Courtesy AIR : Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said India is fighting the new wave of COVID with great success. Addressing the nation in his Mann Ki Baat programme on All India Radio, Mr Modi said it is a matter of pride that about four and a half crore children have been administered the vaccine doses till now.
Mr Modi highlighted that within 20 days, one crore people have taken the precautionary dose as well. He termed the people’s trust in the indigenous vaccine as the country’s strength. He however cautioned people to be safe, and added that the pace of economic activities of the country should be maintained.
Today is the 74th death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Mr Modi said, the 30th of January reminds everyone of the teachings of Bapu. The Prime Minister noted that Republic Day functions will now start from the 23rd of January on the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and will continue till the 30th of January which is Mahatma Gandhi’s death anniversary.
The Prime Minister added that in the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, India is re-establishing its national symbols through these efforts. He said that the Amar Jawan Jyoti near India Gate and the Jyoti lit at the National War Memorial in the vicinity, were merged.
The Padma awards have also been announced recently. The Prime Minister said, there are many recipients of Padma awards about whom very few people know. He called them the unsung heroes who have done extraordinary deeds in ordinary circumstances.
The Prime Minister expressed delight that more than one crore children have written to him through Mann Ki Baat postcards. These post cards have come from different parts of the country as well as abroad. He stated that these postcards show how broad and wide the vision of the new generation is for the future of the country. Mr Modi shared some postcards for the listeners of Mann Ki Baat. In her postcard, Navya Verma for Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh said her dream for 2047 is of an India where everyone has a dignified life, farmers are prosperous and there is no corruption.
Mr Modi said, corruption is like a “termite” which makes the country hollow and the people of the country have to work together to rid the nation of it as soon as possible.
The Prime Minister emphasised that the enthusiasm of India’s Azaadi ka Amrit Mahotsav is not limited to the country. Students of the School of Applied Arts and Design in Zagreb Croatia have sent 75 postcards to the people of India and congratulated them on the Amrit Mahotsav.
Mr Modi highlighted that love for nature and compassion for every living being is part of Indian culture. He said a glimpse of this was seen recently when a tigress died in Pench Tiger Reserve of Madhya Pradesh. He said a similar sight was seen this time in the Republic Day parade. The charger mount of the President’s Bodyguard, Virat took part in his last parade. Virat had came to Rashtrapati Bhavan in 2003 and used to lead the parade every year as Commandant Charger.
The Prime Minister spoke about the popularity of Indian culture and said it is a big attraction in Latin America and South America. He said there is an organization in Argentina called Hastinapur Foundation which is involved in the propagation of Indian Vedic traditions in the country.
Mr Modi also stated that Ladakh will soon be blessed with an impressive Open Synthetic Track and Astro Turf Football Stadium. This stadium is being built at a height of more than 10 thousand feet and its construction will be completed soon. This will be the largest open stadium in Ladakh where 30 thousand spectators can sit together.
In the end, the Prime Minister urged people to not use Single Use Plastic and go Vocal for Local. He also reminded everyone to work wholeheartedly for the Atma Nirbhar Bharat campaign.
