Shri Narendra Modi's thanks giving speech on Victory in Municipal Election.

Published By : Admin | October 12, 2010 | 23:06 IST
"If Modi is something it is all because of Bhartiya Janta Party. If Modi is something it is because of the hard work and sweat of lacs of BJP workers."
"Whatever time I have got, we have done more than ever before and I want to do and serve much more. I want to do good to the people excessively."
"This victory is victory of Team BJP."
"The final thing, the bottom line for me has always and always been Janta's blessings."

Place : Ahmedabad, Date :12-10-2010

Friends, people have showered their blessings on Bharitya Janta Party in this election. I bow down to the citizens of Gujarat who have blessed Bhartiya Janta Party. I thank them from the bottom of my heart. And, on this auspicious occasion of Navaratri, I pray to Maa Shakti to bestow strength on me and my party workers so that we can live up to the expectations of people and fulfill their aspirations. Let us strive to get through the responsibility diligently that people have given us. Friends' victory is not meant to ridicule or belittle anyone. Victory is also for the purpose of Self Introspection.

It is a clear sweep win for us. After staying in power for so many years BJP gets 80% of seats and others get 20% that includes opposition too, is unprecedented. When people have showered their unconditional love and blessing our responsibilities have only gone up. We humbly accept this victory. And for the span of next five years we will humbly serve the people of Gujarat as their workers. We will not detract from serving people of the state. In this election all voters are our own even where we have won or where we were little short of victory. We are liable to serve every single inch land of this city, every single inch of land of all the six metros. It is our responsibility to serve every single person.

Just because we won doesn't mean we can ridicule or degrade anybody. This sin isn't acceptable to us and we won't indulge in it. Our path is of humility and perseverance. And winning and losing are parts of the democracy. Even after this victory, there should be a determination to serve the people and be completely prepared to accept a defeat. And we hold this determination. And this should be our spirit. In democracy opposition plays an important role and we have to respect and honour it. BJP party has carried out this tradition and it will follow it in the future too. We believe in democracy, we want to strengthen the structure of democracy. We don't want to fall short in making our contribution towards democracy. And therefore, Brothers and Sisters, as far as winning the election is concerned, it comes with humility & perseverance. It comes with the message of giving equal respect to the opposition. And I assure that my Party will always try to maintain the dignity of the democracy. We are conscious about it.

Friends, this election is not over at this point. Our journey has just begun. It has started with the blessings of Maa Chamunda and in Navratri, we have reached Karnavati via Kathlal. Chotila, where we never won, people have given us triumph. In Kathlal, we never won in last 60 years; people have made us win here. Some people on TV participate in debate without any proper information.... I want to say to these Pundits that few days ago Kathlal which is a village area, for the first time in past 60 years we have got this historical victory... and still if you don't have faith in us, wait for 10 more days.. I have faith in people of Gujarat and people of Gujarat need development and they are supporting development. It's only because of the support of these people that BJP is continuously moving ahead on the journey of Victory.

Brothers and sisters, in this election we have moved ahead on the path of peace, security and development (shanti, salamati aur vikas) and on the other hand people have chosen tornado of negative tactics and criticism. They have not left a single issue to criticise BJP, they create rumours like there is a misunderstanding between the party and its workers... workers are divided and everything is finished... I want to tell all these Mehraban people to at least draw lines somewhere.. Learn something from this election... How long you'll try to trade on lies... lies don't work.. And it doesn't reach to the hearts of people... Whatever that is in front of people reaches their eyes also. We may have a very little space in newspaper but we have ensconced in the hearts of people and we have proved it. I know we will have to put more efforts to reach Media. But with love and affection and with my efforts I'll win them too and that day will come soon because we want to serve Gujarat and we want to serve the nation

Friends, people are shocked that Muslims have voted for us in large numbers. Friends, victory in 80% proves more than 30% of Muslims have voted for us. I want to tell all political pundits that vote bank politics won't be able to do any good. We have been able to communicate this to people that vote bank politics and politics of appeasement won't do any good; it takes politics of development to win the hearts of people.

More than 30% of Muslims have voted for BJP and this election has brought out the truth. We have defeated them on every booth in Kathlal. People know what truth is and what blatant lie is.

I want to mention one more thing. Few years ago, during an election campaign, Shriman Rajiv Gandhi had painted opponents as snake and other creatures. He later lost that election. That time Congress was in a pathetic condition. It was a vainglorious, negative campaign that media had extremely criticized... Friends' people should learn from us, through this election, I can see that people don't approve of negative tactics. We have moved ahead with positive approach and this is exactly why people have accepted us with our shortcomings, over looked our faults and showered their blessings on us.

This election has given us a message that India's politics and the voters are so mature that they don't approve of negative politics. They'll welcome your criticism, but they won't approve of allegations. This message is not only for those who have lost, but also for those who are victorious.”

“In last days, TV media friends were contacting us, that why BJP has not released TV ads? Ads of Congress Party had already reached them. I told them we didn't thought about it. I only give ads about my tour plans and for giving election ads I will have to discuss it with my party. We didn't do that, because we didn't want negative campaign. If Sardar Patel was an issue, it was positive issue.”

But Friends, I am proud of the intelligence of people. How excellently people catch things. People have a third eye in the democracy, a sixth sense. Well, a party published an advertisement and people voted exactly as per it. The advertisement was of the Congress. And people followed the message given in that advertisement. The advertisement said, ‘Destroy Ravana, the demon with ten heads'. People do perform their duty. They have destroyed the Ravana. I thank & congratulate people. I compliment the people that in such situation also they found the truth. People are hundred times ahead of us, Brothers. No words are enough to salute the people. Hats off to the people!

From the day one we have been telling our Congress friends that their Vainglory will lead to their downfall. If they are using power to destroy others they won't be saved either. It's in front of people how the post of Governor is misused. 15 years ago Governor House used to be Congress house. The prestigious post of a Governor was used for Congress. This trend died for a few years during the regime of Atal bihari Vajypayee, V. P Singh and Narishma Rao .Now Congress has lost its patience, it has lost faith in people therefore; it is misusing the prestigious post of Governor. Whatever is happening in Kartanataka is to deminish its honour and in the entire country, the workers of BJP party will not accept this and they would demand a justification from Delhi Government. UPA Government soon after coming to power sacked all the governors appointed by Atal Bihar Vijpayee. This matter was taken to the Supreme Court and six months ago SC has passed judgement that the decision taken by UPA government to sack the appointed governors is inappropriate. Round the clock these people keep on talking about Supreme Court, this is decision against them given by Supreme Court, but they are not even concerned about it. Brothers and Sisters, the way things are shaping in Karanataka, the governor is coming forward in the battle field and functioning in the form of a party, they are scheming to root out the BJP government, the government elected by people, the people friendly government. They won the trust vote and so now they think, let's do something so that they lose the Confidence Vote again.

Brothers and Sisters, this country never accepts such deeds and actions for a long time. I had told Congress repeatedly that they can blatantly misuse CBI to put somebody in the Jail but they won't be able to use it to win an election. I had told them they can publish fake stories in newspaper but they won't be able to settle in the hearts of people with their blatant lies.

People of Gujarat have proved that they are not scared of CBI; people of Gujarat are the ones who settle the score by the power of their votes. My friends, I am doing this analysis because such things never happened. In politics it is fair to use favorable tactics but to back-stab people is inappropriate. I thought that the Congress will learn a lesson from the result of Kathlal, even people of Gujarat might have thought that they would learn a lesson from it, but they haven't. I hope that Congress would give up misusing Legal institutions. Our mantra of democracy says take along apposition as well and maintain its respect and honor. But their mantra is to squash the opposition.

Who is Modi? What can Janta of Gujarat do? Who are those people who always beat us? We are those who belong to the land of Sardar Patel. Brothers and Sister, it is vital that we understand these things. What kind of strategy and conduct we should follow. Brothers and sisters, it's not that Janta can find out the truth from one advertisement. Janta has even managed to find the truth between K and KH. They were about to go straightaway, but survived due to some or the other reason. Janta has realised it and finished the game. Friends, this proves that victory follows truth. God has always been with truth. It's the time of Navaratri and Maa Shakti has showered her blessings on us, it's because of her blessings that we are able to destroy so many forces. This Delhi force and its tactics are very dangerous but Gujarat has learned to fight with it and we have fought each time and hoisted the flag of BJP's victory.

This victory is historical. This is the atmosphere of anti incumbency. To win all 6 corporations, I don't know if these people are discussing this in Delhi, I didn't watch television today. I was watching Sachin Tendulkar's century today so I am unaware of it, but, from what I see here, I don't know if they have covered election result on News but I am sure think if not the positive message, the negative one from my speech for sure will be appearing in newspapers.

Brothers and sisters, I say this with faith to the people of Gujarat and Janta of 6 cities consider me as one of your corporators from Gandhinagar. The Government of Gandhinagar will add one more to the corporators elected by you. All the pending tasks will be completed, this vikas yatra will move ahead. People have seen all the changes led by development. Just the way when heart becomes contented when it rains heavily, today Janta of Gujarat has seen Vikas. They are contented with development, and they know that the educational needs of their kids will be taken care of, their kids will get employment. They think life will improve, they have spend their entire life in poverty but they can be contented that their future generation will be able live a better life. This faith has been developed.

Today I was watching some friends on television who after losing said its all lie. Where can we see development? I am shocked; they are saying where do we notice development? I am really shocked. I heard somebody saying this on Gujarati television around 4:30. I just want to say to them if you can't see any development just take a ride once in 108, you'll be able to see what was the situation earlier and how it has changed today. Just go there casually to watch it; you don't have to be ill for that. Just go and watch it once. Now if they can't see any development, tell me how do I show it to them? I don't know if any spectacles are available by which these people will be able to see the development. Therefore, I say my friends, people who are vigilant for them there are many facilities but for those who fake sleep while being awake, for them, I don't have any antidote. I don't have any spectacles for them. When I was coming here, my friends gave me this note, which has made me really happy. In Karnavati 53 out of 63 reserved women candidates won, 18 out of 21 Schedule caste candidates won 15 out of 20 OBC candidates of BJP won. It is said about us that we are upper class party that we are a Party of the North India but please do watch the result. This shows how blatant lies are used against us. If someone says, we are urban party, what is Kathlal then? If someone says we are north India party, what is Karnataka then? If someone says we are upper class party, then what this civic result shows?” I had said today, I am going to clear all the illusion. Therefore, my friends I had to take up all these issues, otherwise I have no interest in raising these issues.

I want to move ahead, I want serve people. God has given me this opportunity to serve people; this victory is not meant for my comforts. I want to bring the journey of development to your village, to the home of a poor. Whatever time I have got, we have done more than ever before and I want to do and serve much more. Want to do good to the people excessively. The opportunity that God has given is dedicated only to the public service, and is neither for my pleasure and comfort, nor for my enjoyment. And therefore, brothers & Sisters, I compliment you, congratulate you. By humbly accepting the mandate of the people of Gujarat, I assure that we all will serve with all the power.

People create controversies they say is it BJP's victory or Modi's victory. I don't know the cause behind this discussion. Had BJP not been there, Modi wouldn't have been noticed in any corner. If Modi is something it is all because of Bhartiya Janta Party. If Modi is something it is because of the hard work and sweat of lacs of BJP workers. What could Modi be without the hard work and efforts of BJP workers? But some people continue to circulate these rumors. This party and its workers are everything to me; this party is my mother and my father. This party is able to function because of its worker. Who are we? If there is something alive inside us it is the feeling to serve the people and we want to move ahead with it. There can be no distance between us; the party and its workers. We have continuously tried to reduce this distance and therefore this victory is victory of Team BJP. If there is victory, it's the victory of R C Faldu, the President of BJP, under whose leadership we fought this battle. This victory is victory of thousands of (Karya Kartas) workers; it's because of their relentless efforts that we have won. It's is the victory of those workers who have worked day and night, irrespective of whether they got the ticket or not, who have continued to work even when it they had heartaches. Such is my party and such are the workers of my party and we are all co-workers, there is no hierarchy, we function without the top and bottom, without the front and the back. We all follow and move ahead in the same direction of working for Mother India and to make it lead in the world and we all are drudging for the same. We are working to make India the Vishvwa Guru in the world. And therefore, brothers and sisters I owe this victory to Maa Bharat and thousands of workers of BJP Party.

And I appeal and I want to tell this all my intellectual friends that I am a small worker belonging to a small family. I haven't come here with any dreams for my life; for goodness sake do not make me bigger than my party. This hurts me a lot. 40 years ago, I had left my home just to serve the nation and I don't know why the intellectuals fail to understand my feelings. They keep on playing their games. And, what hurts me the most is that no son can be bigger than his mother and Bhartiya Janta Party is my mother. This victory is victory of the BJP and thousands of workers of BJP. It is the victory of the President of BJP and the state representatives of the BJP.

As a worker, some work was assigned to me and I did that, some work went to other workers which they did. We people love to work with the feeling of dedication (samarpan). We wish to see eternal Gujarat, glorious Gujarat. We want poor to be freed from the poverty. We have come out with a sacred vision. In this moment of victory, I recall those words, how can I contribute more, how do I work more, how do I serve more. We are grounded people; we don't fly high after the victory. And the more mud you will throw, more lotuses will bloom and those who slam us the Janta Janardan has given a befitting reply to them.

But let's follow the principle of democracy; let's adhere to its laws and we shouldn't forget that opposition party is our co-working party. No matter what I go through, I request you all to treat your co-workers and co-working party with respect. I'll settle my score with them and deal with them in my own way but my friends; you, please don't fail to adhere to the principle of democracy. We will not take any pledges but we will fight the battle and we will fight only to win, I say this with utmost faith as we are standing on the land of truthfulness. Sin is not our path. Lies don't live on for long. The final thing, the bottom line for me has always and always been Janta's blessings. For me Janta is a form of God, and we are able to move ahead only because of their blessings.

Brothers and sister, I congratulate you on this victory, and I humbly thank each one of you who have given us this victory and I assure that this journey of development will march ahead.

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Consistent efforts are being made to strengthen the NCC in our country: PM Modi
Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue is an effort to connect one lakh new youth to politics: PM
Heartening to see the youth help senior citizens become part of the digital revolution: PM Modi
Innovative efforts from Chennai, Hyderabad & Bihar to enhance children’s education: PM Modi
Indian diaspora has made their mark in different nations: PM Modi
A museum is being developed in Lothal, dedicated to showcasing India’s maritime heritage: PM Modi
#EkPedMaaKeNaam campaign has crossed the milestone of 100 crore trees planted in just 5 months: PM
Unique efforts are being made to revive the sparrows: PM Modi

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.