NEW DELHI : Prime Minister Narendra Modi today drove home the point that unity in diversity was the factor that bound India together saying ”Unity in diversity is our country’s pride.”
Addressing the nation on Mann ki Baat radio progrmme, the PM stressed that ”Unity should be our medium. Unity in diversity is our country’s pride,” adding that unity was also prerequisite for development.
While not specifically referring to recent incidents of communal intolerance, Mr Modi referred to Iron Man Sardar Vallabhai Patel, whose birth anniversary will be celebrated later this week, and lauded him for his vision for India’s integration.
Mr Modi lauded Sardar Patel who had made great efforts for the country’s unity.
”India is characterised by diversity. And this is our pride. Shanti, Sadbhavana and Ekta (peace, amity and unity) are key to progress,” the PM said.
On the occasion of Sardar Patel’s birth anniversary, a Run for Unity was being organised on October 31.
Extending his Diwali greetings to the countrymen, he also asked the people to work towards ‘Father of Indian Constitution’ Babasaheb Ambedkar’s mission.
”Let’s live and strive towards the development of this country,” the PM said mentioning that he would be visiting Britain after Diwali and expressed hope that the bungalow where Dr Ambedkar had lived as a student in London would prove an inspiration to Dalits and the down trodden.
During the half-an-hour programme, the PM shared his views on subjects ranging from organ donation, response to the Swacch Bharat initiatives, upcoming India-Africa foreign summit and gold monetisation policy to be announced soon. Talking about the Gold Monetisation Scheme, the PM urged the people to deposit their gold with banks and use a dead asset to earn interest.
”We have come up with ‘Gold Monetisation Scheme’. Under this scheme you can deposit your gold in bank,” he said noting that gold could become India’s economic asset. ”In India, gold has become like a part of our social life. But, keeping gold as dead money is not a smart way in current times,” Mr Modi opined.
The Government would be coming out with a gold ”Ashok Chakra” coin weighing 5 grams and 10 grams on the festival of ‘Dhanteras’, he announced.
On the India-Africa foreign summit, being held here from tomorrow in which 54 African states and organisations would participate, Mr Modi referred to the similarities shared by Africa and India and recalled the impact made by Mahatma Gandhi on the African continent.
”India-African ties are developing fast. At least 25,000 African students have studied in India and this summit will be an important one for the future,” he said adding that around 27 lakh Indians were settled in Afircan continent.
A summit of this scale was being organised for the first time, he said and praised the Human Resource Development Ministry for organising essays and poems in 1,600 CBSE affiliated schools in India and abroad in this context.
”The peoples of these two countries can develop ties for a better future,” he said. Turning to organ donation, Mr Modi expressed gratitude that students were coming out with initiatives to spread awareness on the topic through symbolic messages in the country.
Stating that organ donation was very important in this country, he said ”every year we need at least 1 lakh eyes. Number of accidents occur everyday and there was a constant need for organs to save life and limb, he said.
About 2.5 lakh people needed heart, liver and kidney transplants, he said, noting that national helpline was available for this and referred to the successful liver transplant after a donation by a hawker’s wife that had saved a life.
Turning his attention towards the Swachh Bharat initiative, the PM mentioned receiving an audio message from one Savitha Rai from Mumbai on how India could work towards cleanliness.
Mr Modi praised Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for their initiatives for the Clean India mission. In this regard, he also named several media houses for their campaigns to spread awareness about this mission.
Recalling his statement for doing away with interviews for lower posts in an earlier broadcast, the PM said from January 1, 2016, there would be no interviews for Group C, D and non-gazetted posts. This would cut down corruption, he hoped.
He expressed happiness that whatever was promised would be implemented soon.
Concluding with a call to ”live and strive towards the development of this country”, Mr Modi thanked Akashwani for giving him this opportunity to reach out to people of India.
(UNI)
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel