New Delhi, Feb 28: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said ``Atmanirbhar Bharat' is not merely a government-led effort, it is the national spirit of India to make the country self-reliant.
Addressing the 74th edition of his monthly radio broadcast - ``Mann Ki Baat', the Prime Minister announced that in a few days, the Jal Shakti Ministry will launch a campaign ``Catch the Rain' aimed to catch the rain, where it falls, when it falls.
``During this month of `Magh', Haridwar is hosting Kumbh this year. On March 22, World Water day will be celebrated. To associate `magh' month with water is that after this month winters end and summers begin,' he said.
In his 33-minute radio address, Modi touched upon various issues concerning the country -- corona virus, water conservation, exam season for students, efforts to make science more popular across India.
``From now on, we will get the rain water harvesting system -- already in place -- and make it function. We will get villages, ponds cleaned to help increase water harvesting,' he said.
Reminding the people that water is a collective gift from nature, the Prime Minister said the responsibility of saving water is also collective. ``It is correct that just as there is a collective gift, there is a collective accountability too. River, lake, pond or ground water – all of these are for everyone,'' he said.
Pointing to an effort underway at Thiruvannamalai, Tamilnadu where local people have been running a campaign for the conservation of their wells, the Prime Minister said that people are rejuvenating public wells in their vicinity that had been lying unused for years.
Making a mention of Babita Rajput's village Agrotha in Madhya Pradesh in Bundelkhand region where once there was a very large lake which had dried up, Modi said that she mobilized other women of the village itself and built a canal to bring water to the lake. Through this canal, rainwater started flowing directly into the lake and the lake remains filled with water.
The Prime Minister appealed to the people to start a 100 day campaign for the sake of cleaning up water sources around us and conserving rainwater. ``With this very thought in mind, in a few days from now, Jal Shakti Abhiyan CATCH THE RAIN is being initiated by the Jal Shakti Ministry. Its credo is ‘CATCH THE RAIN, WHERE IT FALLS, WHEN IT FALLS’. We shall commit ourselves to the task right now…we shall get existing rain water harvesting systems repaired, clean up lakes and ponds in villages, remove impediments in the way of water flowing into water sources; thus we shall be able to conserve rainwater to the maximum, he said.
He also invoked poet-saint Ravidas whose birth anniversary falls on Magh Poornima, to highlight social ills that had pervaded society at that time and drive home the point that people should incessantly strive with their work and asked the youth to learn that in doing so they should not bind themselves to old methods and practices. ``Decide and shape your life yourself. Devise your own methods and practices, set your goals yourselves. If your conscience and self confidence is unshakeable, you need not fear anything in the world,'' he said.
As February 28 happens to be the National Science Day also and the day is dedicated to the discovery of ‘Raman Effect’ by Dr C. V. Raman, Prime Minister Modi wanted the youth to know, understand and read a lot about the history of science of India and about the counry's scientists as well.
Dwelling upon the contribution of the power of science in the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Campaign’, he said: ``We have to move science forward with the mantra of ‘Lab to Land’ and cited example of Chintala Venkat Reddy from Hyderabad who developed breeds of wheat and rice that specially contained vitamin D and only this month he received patent from World Intellectual Property Organization, Geneva. ``Our Government is fortunate that Venkat Reddy was also honoured with the Padmashree last year,'' he said.
``Similarly, Urugen Futsog of Ladakh too is working very innovatively. At those heights Urugen is growing about 20 crops organically, that too in a cyclic way, that is, he utilises the waste of one crop as manure for the other crop. Isnt’ it amazing? In the same way Kamraj Bhai Choudhary from Patan district in Gujarat has developed good seeds of drum stick at home itself,'' he said while citing other individual efforts from U.P and Tamil Nadu as well.
Quoting a letter of Ranjan from Kolkata, the Prime Minister said the letter-writer has mentioned that ’Self reliant India” is not just a Government policy, but is a national spirit. Agreeing with him, Mr Modi said the first condition for self-reliance is to have pride in the things of one’s own country; to take pride in the things made by people of one’s own country.
``When every countryman takes pride, every countryman connects; self-reliant India doesn’t remain just an economic campaign but becomes a national spirit. When we see fighter plane Tejas made in our own country doing acrobatics in the sky, when Made in India tanks, Made in India missiles increase our pride, when we see Made in India coaches in Metro trains in wealthy-advanced nations, when we see Made in India Corona Vaccines reaching dozens of countries, then our heads rise higher. And it is not that only bigger things will make India self-reliant. Textiles made in India, handicraft goods made by talented artisans of India, electronic appliances of India, mobiles of India, in every field we have to raise this pride. When we move forward with this thought, only then will we become self-reliant in the truest sense… and friends, I am happy that this mantra of self-reliant India is reaching the villages of the country,'' he said.
The Prime Minister said there are many examples across the country where people are contributing in their own way to to the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan'. Today it has become a sentiment, flowing in the hearts of common folk, he said.
Answering a query from Aparna Reddy of Hyderabad, the Prime Minister admitted that one of his shortcomings was that he could not make effort to learn Tamil, the oldest language in the world. ``It is such a beautiful language, which is popular all over the world. Many people have told me a lot about the quality of Tamil literature and the depth of the poems written in it. India is a land of many languages, which symbolizes our culture and pride,'' he said.
On the coming season of exams, Mr Modi asked the students to become a become a warrior and not a worrier. ``Go gleefully for the examination and come back with a smile. You have to compete with yourself, not with anyone else. Get adequate sleep and be mindful of time management. Do not stop playing, for those who play are the ones that blossom. Revision and smart methods of memorization are to be adopted, that is, overall, in these exams, you have to bring out your best,'' he told his young friends adding that this year too he will have a 'Pariksha Pe Charcha’ session in March.
As March is also the last month of our financial year the Prime Minister said it be a very busy period for many people. Amid increased economic activities in the country, he cautioned the citizens not to lower their guard against Corona and not show any laxity in Corona-specific rules. (UNI)
Newsflash
