Bhubaneswar: All inspirational personalities of Odisha, about whom Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke in ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme were invited to the live screening of the 100th episode of the monthly radio programme, at Raj Bhawan in Bhubaneswar on Sunday.
Beginning the 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat, PM Modi said that like Vijayadashmi, Mann Ki Baat has also become an occasion to celebrate Indians’ goodness, optimism, positivity and people’s participation.
It was aired for the first time in October 2014. “On October 3, 2014, day of the Vijaya Dashami festival, all of us together started the journey of ‘Mann Ki Baat’. Vijayadashami is the festival of victory of good over evil. ‘Mann Ki Baat’ has also become a unique festival of goodness and positivity for the country’s people. A festival that comes every month, keenly awaited by all of us. We celebrate positivity,” the Prime Minister said.
He said the radio programme is an expression of the feelings of crores of Indians and ensured that he remained connected with people. “Be it Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, love towards Khadi, nature-related concerns, Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav or that of Amrit Sarovar, whatever issue ‘Mann Ki Baat’ got associated with, it has ignited a people’s movement. It also became an important medium of learning from others. This programme has ensured that I am never cut-off from you,” he said.
Terming that it was a spiritual journey for him, PM Modi further said that he was “swept away by emotions” in thousands of letters and messages which he received from the people. “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). It has become a spiritual journey of my being. ‘Mann Ki Baat’ is a journey from the self to the collective. It is a journey from myself to ourselves. It is not me, but you are its Sanskar Sadhana,” he said.
During the programme, he also had a telephonic conversation with some people who were featured earlier on the broadcast for their unique initiatives.
While speaking about selfless attempts to provide education, PM Modi cited the examples of D Prakash Rao from Odisha, who ran a tea stall and made it his life mission to provide education to underprivileged children, Sanjay Kashyap, who ran a mobile library in Jharkhand and others. Padma Shri awardee D Prakash Rao, the Cuttack-based tea vendor, passed away in January 2021. The PM had met him in 2018 and had praised him for educating poor slum kids of his locality during the ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme that year.
He thanked activist Sunil Jaglan for bringing the ‘Selfie with Daughter’ campaign to life and making it a success in the spirit of ‘Beti-Padhao, Beti-Bachao.’
PM Modi ended the programme saying that he hoped “what started with Mann Ki Baat will become a new tradition in the country”.
Notably, this episode was broadcast live at the United Nations headquarters. The BJP had also made arrangements for the broadcast in 2000 enclosures at the booth level across Odisha and appealed to the people and other political parties, like the BJD and Congress to listen to it.
