A free press makes a stronger democracy: PM Modi

The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi participated in the ‘Odisha Parba 2024’ celebrations today at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi. Addressing the gathering on the occasion, he greeted all the brothers and sisters of Odisha who were present at the event. He remarked that this year marked the centenary of the death anniversary of Swabhav Kavi Gangadhar Meher and paid tributes to him. He also paid tributes to Bhakta Dasia Bhauri, Bhakta Salabega and the writer of Oriya Bhagavatha, Shri Jagannath Das on the occasion.

“Odisha has always been the abode of Saints and Scholars”, said Shri Modi. He remarked that the saints and scholars have played a great role in nourishing the cultural richness by ensuring the great literature like Saral Mahabharat, Odiya Bhagawat have reached the common people at their doorsteps. He added that there is extensive literature related to Mahaprabhu Jagannath in Oriya language. Remembering a saga of Mahaprabhu Jagannatha, the Prime Minister said that Lord Jagannath led the war from the forefront and praised the Lord’s simplicity that he had partaken the curd from the hands of a devotee named Manika Gaudini while entering the battlefield. He added that there were a lot of lessons from the above saga, Shri Modi said one of the important lessons was that if we work with good intentions then God himself leads that work. He further added that God was always with us and we should never feel that we are alone in any dire situation.

Reciting a line of Odisha poet Bhim Bhoi that no matter how much pain one has to suffer, the world must be saved, the Prime Minister said that this has been the culture of Odisha. Shri Modi remarked that Puri Dham strengthened the feeling of 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat'. He added that the brave sons of Odisha also showed direction to the country by taking part in the freedom struggle. He said that we can never repay the debt of the martyrs of Paika Kranti. Shri Modi remarked that it was the good fortune of the government that it had the opportunity to issue a commemorative postage stamp and coin on Paika Kranti.

Reiterating that the entire country was remembering the contribution of Utkal Kesari Hare Krishna Mehtab ji at this time, Shri Modi said that the Government was celebrating his 125th birth anniversary on a large scale. The Prime Minister also touched upon the able leadership Odisha has given to the country from the past till now. He added that Draupadi Murmu ji, hailing from a tribal community, was the President of India. And it was a matter of great pride for all of us. He further added that it was due to her inspiration, schemes worth thousands of crores of rupees for tribal welfare were implemented in India today and these schemes were benefiting the tribal society not only of Odisha but of the entire India.

Remarking that Odisha is the land of women power and its strength in the form of Mata Subhadra, the Prime Minister said that Odisha will progress only when the women of Odisha progress. He added that he had the great opportunity to launch the Subhadra Yojana for my mothers and sisters of Odisha a few days back which will benefit the women of Odisha.

Shri Modi highlighted the contribution of Odisha in giving a new dimension to India's maritime power. He noted that the Bali Jatra was concluded yesterday in Odisha, which was organised in a grand manner on the banks of the Mahanadi in Cuttack on the day of Kartik Purnima. Further, Shri Modi remarked that Bali Jatra was a symbol of India's maritime power. Lauding the courage of the sailors of the past, the Prime Minister said that they were brave enough to sail and cross the seas despite the absence of modern technology like today. He added that the traders used to travel by ships to places like Bali, Sumatra, Java in Indonesia, which helped promote trade and enhance the reach of culture to various places. Shri Modi emphasised that today Odisha's maritime power had an important role in the achievement of a developed India's resolve.

The Prime Minister underlined that today there is hope for a new future for Odisha after continuous efforts for 10 years to take Odisha to new heights. Thanking the people of Odisha for their unprecedented blessings, Shri Modi said that this had given new courage to this hope and the Government had big dreams and had set big goals. Noting that Odisha will be celebrating the centenary year of statehood in 2036, he said that the Government’s endeavour was to make Odisha one of the strong, prosperous and fast-growing states of the country.

Noting that there was a time when the eastern part of India including states like Odisha were considered backward, Shri Modi said that he considered the eastern part of India to be the growth engine of the country's development. Therefore, he added that the Government has made the development of eastern India a priority and today all the work related to connectivity, health, education in the entire eastern India had been expedited. Shri Modi highlighted that today Odisha was getting three times more budget than the central government used to give it 10 years ago. He added that this year, 30 percent more budget had been given for the development of Odisha as compared to last year. He assured that the Government was working at a fast pace in every sector for the holistic development of Odisha.

“Odisha has immense potential for port-based industrial development”, exclaimed the Prime Minister. Therefore, he added that trade will be promoted by developing ports at Dhamra, Gopalpur, Astaranga, Palur, and Subarnarekha. Remarking that Odisha was the mining and metal powerhouse of India, Shri Modi said that this strengthened Odisha's position in the steel, aluminium and energy sectors. He added that by focusing on these sectors, new avenues of prosperity can be opened in Odisha.

Noting that the production of cashew, jute, cotton, turmeric and oilseeds was in abundance in Odisha, Shri Modi said that the Government's effort was to ensure that these products reach the big markets and thereby benefit the farmers. He added that there was also a lot of scope for expansion in the sea-food processing industry of Odisha and Government’s effort was to make Odisha sea-food a brand that is in demand in the global market.

Emphasising that Government’s effort was to make Odisha a preferred destination for investors, the Prime Minister said that his government was committed to promoting ease of doing business in Odisha and investment was being promoted through Utkarsh Utkal. Shri Modi highlighted that as soon as the new government was formed in Odisha, an investment of Rs 45 thousand crore was approved within the first 100 days. He added that today Odisha had its own vision as well as a roadmap, which would promote investment and create new employment opportunities. He congratulated the Chief Minister Mohan Charan Manjhi ji and his team for their efforts.

Shri Modi remarked that by utilising the potential of Odisha in the right direction, it can be taken to new heights of development. Emphasising that Odisha can benefit from its strategic location, the Prime Minister said that access to domestic and international markets was easy from there. “Odisha was an important hub of trade for East and South-East Asia”, said Shri Modi and added that Odisha's importance in global value chains would further increase in the times to come. He further added that the government was also working on the goal of increasing exports from the state.

“Odisha has immense potential to promote urbanisation”, highlighted the Prime Minister and added that his Government was undertaking concrete steps in that direction. He further added that the Government was committed to build a large number of dynamic and well-connected cities. Shri Modi underscored that the Government was also creating new possibilities in the tier two cities of Odisha, especially in the districts of western Odisha where development of new infrastructure can lead to creation of new opportunities.

Touching upon the field of higher education, Shri Modi said that Odisha was a new hope for students across the country and there were many national and international institutes, which inspired the state to take the lead in the education sector. He added that these efforts were promoting the startup ecosystem in the state.

Highlighting that Odisha has always been special because of its cultural richness, Shri Modi said the art forms of Odisha fascinate everyone, be it the Odissi dance or the paintings of Odisha or the liveliness that is seen in the Pattachitras or the Saura paintings, a symbol of the tribal art. He added that one got to see the craftsmanship of Sambalpuri, Bomkai and Kotpad weavers in Odisha. The Prime Minister remarked that the more we spread and preserve the art and craftsmanship, the more the respect for Odia people would increase.

Touching upon the abundant heritage of architecture and science of Odisha, the Prime Minister remarked that the science, architecture and vastness of the ancient temples like Sun Temple of Konark, the Lingaraj and Mukteshwar amazed everyone with their exquisiteness and craftsmanship.

Noting that Odisha was a land of immense possibilities in terms of tourism, Shri Modi said there was a need to work across multiple dimensions to bring these possibilities to the ground. He added that today along with Odisha, the country also had a Government that respects Odisha's heritage and its identity. Underlining that one of the conferences of G-20 was held in Odisha last year, Shri Modi said that the Government presented the grand spectacle of the Sun Temple in front of the heads of states and diplomats of so many countries. The Prime Minister said he was pleased that all the four gates of the Mahaprabhu Jagannath Temple complex have been opened along with the Ratna Bhandar of the temple.

The Prime Minister emphasised that there was a need to undertake more innovative steps to tell the world about every identity of Odisha. He cited an example that Bali Jatra Day can be declared and celebrated to make Bali Jatra more popular and promote it on the international platform. He further added that celebrating Odissi Day for arts like Odissi dance could also be explored along with days to celebrate various tribal heritages. Shri Modi said that special events could be organised in schools and colleges, which would create awareness among people about the opportunities related to tourism and small scale industries. He added that Pravasi Bharatiya Sammelan was also going to be held in Bhubaneswar in the upcoming days and was a huge opportunity for Odisha.

Noting the rising trend of people forgetting their mother tongue and culture across the globe, Shri Modi was pleased that the Oriya community, wherever it lives, had always been very enthusiastic about its culture, its language and its festivals. He added that his recent visit to Guyana had reaffirmed how the power of mother tongue and culture kept one connected to their motherland. He added that about two hundred years ago, hundreds of labourers left India, but they took Ramcharit Manas with them and even today they are connected to the land of India. Shri Modi emphasised that by preserving our heritage, its benefits could reach everyone even when development and changes take place. He added that in the same way, Odisha can be propelled to new heights.

The Prime Minister underscored that in today's modern era, it was important to assimilate modern changes while strengthening our roots. He added that events like the Odisha Festival could become a medium for this. He further added that events like Odisha Parba should be expanded even more in the coming years and should not be limited to Delhi only. Shri Modi underlined that efforts must be undertaken to ensure that more and more people join it and the participation of schools and colleges also increases. He urged the people from other states in Delhi to participate and get to know Odisha more closely.

Concluding the address, Shri Modi expressed confidence that in the times to come, the colours of this festival would reach every nook and corner of Odisha as well as India by becoming an effective platform for public participation.

Union Minister for Railways, Information and Broadcasting, Electronics & IT, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw and Union Minister for Education, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, President of Odia Samaj, Shri Siddharth Pradhan were present on the occasion among others.

Background

Odisha Parba is a flagship event conducted by Odia Samaj, a trust in New Delhi. Through it, they have been engaged in providing valuable support towards preservation and promotion of Odia heritage. Continuing with the tradition, this year Odisha Parba was organised from 22nd to 24th November. It showcased the rich heritage of Odisha displaying colourful cultural forms and will exhibit the vibrant social, cultural and political ethos of the State. A National Seminar or Conclave led by prominent experts and distinguished professionals across various domains was conducted.