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Journalism of Courage
A day after launching the Swachh Bharat Mission, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his debut on public broadcaster All India Radio (AIR), and exhorted citizens to use at least one khadi product — even a handkerchief, towel or a bedsheet — so that the poorer sections of society can benefit.
“If you buy khadi clothes, the houses of the poor get illuminated… and these days, starting October 2, there’s a special discount available on khadi for almost a month, one can make use of that,” the PM said during his 15-minute “Man Ki Baat” programme that was aired by AIR and several private radio stations.
The audio address was aired live by most private satellite news channels as well. The PM said that he intended to make this a regular interaction, and was thinking of doing it once or twice a month, at 11 am on Sundays.
“Everybody should walk one step ahead… if you take one step forward, the country takes 1.25 crore steps forward,” Modi said, and asked all Indians to pledge on Vijayadashami to defeat evil and do something good.
“We need to recognize ourselves” and “recognize our inner strengths”, the PM said. He invoked Swami Vivekananda, and used anecdotes to drive home the point that recognising its strengths would put the country on the path to success.
“You know, our scientists have undertaken the Mars mission successfully at minimum expense. There is nothing lacking in our capabilities. We have only forgotten our strengths. We have forgotten ourselves, and become despondent,” he said.
The PM said he had received several suggestions — from making skill development a part of the school curriculum from Class 5 onward, to having special programmes for specially-abled children; and from installing more dustbins, to banning polythene bags, to making the process of registration of small scale industries easier. He invited the people to share with him their constructive ideas and inspirational incidents.
Specially-abled children were the “responsibility of not only their families but the entire society”, the PM said. They should be made a part of the journey of development, he said. He even recalled that as chief minister of Gujarat, he would attend a Khel Mahakumbh for specially-abled children.
The radio, Modi said, was a “simple medium” which reached far. “It will help me reach the houses of the poorest of the poor… My country’s strength lies in the hutments of the poor, it lies in the villages, in its mothers, sisters and youth, and its farmers. “I have faith in your strength, that is why I have faith in this country’s future,” he said.
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