India crushing terrorism with determination: PM in Mann Ki Baat
Nov 26, 2023Prime Minister Narendra Modi today paid homage to the people who lost their lives in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. Addressing the nation in his Mann Ki Baat programme on Akashvani, Mr Modi said the nation can never forget this day - the 26th of November - as it was on this very day that the country had come under the most dastardly terror attack.
He asserted that it is India’s fortitude that made the country surmount the ordeal and India is now quelling terror with full ardour. He added that the country remembers those brave hearts who made the supreme sacrifice during the attack.
The Prime Minister highlighted that the 26th of November is also significant because it was on this very day in 1949 that the Constituent Assembly had passed and adopted the Constitution of India. He added that on the 125th birth anniversary of Babasaheb Ambedkar in 2015, the Government has decided to observe the 26th of November as Constitution Day. He extended his best wishes to the countrymen on the occasion of Constitution Day. He expressed confidence that together, the nation shall certainly attain the resolve of a developed India, according to priority to citizens’ duties.
Mr Modi said the Constitution took two years 11 months and 18 days to come into being. The oldest member of the Constituent Assembly is Sachidananda Sinha. The Draft of the Constitution was prepared after a close study of the Constitutions of over 60 countries. Prime Minister stated that after reading the Draft, before the final structure was shaped up, over two thousand Amendments were re-incorporated in it. He said that since the Constitution came into force in 1950, a total of 106 Amendments have been carried out till now. He noted that in consonance with the times, circumstances and requirements of the country, various Governments carried out Amendments at different times.
The Prime Minister stressed that it was a misfortune that the Constitution’s First Amendment pertained to curtailing the Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Expression. He added that through the 44th Amendment, the wrongs committed during the Emergency were rectified.
Mr Modi called it inspiring that out of the members of the Constituent Assembly who were nominated, fifteen were women. He said one such Member was Hansa Mehta, who raised her voice for the sake of rights and justice for women. He noted that during that period, India was one of the few countries whose Constitution enabled Voting Rights for women.
The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction that in adherence to the farsightedness of the framers of the Constitution, Parliament has now passed the Nari Shakti Vandan Act. He said it would provide a fillip to the pace of accomplishing the resolve of a developed India.
On the topic of Vocal for Local, Mr Modi highlighted that many transformations in India are being led by the 140 crore people of the country. He said a direct example of this was seen during this festive season when people opted to buy local products and went ‘Vocal for Local’. He pointed out that within the last few days, business worth more than four lakh crore rupees has been done in the country on Diwali, Bhaiya Dooj and Chhath. He expressed happiness that even children have started checking whether the products they buy are Made in India or not. He added that people do not forget to check the Country of Origin while purchasing goods online.
The Prime Minister said the success of ‘Vocal For Local’ is opening the doors to a ‘Developed India - Prosperous India’. He went on to add that this campaign of ‘Vocal For Local’ strengthens the economy of the entire country and is a guarantee of employment, and development. Vocal For Local provides equal opportunities to both urban and rural people and paves the way for Value Addition in local products. Mr Modi also said that if there are ups and downs in the global economy, Vocal For Local also protects the economy.
Mr. Modi emphasised on the point that this sentiment towards Indian products should not be limited to festivals only. He highlighted that the wedding season has commenced and some trade organizations estimate that there could be a business of around five lakh crore rupees during this wedding season. He urged people to give importance to products Made in India as they shop during the wedding season. On the topic of weddings, the Prime Minister noted that some families have started going abroad to conduct weddings and asked if this is at all necessary. He stressed that if weddings are held on Indian soil, money will remain in the country. He hoped that his concern relating to the issue would definitely reach those families who wish to conduct wedding festivities abroad.
Mr Modi noted with satisfaction that this is the second consecutive year when the trend of buying goods through cash payments on Deepawali is gradually on the decline. He said it is encouraging that people are making more digital payments now. He asked people to make the decision to make payments only through UPI or any digital medium and not through cash for a month. He also urged people to share their experiences and photos after one month.
Mr Modi expressed pride that there has been an increase of more than 31 per cent in patent applications by Indians in 2022. He said that according to a report by The World Intellectual Property Organization, this has never happened earlier even in the top 10 countries that are at the forefront in filing patents. He congratulated the youth of the nation for this achievement and assured that the country is with them at every step. He further said that after the administrative and legal reforms made by the government, the nation’s youth is engaged in innovation on a large scale with renewed energy. He said India’s patents are getting ten times more approvals compared to the figures of ten years ago.
Prime Minister stressed that patents not only increase the Intellectual Property of the country but also open doors to newer opportunities. He said it also enhances the strength and potential of India’s start-ups.
Mr Modi expressed happiness that the spirit of innovation is being promoted among the school children as well. He said the Atal Tinkering Lab, Atal Innovation Mission, Incubation Centres in colleges, and the Start-Up India campaign are the results of such relentless efforts in front of the countrymen. He said that this too is a direct example of India’s youth power and innovative power. He exuded confidence that the country shall achieve the vision of a developed India and gave the call of Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Vigyan, and Jai Anusandhan.
The Ministry of Culture had organised a Mela Moments Contest. Mr Modi said it is a matter of joy that thousands of people participated in it and many people also won prizes. Rajesh Dhar, who is a resident of Kolkata, won the award for his photo of a balloon and toy seller at Charak Mela in rural Bengal. Anupam Singh received the Mela Portraits Award for showcasing Holi at Varanasi and Arun Kumar Nalimela was awarded for showing an aspect related to Kulasai Dussehra. A photo showing the devotion of Pandharpur was included in the most liked photo, which was sent by Rahul from Maharashtra.
Mr Modi said that in this competition, there were many pictures of local dishes visible during the fairs. A photo by Alok Avinash from Purulia won an award for showcasing the food of rural areas of Bengal during a fair. A picture by Pranab Basaak, in which women are enjoying Kulfi during the Bhagoriya festival, was also awarded. Rumela had sent a photo of women tasting Bhajiya at a village fair in Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh, and was also awarded.
The Prime Minister requested every village, school, and panchayat to organize such competitions regularly. He said the power of social media is immense and technology has reached every home. He said local festivals or products can go global through this.
The Prime Minister also spoke about dance, saying various dances in India possess their own heritage. He said there is a very famous dance in the tribal areas of Jharkhand, Odisha and Bengal called Chhau. Chhau festival was organized in Srinagar from 15th to 17th November with the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ and a workshop was also organized to impart training in Chhau dance to the youth of Srinagar. Similarly, Basohli Utsa was organised in Kathua district a few weeks ago, which is 150 kilometres away from Jammu. Local art, folk dance and traditional Ramlila were organized in this festival. Mr Modi observed that the beauty of Indian culture was felt in Saudi Arabia also. A unique event named Sanskrit Utsav was held in Saudi Arabia and the entire program was in Sanskrit.
Speaking about Swachh Bharat, the Prime Minister said it has now become a favourite topic of the entire country. He added that the Swachh Bharat campaign has changed people’s mindset regarding cleanliness and public hygiene. He said this initiative has become a symbol of the national spirit today and has improved the lives of crores of countrymen.
Mr Modi said this campaign has also inspired people from different walks of life, especially the youth, for collective participation. He gave the example of a team of youth which has started ‘Project Surat’ to make it a model city of cleanliness and sustainable development. Under this effort, the youth of Surat earlier used to clean public places and Dumas Beach. Later, they also got involved in cleaning the banks of the Tapi River. Mr Modi said this team has cleared lakhs of kilos of garbage and added that such efforts made at the grassroots level can bring huge changes.
Mr Modi cited another such example from Gujarat. Bhadaravi Poonam Fair was organised at Ambaji a few weeks ago and more than 50 lakh people came to this fair which takes place every year. Prime Minister highlighted that the most significant aspect of it was that people conducted a cleanliness campaign across a large part of Gabbar Hill. He said that this campaign to keep the entire area around the temples clean is very inspiring.
The Prime Minister also spoke about Loganathan from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, who took a vow to help poor children and started donating a part of his earnings to them. When there was a shortage of money, Loganathan even cleaned toilets so that the needy children could be helped. Mr Modi commended him for being engaged in this task with complete dedication for the last 25 years. Till now, Loganathan has helped more than fifteen hundred children.
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