‘Mann Ki Baat’ is like ‘Prasad Ki Thaal’: Prime Minister Narendra Modi

 ‘Every episode prepared ground for next one’

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who addressed the historic 100th episode of 'Mann Ki Baat' on Sunday, described his connection with the popular monthly radio programme, likening it to "Prasad Ki Thaal" (offering to God), and said that it has become a "spiritual journey" for him.

"Like when people go to worship God, they bring along a Thaal of Prasad. For me, 'Mann Ki Baat' is like a 'Prasad Ki Thaal' at the feet of God in the form of 'Janata-Janardan', the people. 'Mann Ki Baat' has become a spiritual journey for my being. 'Mann Ki Baat' is a journey from the self to the collective. 'Mann Ki Baat' is a journey from myself to ourselves. It is not me, but you are its Sanskar Sadhana," PM Modi said.

Hailing the spirit of the countrymen in his 100th episode of 'Mann Ki Baat', Modi said that every Indian became an inspiration for another through the monthly radio programme, while adding that each episode of the popular show "prepared the ground for the next one".

The Prime Minister mentioned women's empowerment during his show and how his monthly radio programme became a platform to bring women's power to the fore, which led various campaigns for social causes.

The Prime Minister cited various examples from parts of the country in which people worked to contribute to society at large and said that his mentioning of the achievements of women in the episodes of Mann Ki Baat has gained a lot of praise from the people.

"Be it our army or the sports world, whenever I have talked about the achievements of women, it has been praised a lot. Like we discussed about the women of Deur village in Chhattisgarh. These women, through self-help groups, run campaigns to clean village squares, roads, and temples. Similarly, the country also took a lot of inspiration from the tribal women of Tamil Nadu, who exported thousands of eco-friendly terracotta cups," PM Modi said.

"In Tamil Nadu itself, 20,000 women came together to revive the Nag river in Vellore. Many such campaigns have been led by our women's power, and 'Mann Ki Baat' has served as a platform to bring their efforts to the fore," he added.

The Prime Minister mentioned people putting in efforts in their respective regions for the people and said that he became emotional while talking about them many times in 'Mann Ki Baat'.

"Imagine that some of our countrymen have been planting trees on deserted hills and barren land for 40 odd years, and many people have been digging stepwells and ponds for water conservation for 30 odd years, cleaning them as well. Some have been teaching underprivileged children for 25–30 years, and some are helping in the treatment of the poor. I have become emotional while mentioning them many times in 'Mann Ki Baat'," he said.

"Friends from AIR had to re-record it many times. Today, a lot from the past is coming before my eyes. These efforts of the countrymen have inspired me to continuously keep striving," PM Modi added.

"This programme never lets me be away from you. When I was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, it was usual to meet the general public. But after coming to Delhi in 2014, I found that the nature of work was different and the security scenarios were different. In the initial days, something felt different; there was an emptiness," PM Modi said while describing his initial days at the office of the Prime Minister.

"Fifty years ago, I did not leave my home just to find that one day it would be difficult to contact the people of my own country. The very countrymen who are my everything—I could not live separated from them.

'Mann Ki Baat' gave me a solution to this challenge, a way to connect with the common man. The post and protocol remained limited to the system, and public sentiment, along with that of crores of people, became an inseparable part of my inner world. I just don't feel that I am even a little far from you," he added.

PM Modi's radio monthly programme completed its 100th episode today, which was aired live at 11 a.m. across the country.

The programme, which started on October 3, 2014, has become a key pillar of the government's citizen outreach programme, addressing multiple social groups such as women, youth, and farmers, and has spurred community action.

Apart from 22 Indian languages and 29 dialects, Mann Ki Baat is broadcast in 11 foreign languages, including French, Chinese, Indonesian, Tibetan, Burmese, Baluchi, Arabic, Pashtu, Persian, Dari, and Swahili. Mann Ki Baat is being broadcast by more than 500 broadcast centres of All India Radio.

A study was conducted regarding the impact of Mann Ki Baat on the lives of the people.

The study showed that over 100 crore people have connected to Mann Ki Baat at least once; it speaks directly to people, celebrates grassroots-level changemakers and achievements, and has influenced people towards positive actions.

The programme was telecast live by Doordarshan in Raj Bhavans across the country.

The Prime Minister said that the country's positivity will take it to new heights in the Azadi Ka Amrit Kaal. "In every episode, the spirit of service and capability of the countrymen have inspired others. In this programme, every countryman becomes an inspiration to other countrymen. In a way, every episode of Mann Ki Baat prepares the ground for the next episode. 'Mann Ki Baat' has always moved ahead with goodwill, the spirit of service, and the sense of duty," PM Modi said.

"This positivity will take the country forward in the Azadi Ka Amritkaal and will take her to new heights, and I am happy that the beginning made by 'Mann Ki Baat' is becoming a new tradition in the country today. A tradition in which we see the spirit of everyone's effort," he added.

Stating that tourism is witnessing fast growth in the country, PM Modi said that for the sector to prosper, it is necessary to maintain the cleanliness of natural resources.

"Today, tourism is growing very fast in the country. Be it our natural resources, be it rivers, mountains, ponds, or our pilgrimage sites, it is very important to keep them clean. This will help the tourism industry a lot. Along with cleanliness in tourism, we have also discussed the Incredible India movement often. Through this movement, for the first time, people came to know about such places, which were just in their neighbourhood," he said. (ANI)

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