that the coffee was a hit at the G-20 Summit held in Delhi last year.
Mr. Modi also gave the example of snow peas of Jammu and Kashmir. He said the first consignment of snow peas was sent to London from Pulwama recently. He credited Abdul Rashid Mir of Chakura village for taking the initiative of growing snow peas by integrating the land of other farmers of the village. Prime Minister said this success has opened new doors for the prosperity of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He also urged listeners to share stories about such products with #myproductsmypride.
Prime Minister Modi informed that Kuwait government has started a special program on its National Radio in Hindi. It is broadcast every Sunday for half an hour on Kuwait Radio. Mr Modi said Indian films and discussions related to the art world are popular among the Indian community there. Prime Minister thanked the government and people of Kuwait for taking this initiative.
Mr Modi expressed happiness over the fact that Indian culture is earning glory all over the world. He cited the example of Turkmenistan where the 300th birth anniversary of that country’s national poet was celebrated in May this year. On the occasion, the President of Turkmenistan unveiled the statues of 24 famous poets of the world. One of these statues is that of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore.
Prime Minister also highlighted that this month, two Caribbean countries -Suriname and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines- celebrated their Indian heritage with zeal and enthusiasm. The Indian community in Suriname celebrates 5th of June every year as Indian Arrival Day and Pravasi Din. Mr Modi said that Bhojpuri is also widely spoken there, along with Hindi.
Touching upon the subject of Yoga, Prime Minister said that the whole world celebrated the 10th International Day of Yoga with enthusiasm. He stated that new records are being made every year as the observance of Yoga Day is progressing. Highlighting some of these achievements, Prime Minister said that a woman, Al Hanouf Saad ji, led the common Yoga protocol for the first time in Saudi Arabia. In Egypt, a photo competition was organized on Yoga Day. Mr. Modi said photos of lakhs of people performing Yoga on the banks of the river Nile, on the beaches of the Red Sea and in front of the pyramids became very popular. Myanmar’s Maravijaya Pagoda Complex also saw a Yoga Session being organized. A special camp was organized for Divyang children in Bahrain.
Prime Minister also mentioned the Yoga Session held at Galle Fort, famous for its UNESCO heritage site in Sri Lanka. People also performed Yoga at the Observation Deck in New York, US. The President of Marshall Islands also participated in the Yoga Day program organized there on a large scale for the first time. A grand Yoga Day program was also organized in Thimpu, Bhutan, in which the Bhutanese Prime Minister also participated. Mr Modi expressed his gratitude to all those who participated on Yoga Day. He urged people to practice Yoga regularly for positive changes in their lives.
Prime Minister stated that the Paris Olympics will begin by this time next month. He wished the Indian contingent his best for the Olympic Games. He added that the performance of Indian players in Tokyo Olympics had won the hearts of every Indian. Prime Minister said that certain things will be witnessed in Paris Olympics for the first time. Both men and women teams have qualified in table tennis. This time, Indian team will compete in certain categories in wrestling and horse riding, in which they had never participated before. Mr Modi said that the entire nation is rooting for the players to bring home medals. He also said that he will meet the Indian team in the coming days and encourage them on the nation’s behalf. He urged people to cheer for them with #Cheer4Bharat.
Prime Minister also congratulated the Akashvani family as the Sanskrit Bulletin of Akashvani is completing 50 years of its broadcast today. He highlighted that for 50 years, this bulletin has kept many people connected to Sanskrit. Mr. Modi said Sanskrit has played a big role in the progress of ancient Indian knowledge and science. He stressed that Sanskrit should be respected and connected with people’s daily life. He cited an example of such an effort in Bengaluru’s Cubbon Park. Every Sunday, children, youth and elders talk to each other in Sanskrit in this park. The initiative called Sanskrit Weekend was started by Samashti Gubbi through a website. It has become very popular among the people of Bengaluru.
Mr. Modi said that the Rath Yatra in Puri is going to start after a week from now. He hoped that the blessings of Lord Jagannath always remain on the countrymen. He also mentioned Amarnath Yatra and Pandharpur Wari and extended his best wishes to all the devotees participating in these Yatras. He also extended his greetings ahead of the Kutchi New Year – Ashadhi Beej.
Prime Minister expressed delight over being able to connect with people once again through Mann Ki Baat. He emphasised that ‘Mann Ki Baat’ radio programme may have been paused for a few months, but the spirit of ‘Mann Ki Baat’ in the country and society carried on relentlessly. He said Mann Ki Baat will continue to discuss India’s rich culture, history and efforts towards making a developed India.
Disclaimer: This press release is sourced from News On AIR, Prasar Bharti and Press Information Bureau India (PIB).
