In Mann Ki Baat, PM Modi Talks About Rath Yatra & Mahaprabhu Jagannath

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about upcoming Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath as he resumed his monthly radio broadcast ‘Mann Ki Baat’ on Sunday paused during the Lok Sabha elections.

“The holy Rath Yatra is going to start after a week from now. It’s my solemn wish that the blessings of Mahaprabhu Jagannath always remain on all the countrymen,” he said in the 111 episode of the programme.

PM Modi also thanked the voters for re-electing the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government and expressed his appreciation for the “unwavering faith” in the Constitution. “People reposed their unbreakable trust in the Constitution and democratic process in the Lok Sabha elections,” he said, while terming the 2024 general election as the biggest election in the world.

“More than 65 crore people voted in the election. I congratulate the Election Commission and everyone associated with the electoral process,” he added.

He also spoke about the Centre’s new campaign – ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ – to honour mothers by planting a tree. “I have also planted a tree in the name of my mother and I have appealed to all the countrymen to plant a tree along with their mother or in her name…,” he said.

In the view of ongoing monsoon season, he mentioned about ‘Karthumbi Umbrellas’ that are made in Attappadi of Kerala. “These umbrellas are made by our tribal sisters of Kerala. Today, the demand for these umbrellas is increasing across the country,” he said.

Modi informed about a special Hindi programme that is being aired on Kuwait Radio. “It is broadcast every Sunday for half an hour on ‘Kuwait Radio’. It includes different colours of Indian culture. Our films and discussions on the art world are very popular among the Indian community there. I have even been told that the local people of Kuwait are taking a lot of interest in it. I heartily thank the Government and people of Kuwait for taking this wonderful initiative…”

The Prime Minister also extended his best wishes to the athletes participating in the Paris Summer Olympics 2024 next month.“The performance of our players in Tokyo won the hearts of every Indian. Since the Tokyo Olympics, our athletes have been preparing for the Paris Olympics with all their heart and soul. If we combine all the players, they have participated in about 900 international competitions. You will get to see some things for the first time in the Paris Olympics. The talent of our players is coming to the fore in shooting. Both the men and women teams have qualified in table tennis. Our shooter daughters are also included in the Indian Shotgun Team. This time, the players of our team will also compete in those categories of wrestling and horse riding, in which they have never participated before…”

Stating that he would meet them soon and encourage them on behalf of the people of the country, he also gave a hashtag #Cheer4Bharat to encourage the players.

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Deputy CMs KV Singhdeo and Pravati Parida, Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Ashwini Vaishnaw listened to the programme in Bhubaneswar.

Soon after the elections results were declared, Modi had started his victory speech with ‘Jai Jagannath’ chant at the BJP headquarters. He had also thanked the people of Odisha for giving a clear mandate to the BJP to form its government for the first time in the state. The saffron party also swept the Lok Sabha polls in the state by winning 20 of 21 seats.

OTHER SNIPPETS OF MANN KI BAAT

>>>>> “Today, 30th June is a very important day. Our tribal brothers and sisters celebrate this day as ‘Hul Diwas’. This day is associated with the courage of Veer Sidhu and Kanhu, who strongly opposed the atrocities of foreign rulers. Veer Sidhu and Kanhu united thousands of Santhali companions and fought the British with all their might, and do you know when this happened? This happened in 1855, that is, it happened two years before India’s First War of Independence in 1857, when our tribal brothers and sisters in Santhal Paragana of Jharkhand took up arms against the foreign rulers…”

>>>>> “This month, the entire world celebrated the 10th Yoga Day with full zeal and excitement. I also participated in the yoga program organised in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar. In Kashmir, along with the youth, sisters and daughters also participated in large numbers.”

>>>>> “There are so many products of India which are in great demand all over the world and when we see any local product of India going global, it is natural to feel proud. One such product is Araku coffee. Araku coffee is produced in large quantities in Alluri Sita Ram Raju district of Andhra Pradesh. It is known for its rich flavour and aroma. About 1.5 lakh tribal families are associated with the cultivation of Araku coffee…I remember once I got a chance to taste this coffee with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu Garu in Visakhapatnam. Araku coffee has received many global awards. The coffee was also popular in the G20 Summit held in Delhi…”

>>>>> “The Sanskrit Bulletin of Akashvani is completing 50 years of its broadcast today. For 50 years, this bulletin has kept so many people connected to Sanskrit. There is a park in Bangalore – Cubbon Park. The people here have started a new tradition in this park. Here, one day a week, every Sunday, children, youth and elders talk to each other in Sanskrit. Not only this, many debate sessions are also organised here in Sanskrit. The name of this initiative is – Sanskrit Weekend.””

>>>>> “In Turkmenistan, the 300th birth anniversary of its national poet was celebrated in May this year. On this occasion, the President of Turkmenistan unveiled the statues of 24 famous poets of the world. One of these statues is of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. This is an honour for Gurudev, an honour for India. In the month of June, two Caribbean countries Suriname and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines celebrated their Indian heritage with full zeal and enthusiasm. The Indian community in Suriname celebrates 5 June every year as Indian Arrival Day and Pravasi Diwas. Along with Hindi, Bhojpuri is also widely spoken here…”