Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s iconic initiative ‘Mann ki Baat’ which was started in October 2014 to connect with the nation through a radio address, turns 50 on Sunday.
Mann ki Baat is broadcast every month on the last Sunday across All India Radio and Doordarshan. In 2014 October, PM Modi delivered his very first broadcast where he had urged citizens to use at least one khadi product, saying it would help poor weavers.
Every month, the Prime Minister selects a different issue (with social, national as well as international implications) for all his programmes. Till now, the programme has covered issues like education of the girl child, tackling exam stress, climate change, drug menace and many more.
Prior to the 50th broadcast of the programme, Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal had tweeted, “more than 90% of respondents in a survey agreed that the programme is spreading awareness & positivity, with ‘Cleanliness’ and ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ being the highest topics of public interest.”
PM Modi began addressing ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme. Says its 50th programme
He said that most of the letters and phone calls that his office received this time pertain mostly to this 50th episode. Modi added that most of them converge in asking shared question as in, ‘Why their PM have chosen radio as medium to connect with his countrymen?’
Narendra Modi said, most people believe that greatest contribution of ‘#MannKiBaat’ has been enhancement of feeling of positivity in the society. He said, the medium of ‘Mann Ki Baat’ has promoted many mass revolutions.
He asserted that people are connecting with this programme and ensuring their participation through various platforms, such as— TV, FM Radio, Mobile, Internet, Facebook Live; along with periscope, through NarendraModiApp too.
PM Narendra Modi in Mann Ki Baat said,some young friends attempted study over many episodes of MannKiBaat. And after much analysis of all the episodes aired so far, to calculate frequency of occurrence of particular words; whether words that were oft-repeated! One of their major findings was that, this programme remained apolitical.
He said, “When MannKiBaat commenced, I had firmly decided that it would carry nothing political, or any praise for Governmentt, nor Modi for that matter anywhere. Modi may come and go, but this country will never let go of its UNITY & permanence, our culture will always be immortal.”
PM Modi stated, “MannKiBaat carries my voice but examples, emotions and spirit represent my countrymen. There are lakhs of persons whose names I have not been able to include in Mann Ki Baat but without any disappointment, they continue to send in their letters and comments.”
PM Mmodi praised the team of All India Radio for aptly narrating the every episode in several regional languages.
He also thanked the media in general and said many issues raised in Mann Ki Baat have been adopted by media. Topics such as cleanliness, road safety, drugs free India, selfie with daughter taken up by the media and turn into campaigns.
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