“Work of Shri Prahladji Patel will be useful for current generation and will inspire future generations”
Becharaji means the holy pilgrim centre of Goddess Bahuchara. Becharaji's holy land has produced many sons, social workers and patriots. On the occasion of 115th birth anniversary of one such son from this soil, freedom fighter and social worker Shri Prahladji Hargovandas Patel, we have got the opportunity to commemorate his virtues and that too amidst the sacred festival of Navratri and in the presence of Mother Bahuchara. And as we Indians are celebrating the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav', it is my extreme pleasure to commemorate a patriot like Prahladbhai.
Prahladbhai originally belonged to Sitapur village, but had come and settled in Becharaji. Prahladji had become famous in the entire state by the name of Seth Latiwala. It was as if he had come to this state as Krishna's 'Sanwaliya Seth' form and had served the society with a generous heart. Like many youngsters, Prahladbhai had become active in the freedom movement under Gandhiji's influence during the freedom struggle. He also was imprisoned in Sabarmati and Yerwada Jail. His father had died during one such imprisonment, but he had categorically refused to write an apology to the British government and be released on parole. His parents were cremated by his cousin brother. In this way, putting the interest of the nation ahead of the family, he had lived up to the idea of 'nation first'. In the war of independence, he was also involved in certain underground activities and had attempted to hide several fighters in Becharaji. After independence, he had played a vital role in the merger of small states of the country under the instructions of Sardar Sahib and had actively contributed in connecting the states like Dasada, Vanod and Zainabad with India. It is extremely disheartening that such patriots are hardly mentioned in the history books of the country.
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It is the duty of all of us to ensure that the heroic saga of freedom fighters like Prahlad Bhai is told to the new generation who can seek inspiration from that. Even after the freedom struggle was over, in independent India, he did not rest; he remained engrossed in social work. In 1951, he had joined Vinoba Bhave's Bhoodan movement and had donated 200 bighas of land owned by him. This was a great step taken by one 'Bhoomi Putra' in the interest of several landless people. In 1962, in the first election of Gujarat, after it separated from Bombay state, he had fought from Chanasma seat and had become a public representative as well as a voice of the people. He took the entire state to the path of development. I still remember, I used to work for the Sangh at that time and had to go to different places for the same. And whenever people wanted to go to Becharaji, for them it was as if Prahladbhai’s Lathi itself had become the place of public welfare Prahladbhai, who worked in the spirit of trusteeship, was a link to the Mahajan tradition of Gujarat. And talking of Prahlad bhai, today's event will remain incomplete without mentioning his wife Kashi Ba. Kashi ba was not only an ideal housewife, but like Kasturba, she too had performed civic duties and provided her strong support to her husband. His whole life, work tradition, his desire to work in those conditions and every little thing is an invaluable document of the freedom struggle. His work and social contribution should be documented so that it provides new information to today's generation; and so, he would be an inspiration for the coming generation. During his lifetime, he was leading in public service, but even after his death, he resolved to donate his eyes. Just imagine, he took the decision of donating his eyes even in those days when there was no awareness about eye donation. How great and inspiring was this resolution!
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All the universities of Gujarat should find such great men from every nook and corner of the state and compile their unknown, unsung stories and make them famous in the form of a book. That is when the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' will uphold its true meaning. Shri Prahladbhai was like a Triveni confluence of patriotism, spirit of devotion, duty & service. Today, think of his dedication and seek inspiration in the direction of building and further developing a New India. This will be a tribute to him in the true sense. I respectfully pay my obeisance to Prahladbhai and his excellent work. And in the presence of Mother Bahuchara, I conclude my speech by bowing down to Mother Bahuchara and those serving Mother Bharati.
India is going to open doors of new possibilities of space for the world: PM Modi
June 28, 2025
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I extend my heartiest congratulations and best wishes to you for hoisting the flag of India in space: PM
Science and Spirituality, both are our Nation’s strength: PM
The success of Chandrayaan mission and your historic journey renew interest in science among the children and youth of the country: PM
We have to take Mission Gaganyaan forward, we have to build our own space station and also land Indian astronauts on the Moon: PM
Your historic journey is the first chapter of success of India's Gaganyaan mission and will give speed and new vigour to our journey of Viksit Bharat: PM
India is going to open doors of new possibilities of space for the world: PM
Prime Minister: Shubhanshu Namaskar!
Shubhanshu Shukla: Namaskar!
Prime Minister: Today you are far away from your motherland, from Bharat Bhumi, but you are closest to the hearts of Indians. There is auspiciousness in your name and your journey is also the beginning of a new era. At this time, we two are talking, but the sentiments of 140 crore Indians are also with me. My voice reflects the enthusiasm and excitement of all Indians. I extend my heartiest congratulations and best wishes to you for hoisting the flag of India in space. I am not taking much time, so first of all tell me, is everything fine there? Are you feeling well?
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Shubhanshu Shukla: Yes, Prime Minister Ji! Thank you very much for your wishes and the wishes of my 140 crore countrymen. I am absolutely fine and safe here. Because of your blessings and love… I am feeling very good. This is a very new experience and somewhere or the other, many such things are happening which show in which direction I and many people like me in our country and our India are moving. This journey of mine, this small journey of 400 kilometers from the earth to the orbit, is not just mine. I feel that somewhere this is also the journey of our country because when I was young, I could never imagine that I could become an astronaut. But I believe that today's India under your leadership provides this opportunity and also gives a chance to realize those dreams. So, this is a great achievement for me and I feel very proud that I am able to represent my country here. Thank you, Prime Minister Ji!
Prime Minister: Shubh, you are out in space, where gravity is next to nothing, but every Indian is seeing how down to earth you are. Did you feed the Gajar ka halwa you carried with you to your friends?
Shubhanshu Shukla: Yes, Prime Ministerji! I had brought some food items from my country, like Gajar ka Halwa, Moong Dal Halwa and Aam Ras and I wanted my other friends, who have come from other countries, to also taste it and experience the rich culinary heritage of India. So, we all sat together and tasted it and everyone liked it very much. Some people asked when they would come down and visit our country and taste it with us…
Prime Minister: Shubh, Parikrama is a centuries old tradition of India. You have got the good fortune of doing Parikrama of Mother Earth. Which part of the Earth will you be passing over right now?
Shubhanshu Shukla: Yes, Prime Minister Ji! I don't have that information right now, but a little while ago I was looking out the window, we were passing over Hawaii, and we orbit 16 times a day. We see 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets from orbit and this entire process is very amazing. In this orbit, at this fast speed, we are moving at the speed of about 28000 kilometers per hour
while talking to you and this speed is not known because we are inside, but somewhere this speed definitely shows at what speed our country is progressing.
Prime Minister: Great!
Shubhanshu Shukla: At this moment we have reached here and now we have to go further from here.
Prime Minister: Well, what was the first thought that came to your mind after seeing the vastness of space?
Shubhanshu Shukla: Prime Minister ji, to be honest, when we reached the orbit for the first time, reached space, the first view was of the Earth and the first thought after seeing the Earth from outside, the first thought that came to mind was that the Earth looks completely uniform, I mean no boundary line, no border is visible from outside. And the second thing that was very noticeable was when we saw India for the first time, when we study India on the map, we see how big the size of other countries is, what is our size, we see that on the map, but it is not correct because we draw a 3D object in 2D, that is, on paper. India really looks very grand, looks very big. It is much bigger than what we see on the map and the feeling of oneness, the feeling of oneness of the earth, which is also our motto that unity in diversity, its importance is understood in such a way when seen from outside that it seems that no border exists, no state exists, no countries exist, finally we all are a part of humanity and the earth is our home and all of us are its citizens.
Prime Minister: Shubhanshu, you are the first Indian to go to the space station. You have worked very hard. You have gone through a long training. Now you are in a real situation, you are actually in space, how different are the conditions there? How are you adapting?
Shubhanshu Shukla: Everything is different here Prime Minister Ji, we did training for the last one year, I knew about all the systems, I knew about all the processes, I knew about the experiments. But as soon as I came here, suddenly everything changed, because our body gets so used to living in gravity that everything is decided by it, but after coming here, since gravity is microgravity and is absent, even small things become very difficult. Right now, while talking to you, I have tied my legs, otherwise I would go up and the mike too, these are small things, that is, even if I leave it like this, it keeps floating like this. Drinking water, walking, sleeping is a big challenge, you can sleep on the roof, you can sleep on the walls, you can sleep on the ground.
So, Prime Minister Ji, everything happens, the training is good, but the environment changes, so it takes a day or two to get used to it, but then it becomes fine, then it becomes normal.
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Prime Minister: Shubh, India's strength lies in both science and spirituality. You are on a space journey, but the journey of India must also be going on. India must be running inside you. Do you get the benefit of meditation and mindfulness in that environment?
Shubhanshu Shukla: Yes, Prime Minister Ji, I completely agree. I believe that India is already running and this mission is just the first step of that big race and we are definitely moving ahead and we will have our own stations in space and many people will reach there and mindfulness also makes a lot of difference. There are many situations during normal training or even during launch, which are very stressful and with mindfulness you are able to keep yourself calm in those situations and if you keep yourself calm, you are able to take good decisions. It is said that no one can eat while running, so the calmer you remain, the better you will be able to take decisions. So, I think mindfulness plays a very important role in these things, so if both things are practiced together, then in such a challenging environment or challenging atmosphere, I think it will be very useful and will help people adapt very quickly.
Prime Minister: You are doing many experiments in space. Is there any experiment that will benefit the agriculture or health sector in the future?
Shubhanshu Shukla: Yes, Prime Minister Ji, I can say with great pride that for the first time Indian scientists have designed 7 unique experiments, which I have brought with me to the station and the first experiment that I am going to do, which is scheduled today, is on Stem
Cells. So, what happens on going to space is that because gravity is absent, the load goes away and hence muscle loss occurs. So, my experiment is looking at whether we can stop or delay this muscle loss by giving some supplement. It has a direct implication on Earth too that these supplements can be used on people who suffer muscle loss due to old age. So, I think it can definitely be used there. Along with this, the other experiment is on the growth of microalgae. These microalgae are very small but very nutritious, so if we can see their growth here and invent a process so that we can grow them in large numbers and provide nutrition, then somewhere it will be very useful for food security on earth. The biggest advantage of space is that the process here happens very quickly. So, we do not need to wait for months or years, so the results that we get here can be used by us and…
Prime Minister: Shubhanshu, after the success of Chandrayaan, a new interest in science was born among the children and youth of the country, the passion to explore space increased. Now this historic journey of yours is further strengthening that resolve. Today children do not just look at the sky, they think, I too can reach there. This thinking, this feeling is the real foundation of our future space missions. What message would you give to the young generation of India?
Shubhanshu Shukla: Prime Minister Ji, if I want to give a message to our young generation today, then first of all I will tell you that in the direction in which India is moving, we have seen very bold and very high dreams and to fulfil those dreams, we need all of you, so to fulfil that need, I would say that there is no one path to success that sometimes you take one path, sometimes someone takes the other path, but one thing that is common in every path is that you should never give up trying, Never Stop Trying. If you adopt this basic mantra that no matter what path you are on, where you are, but you will never give up, then success may come today or tomorrow, but it will definitely come.
Prime Minister: I am sure that the youth of the country will like these words of yours and you know me very well. Whenever I talk to anyone, I always give them homework. We have to take Mission Gaganyaan forward, we have to build our own space station, and also have to land Indian astronauts on the moon. Your experiences will be very useful in all these missions. I am sure you must be recording your experiences there.
Shubhanshu Shukla: Yes, Prime Minister Ji, absolutely, while undergoing the training and experiencing this entire mission, the lessons that I have received, the learnings that I have gained, I am absorbing them all like a sponge and I am sure that all these things will prove to be very valuable, very important for us when I come back and we will be able to apply these lessons effectively in our missions and complete them as quickly as possible. Because my friends who had come with me, somewhere they also asked me when we can go on Gaganyaan, which I felt very happy to hear and I said that soon. So, I think that this dream will be fulfilled very soon and the lessons that I am learning here; after coming back, I will try to apply them 100% in my mission and complete it as soon as possible.
Prime Minister: Shubhanshu, I am sure that this message of yours will inspire and when we met before you left, I also got the opportunity to meet your family members and I saw that all your family members are equally emotional and full of enthusiasm. Shubhanshu, today I really enjoyed talking to you. I know you have a lot of work and you have to work at a speed of 28000 kilometers, so I will not take much of your time. Today I can say with confidence that this is the first chapter of the success of India's Gaganyaan mission. This historic journey of yours is not just limited to space, it will give speed and new strength to our journey towards developed India. India is going to open the doors of new possibilities of space for the world. Now India will not just fly, it will prepare the platform for new flights in future. I want to hear something more in your mind because I do not want to ask a question. If you express the feelings that are in your mind, the countrymen will listen, the young generation of the country will listen, then I myself am very eager to hear some more things from you.
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Shubhanshu Shukla: Thank you, Prime Minister Ji! This entire journey of coming to space and training here and reaching here, I have learnt a lot in this, Prime Minister Ji, but after reaching
here, it is a personal accomplishment for me, but somewhere I feel that this is a very big collective achievement for our country. And I want to give a message to every child who is watching this, to every youth who is watching this and that is that if you try and you make your future well, then your future will be good and the future of our country will be good and keep only one thing in your mind, that sky has never the limits, neither for you, nor for me, nor for India and if you always keep this thing in your mind, then you will move ahead, you will illuminate your future and you will illuminate the future of our country and this is my message, Prime Minister and I am very, very emotional and very happy that I got the opportunity to talk to you today and through you to talk to 140 crore countrymen, who are able to see, this tricolor that you are seeing behind me, it was not here, before yesterday when I came here, then we have hoisted it here for the first time. So, this makes me very emotional and I feel very good to see that India has reached the International Space Station today.
Prime Minister: Shubhanshu, I wish you and all your colleagues the very best for the success of your mission. Shubhanshu, we are all waiting for your return. Take care of yourself, keep raising the respect of Maa Bharati. Many many best wishes, best wishes of 140 crore countrymen and I thank you very much for working so hard and reaching this height. Bharat Mata ki Jai!
Shubhanshu Shukla: Thank you, Prime Minister, thank you and thank you to all 140 crore countrymen and Bharat Mata Ki Jai for everyone from space!
“Work of Shri Prahladji Patel will be useful for current generation and will inspire future generations” 
