In the 126th episode of his monthly radio broadcast aired on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recalled the contribution of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, and how K B Hedgewar founded it a century ago to free the country from “intellectual slavery”. As the BJP’s parent organisation completes 100 years next month, Modi recalled the RSS's "nation-first" approach. “This spirit of sacrifice, service, and discipline is the true strength of the Sangh. Today, the RSS has been relentlessly and tirelessly engaged in national service for over a hundred years,” Modi said during Mann Ki Baat on Sunday. “Whenever a natural disaster strikes anywhere in the country, RSS volunteers are the first to reach there. This spirit of 'nation first' always remains paramount in every action and every endeavour of millions of volunteers.” “In the next few days, we will be celebrating Vijayadashami. This Vijayadashami is special for another reason. This day marks 100 years of the foundation of the RSS. This journey of a century is as amazing and unprecedented, as it is inspiring. When the RSS was founded 100 years ago, the country had been bound by the chains of slavery for centuries,” he said. The prime minister added that “this centuries-long slavery had deeply hurt our self-respect and self-confidence" and that "the world's oldest civilisation was being made to face an identity crisis”. “Our countrymen were becoming victims of an inferiority complex. Therefore, along with the country's independence, it was also important that the country be freed from intellectual slavery,” he said. The prime minister also extended greetings to the people for the Chhath festival next month. Bihar, where Chhath Puja is largely celebrated, will go to the polls soon. “The Government of India is engaged in a major endeavour connected with Chhath Puja, striving to include the Chhath Mahaparva in Unesco's Intangible Cultural Heritage List. When Chhath Puja is included in the Unesco list, people in every corner of the world will be able to experience its grandeur and divinity,” he remarked. A couple of years ago, Kolkata’s Durga Puja also became a part of this Unesco list. While the prime minister also greeted the nation on several other festivals and important days including Gandhi Jayanti and Valmiki Jayanti, he also recalled Bhupen Hazarika’s musical talent, as the singing legend's birth centenary is being marked this year, and also expressed condolences on the death of another singing talent from Assam, Zubeen Garg. Interaction with Navika Sagar Parikrama officers The episode also had the prime minister interact with Navy officers—Lieutenant Commander Dilna and Lieutenant Commander Roopa—who have completed the Navika Sagar Parikrama, circumnavigating 50,000 km in a boat over eight months. While making a mention of "GST Bachat Utsav"-related to the Goods and Services Tax cuts announced by the Government recently-Modi also urged the people to buy made-in-India products. “You can make your festivals even more special by taking a resolve. If we decide to celebrate this festival only with swadeshi products, you will see the joy of our celebrations rise manifold. Make 'vocal for local' your shopping mantra,” the prime minister said. “Resolve, that for all times, you will buy only what is produced in the country. You will take home only what is made by the people of the country. You will use only those goods that bear the toil of a citizen of the country… We have to become self-reliant, we have to make the country self-reliant. And the path to that lies only through swadeshi products,” he added.
