I was not feeling like doing Mann ki Baat today. I am feeling heavy and burdened and little distressed. There were news of hailstorm, unseasonal rains and damages to farmer’s crop when I was talking to all of you last month. Suddenly, out of nowhere strong winds blew in Bihar, causing death of so many people and inflicted lot of damages there. And the earthquake has shaken the entire world on Saturday. It seems the trend of natural disasters has continued. Be it the Nepal earthquake and in India as well the earthquake took lives across various states of India. There has been loss of property because of the earthquake. However, the loss to Nepal is frightening.
I have seen Kutch earthquake very closely on Jan 26, 2001. I can clearly imagine how devastating these disasters are. I can imagine what Nepal and the victimized families there must be going through. But my dear brothers and sisters of Nepal, India is with you in your hour of grief. Work has begun to provide assistance to people facing crisis across several locations in India and Nepal. First and foremost work is rescue operation to save people. Some people must still be alive under the debris and should get evacuated safely from there. A team of experts which has been sent is specifically trained for this task. Sniffer dogs have been sent as they possess the ability to trace any individual staying alive under the debris. Our whole endeavour would be to save maximum number of people alive. Post rescue operation, there is a need to undertake relief work as well. Rehabilitation work will also continue for long. However, humanity has a power of its own. Nepal is a dear to 125 crore people of India. Their grief is our grief. India will make sure to wipe the tears of every Nepali, hold their hands and provide support to them.
Thousands of our Indian brothers and sisters were left stranded in Yemen a few days ago. It was a very tough task to evacuate the Indians alive amidst horrific situation, amidst the tension of bombs and guns, amidst firing but we managed to do so. Not only this, when we safely rescued a new born girl who was just a week old, we felt how much power humanity has. It brings a sense of satisfaction to the mind by rescuing a week old girl alive amidst raining bombs, guns and shadow of death.
Wherever I went overseas in the last few days, I received compliments for one thing and that was for saving citizens of 48 countries of the world in Yemen. Be it the citizen of the US, the UK, France, Russia, Germany, Japan, we helped the citizen of every country. And due to this, the world has experienced the old saying of India, “सेवा परमो धर्मः”, meaning the greatest service to humanity is to serve others. Our Ministry of External Affairs, our Air Force and our Navy have done this work with such courage and responsibility that it will have indelible imprint over the world in the coming days. This is what I believe in. And I am happy that all the people were evacuated safely without any damage and it should be noted that India's special quality is that our culture is quite old.
Recently when I visited France, I went to a memorial of the First World War there. The reason for visiting the place was that it is the centenary year of the First World War, but at the same time it is the centenary year of India's valour. This is the centenary year of the sacrifices made by the Indian heroes and “सेवा परमो धर्मः”, meaning the greatest service to humanity is to serve others and how this phrase has been lived by our country; this year is a centenary year for this reason also. I am saying this because very few people would know that about 15 lakh Indian soldiers had put their life at stake during the First World War from 1914 to 1918. And the Indian soldiers did not die for India’s cause. India neither wanted to capture any country, nor did it want to take away anyone’s land. But the Indians had shown amazing strength. Very few people would know that about 74000 of our soldiers sacrificed their life in the First World War. And this is also a matter of pride that about 9200 soldiers, who lost their life, were bestowed with Gallantry Award. Not only this, there were eleven such individuals who received the highest honour of Victoria Cross. About 4700 Indians had sacrificed their life especially during the World War in March 2015 in France, which has made a memorial as a mark of respect for them. I went there to commemorate and express my gratitude to the strength displayed by our ancestors.
If we see all these incidents, then we can say to the world that our country thinks in the direction of peace, happiness and welfare of the world. The country keeps doing something in this direction and if needed put its life at stake. India finds itself in the first row among the highest contributors in the peacekeeping force of the United Nation. That is the matter of pride for us.
In the last few days, I got the opportunity to accomplish two important tasks. We are to celebrate the 125th birth anniversary of respected Babasaheb Ambedkar. There has been a controversy regarding the land where his memorial was to be built for many years. I am satisfied that the Government of India decided to allot the land for building the memorial of Babasaheb Ambedkar. Similarly, there must be an International Centre in the name of Babasaheb Ambedkar in Delhi so that the entire world knows this sage, his thoughts and his work. This was also a matter, which was pending for years. I completed and laid the foundation stone of the memorial. I pledged to complete the work in 20 months, which did not happen for 20 years. And at the same time a thought has also come into my mind and we are working on it. Even today there are many families in our country that are forced to carry dirt on their head. Is it a matter of grace for us that even today some families in our country have to carry the burden of dirt on their head? With all earnest, I said in the government forum to get us free from this blur in the year when we commemorating Babasaheb Ambedkar on his 125th birth anniversary. Now, we will not tolerate a situation where any poor will have to take load of dirt on his head in our country. For this we need the support of the society, government must also shoulder its responsibility. I need cooperation of people as we have to do this work.
Babasaheb Ambedkar used to say ‘Stay Educated’ throughout life. Even today, education has not reached many dalits, exploited, and deprived ones in the society, especially girls. We must also pledge on the occasion of 125th birth anniversary of Babasaheb Ambedkar. There must not be any son or daughter of the poor remaining illiterate in our villages, cities and locality. Government must do its duty. And if it gets the support of the society, then we will definitely feel a sense of satisfaction. I want to share a matter of happiness and share another matter of discomfort as well. I take pride of the fact that two daughters of India have made the country proud. One daughter -Saina Nehwal became the world’s no. 1 in Badminton, and the second daughter Sania Mirza became the world’s top player in Tennis Doubles tournament. Congratulations to both and all the daughters of our country. I feel proud seeing the effort and strength of our own. But sometimes, we lose cool. When the Cricket World Cup was on and we lost to Australia in the semi-finals, the kind of words used and the treatment meted out to the players was not good my countrymen. How can be a game with no defeat? Victory and defeat are part and parcel of life. If the players of our country have been beaten in a match, then we must encourage them in the times of crisis. There must be an effort to create an environment to generate new confidence. I am sure that we will learn from the defeats going forward and we will not lose control in few moments by indulging in action-reaction. And I am getting worried. Whenever I see that anything happens all of a sudden, a mob surrounds and burns the truck, burns the vehicle. And we see these things on TV as well. Accident must not happen. Even the government must make full effort. But my dear countrymen tell me if we should burn the vehicles? Dead ones do not come back. Can’t we ensure law to take its due course keeping our emotion in check?
Well, today my mind has been very grief-stricken due to these incidents, especially due to natural disasters. But amidst this also, we will move forward with courage and confidence. Be it individual of this country - dalit, oppressed, exploited, tribe, villager, poor, farmer, small businessman, we will move forward on the path of welfare for everyone. Examinations of students are over. Especially, the students of 10th and 12th standard must have made a program of celebrating the holidays. I wish all of you a very good vacation; get the opportunity to learn something new. And since you have worked hard the whole year, then I wish that you spend some time with your family with joy and happiness.
My dear countrymen, Namaskar. 'Mann Ki Baat' means touching upon the collective efforts of the country; referring to the achievements of the country; discussing the strength of the people. 'Mann Ki Baat' means touching upon the dreams of the youth, the aspirations of the citizens of the country. I wait for 'Mann Ki Baat' throughout the month, so that I can communicate with you directly. There are innumerable messages! My earnest endeavour is to read as many messages as possible; to brainstorm on your suggestions.
Friends, today is a very special day - it is NCC Day. As soon as the name of NCC comes up, we remember our school-college days. I myself have been an NCC Cadet, so I can say with full confidence that the experience gained from it is invaluable for me. 'NCC' instills a spirit of discipline, leadership and service in the youth. You must have seen around you that whenever there is a disaster; be it a flood, an earthquake or an accident, NCC cadets unfailingly make themselves available there to help. Today, efforts are being undertaken continuously to strengthen NCC in the country. In 2014, about 14 lakh youth were associated with NCC. Now in 2024, more than 20 lakh youth are associated with NCC.
Compared to earlier times, provision for NCC has been made in five thousand new schools and colleges… and the biggest aspect is that earlier the number of girl cadets in NCC was just around 25% (percent). Now the number of girl cadets in NCC has risen to almost 40% (percent). The campaign to connect more and more youth residing along the border with NCC is also going on continuously. I would urge the youth to join NCC in maximum numbers. You will notice that no matter what career you choose, NCC will help you a lot in personality development. Friends, the role of the youth in building a developed India is very significant. When young minds come together and deliberate upon the country's future journey, positively, concrete paths emerge. You know that on the 12th of January, on the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, the country celebrates 'Youth Day'. Next year is Swami Vivekananda's 162nd birth anniversary. This time it will be celebrated in a very special way. On this occasion, a Maha Kumbh of young minds is going to be held at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi on 11-12 January, and the name of this initiative is 'Vikasit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue'. Crores of youth from all over India will participate in it. 2 thousand such youth selected from villages, blocks, districts, states will gather at Bharat Mandapam for the 'Vikasit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue'. You might remember that from the ramparts of the Red Fort, I have urged such youths to join politics, none of whose family members or even the entire family have had a political background.
To connect 1 lakh such youths, new youths, to politics, many special campaigns will be run in the country. 'Vikasit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue' is also one such effort. Experts from the country and abroad will grace this. Many national and international personalities would also be there. I will also be present in it for as much time as possible. The youth will get an opportunity to present their ideas directly before us. How can the country take these ideas forward? How can a solid roadmap be made? A blueprint will be prepared for this. So you too get ready; this is a great opportunity for those who are going to build the future of India, who are the future generation of the country. Come, let us build the country together, make the country developed.
My dear countrymen, in Mann ki Baat, we often talk about such youth. There are many youths who are working selflessly for the society and are engaged in finding solutions to numerous minor problems of the people. If we look around us, we see so many people who need some kind of help or information. I am happy to know that some youths have formed groups and addressed such issues as well. For example, Virendra, who lives in Lucknow, helps the elderly in the matter of Digital Life Certificate. As you know as per rules, all pensioners have to submit Life Certificate once a year. Till 2014, the process was such that the elderly had to go to the banks and submit it themselves. You can imagine how much inconvenience it used to cause to our elderly. Now this system has changed.
Now, by enabling the Digital Life Certificate, things have become very simple; the elderly do not have to go to the bank. Youths like Virendra have a major role in ensuring that the elderly do not face any problem on account of technology. They keep making the elderly of their neighbourhood aware about it. Not just that, they are also making the elderly tech savvy. Today, with such efforts, the number of people receiving Digital Life certificates has crossed the 80 lakh mark. Among these, more than 2 lakh are such elderly people whose age has crossed even 80.
Friends, in many cities, the youth are also coming forward to make the elderly a part of the digital revolution. Mahesh from Bhopal has taught many elderly people of his locality to make payments through mobile. These elderly people had smart phones, but there was no one to tell them their correct usage. The youth have also come forward to save the elderly from the risk of Digital Arrest. Rajiv from Ahmedabad warns people about the risk of Digital Arrest. I had discussed Digital Arrest in the last episode of 'Mann Ki Baat'. The elderly are the most common victims of such crimes. In such a situation, it is our responsibility to make them aware and help them stay safe from cyber fraud. We have to explain to people again and again that there is no provision of digital arrest in the government; this is a blatant lie, a conspiracy to trap people. I am happy that our young friends are participating in this work with full sensitivity and are motivating others as well.
My dear countrymen, these days many experiments are being conducted for the education of children. The effort is to enhance the creativity of our children and their love for books. It is said that 'books' are humans’ best friend and what better place than the library to strengthen this friendship. I want to share one such example from Chennai with you. Here one such library has been set up for children, which has become a hub of creativity and learning. It is known as Prakrith Arivagam. The idea of this library is the brainchild of Shriram Gopalan ji, who is associated with the world of technology. During his work abroad, he remained connected with the world of latest technology. But, he also kept thinking about developing the habit of reading and learning in children. After returning to India, he established Prakrith Arivagam. It has more than three thousand books, which children eagerly wait to read. Apart from books, different types of activities being organized in this library also attract children. Be it Story Telling sessions, Art Workshops, Memory Training Classes, Robotics Lessons or Public Speaking, there is something or the other, to the liking of everyone.
Friends, The Food for Thought Foundation has also established many wonderful libraries in Hyderabad. It’s their endeavor as well, to ensure that children get books to read with solid information on as many topics as possible. The Prayog library of Gopalganj in Bihar has started being talked about in many cities in the neighbourhood. Apart from youths of around 12 villages getting the facility to read books from this library, this library is also providing other important facilities to the people. Some libraries are such that they are very useful for students in preparing for competitive examinations. It is indeed very heartening to note that the library is being used in the best possible way to strengthen the society. You too should develop friendship with books and see how it brings a change in your life.
My dear countrymen, I have returned from Guyana, a country in South America, the night before yesterday. Thousands of kilometres away from India, a ‘Mini India’ dwells in Guyana too. Around 180 years ago, people from India were taken to Guyana to work in the fields and for other tasks. Today, people of Indian origin in Guyana are leading the country in every field… be it politics, business, education or culture. The President of Guyana, Dr. Irfan Ali, is also of Indian origin and is proud of his Indian heritage. When I was in Guyana, a thought struck my mind which I am sharing with you in ‘Mann Ki Baat’. Just like Guyana, there are lakhs of Indians in dozens of countries across the world. Their ancestors have their own stories of decades; even those over 200-300 years ago. Can you be on the lookout for such stories of how Indian immigrants made their mark in different countries! How they took part in their freedom struggle! How they kept their Indian heritage alive! I want you to find out such true stories, and share them with me. You can also share these stories on the NaMo App or on MyGov with #IndianDiasporaStories.
Friends, you will also find an extraordinary project going on in Oman very interesting. Numerous Indian families have been living in Oman for many centuries. Most of them who have settled there are from Kutch in Gujarat. These people had created important trade links. Even today they have Omani citizenship, but Indianness is ingrained in their personae. With the support of the Indian Embassy in Oman and the National Archives of India, a team has started the work of preserving the history of these families. Thousands of documents have been collected under this campaign so far. These include diaries, account books, ledgers, letters and telegrams. Some of these documents even date back to the year 1838. These documents are full of sentiments. When they reached Oman years ago, what kind of life they lived, what kind of joys and sorrows they faced, and, how their relations with the people of Oman progressed. All of this is a part of these documents. The ‘Oral History Project’ is also an important basis of this mission. In this mission, senior people from there have shared their experiences. People have expressed in detail about their lifestyle there.
Friends, a similar ‘Oral History Project’ is being carried out in India as well. Under this project, history enthusiasts are collating the experiences of the victims during the period of partition of the country. Now, there are very few people left in the country who have witnessed the horrors of Partition. In such a situation, this effort has become even more significant.
Friends, the country, the place that preserves it’s history, its future is also secure. With this very thought in mind, an effort has been made in which a directory has been created to preserve the history of villages. A campaign is also going on in the country to preserve evidences related to India's ancient maritime capability. Under this series, a very big museum is also being built in Lothal. Apart from that, if you are aware of any manuscript, any historical document, any handwritten copy, you can preserve it with the help of National Archives of India.
Friends, I have come to know about another such effort being undertaken in Slovakia which is related to conserving and promoting our culture. Here, for the first time, our Upanishads have been translated into the Slovak language. These efforts also underscore the global influence of Indian culture. It is a matter of pride for all of us that there are crores of people across the world who cherish India in their hearts.
My dear countrymen, I now want to share with you one such achievement of the country which will make you happy and proud, and if you have not done it, you will probably regret it. A few months ago, we started the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign. People from all over the country participated in this campaign with great enthusiasm. I am very happy to tell you that this campaign has crossed the important milestone of planting 100 crore trees. A 100 crore trees, that too, in just 5 months.
This has been possible only due to the tireless efforts of our countrymen. You will be proud to know one more fact related to this. The 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign is now spreading to other countries of the world as well. When I was in Guyana, I witnessed this campaign there as well. There, Guyana's President Dr. Irfan Ali, his mother in law, and other family members joined me in the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign.
Friends, this campaign is going on continuously in different parts of the country. A record of tree planting was made in Indore, Madhya Pradesh under the campaign 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' - more than 12 lakh trees were planted here in 24 hours. On account of this campaign, the barren area of Revati Hills of Indore will now turn into a green zone. A unique record was made through this campaign in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan - here a team of women planted 25 thousand trees in one hour. Mothers planted trees in the name of their mothers and inspired others too. Here, more than 5 thousand people planted trees at one location.
This too is a record in itself. Under the campaign 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam', many social organizations are planting trees according to local needs. Their effort is that wherever trees are planted, a complete eco system should develop in an environment friendly manner. Therefore, these organizations are planting medicinal plants at some places, and at other places, they are planting trees to facilitate nesting for birds. In Bihar, the women of 'Jeevika Self Help Group' are running a campaign to plant 75 lakh trees. The focus of these women is on fruit trees, so that income could also be generated in the future.
Friends, by joining this campaign, any person can plant a tree in the name of his mother. If the mother is with you, you can plant the tree along with her, otherwise you can become a part of this campaign by carrying her photograph with you. You can also post a selfie with the tree on mygov.in. We can never repay the debt of what our mother does for all of us, but by planting a tree in her name, we can keep her presence alive forever.
My dear countrymen, all of you must have seen sparrows chirping on roof tops or trees during your childhood. Sparrows are known as Kuruvi in Tamil and Malayalam, Pichhuka in Telugu and Gubbi in Kannada. Stories about sparrows are told in every language and culture. Sparrows play a very important role in maintaining bio-diversity around us, but today sparrows are hardly visible in cities. Due to increasing urbanization, sparrows have gone away from us. There are many children of today's generation who have seen sparrows only in pictures or videos. Some unique efforts are being made to bring back this lovely bird in the lives of such children. Chennai's Kudugal Trust has involved school children in its campaign to increase the sparrow population. The people of the organisation go to schools and tell the children how important sparrows are in everyday life. This organisation trains children to make sparrow nests. For this, the people of the organisation taught the children to make a small wooden house. In that, arrangements for food and shelter were made for the sparrows. These are homes that can be placed on the outer wall of any building or on a tree.
Children participated in this campaign with enthusiasm and started making nests for sparrows in large numbers. In the last 4 years, the organization has prepared ten thousand such nests for sparrows. With this initiative of the Kudugal Trust, the sparrow population has started rising in the surrounding areas. If you too make such efforts in your surroundings, sparrows will certainly again become a part of our lives. Friends, an organization in Mysuru, Karnataka has started a campaign called 'Early Bird' for children. This organization runs a special kind of library to tell children about birds. Not only this, it has prepared a 'Nature Education Kit' to create a sense of responsibility towards nature in children. This kit contains story books, games, activity sheets and jig-saw puzzles for children. This organization takes children from cities to villages and introduces them to birds. On account of the efforts of this organization, children have started recognizing many species of birds. The listeners of 'Mann Ki Baat' can also develop a different perspective in children to see and understand their surroundings through such efforts.
My dear countrymen, you must have noticed that as soon as someone mentions a 'government office', a picture of a pile of files emerges in your mind. You must have seen something similar in films too. So many jokes are made on these piles of files in government offices; so many stories have been written. These files used to gather dust after lying in offices for years and years, and would start accumulating dirt.
A special Swachhata Abhiyan was launched to remove such decades-old files and scrap. You will be happy to know that this campaign has brought amazing results in government departments. Cleanliness has freed up a lot of space in offices. This has also brought in a sense of ownership among the people working in the offices. They have also become serious about keeping their work place clean.
Friends, you must have often heard elders say that where there is cleanliness, Goddess Lakshmi resides there. The concept of 'waste to wealth' is very old in our country. In many parts of the country, the 'youth' are transforming items considered useless, that is waste, to wealth. They are innovating in different ways. They are earning money from that; generating avenues of employment. These youth are also promoting a sustainable lifestyle through their efforts. The effort of two daughters of Mumbai is really very inspiring. These two daughters named Akshara and Prakriti are creating fashion items through fabric scraps. You also know that the scraps that come out during cutting and stitching of clothes are considered useless and thrown away. Akshara and Prakriti's team transforms the same fabric scraps into fashion products. Caps and bags made from cuttings are literally flying off the shelves.
Friends, a good initiative is on in Kanpur, UP as well, pertaining to cleanliness. Here some people go for daily morning walks picking up plastic and other garbage spread on the banks of the Ganga. This group has been named the 'Kanpur Ploggers Group'.
This campaign was started by a few friends collectively. Gradually, it became a big campaign of public participation. Many people of the city have joined this campaign. Its members have now started collecting garbage from shops and houses as well. Tree guards are made from this garbage in the Recycle Plant, i.e., people of this group also protect the plants with tree guards made from garbage.
Friends, Iitisha from Assam too is an example of how tiny efforts can lead to big success. Iitisha has studied in Delhi and Pune. Iitisha has left the glitz and glamour of the corporate world and is engaged in cleaning the Sangti Valley of Arunachal. A lot of plastic waste had started accumulating there because of tourists. The river there, which was once pristine, had become polluted because of the plastic waste. Iitisha is working with the local people to clean it. People of her group spread awareness among the tourists there and put up bamboo dustbins all over the valley to collect plastic waste.
Friends, such efforts lend momentum to India's Swachhata Abhiyan. This is a perpetual campaign. This must certainly be happening around you as well. Do keep writing to me about such efforts.
Friends, that is all for this episode of Mann Ki Baat. I eagerly await your feedback, letters and suggestions throughout the month. Your messages every month inspire me to do even better. We will meet again next month in another episode of Mann Ki Baat with new achievements of the country and countrymen. Until then, my best wishes to all the countrymen. Thank you very much.
On 12th January next year, we will mark Swami Vivekananda's 162nd Jayanti. This time it will be celebrated in a very special way. #MannKiBaatpic.twitter.com/TbumRi0Ta6
Let's celebrate the inspiring stories of Indian diaspora who made their mark globally, contributed to freedom struggles and preserved our heritage. Share such stories on the NaMo App or MyGov using #IndianDiasporaStories.#MannKiBaatpic.twitter.com/SHUXii9ln6
Numerous Indian families have been living in Oman for many centuries. Most of them who have settled there are from Kutch in Gujarat.
With the support of the Indian Embassy in Oman and the National Archives of India, a team has started the work of preserving the history of these… pic.twitter.com/EoaXuCVe2h
A few months ago, we started the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign. People from all over the country participated in this campaign with great enthusiasm.
Now this initiative is reaching other countries of the world as well. During my recent visit to Guyana, President Dr. Irfaan Ali,… pic.twitter.com/g47I055ASN
