Mann Ki Baat @100
Dr Pardeep Mahotra
Establishing the repute of being an effortless flow of communication in between the liveliest and innovative Prime Minister and the common people, ‘Mann Ki Baat’ has proved to be one of the major ground-breaking initiatives commenced by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to encourage the participation and incite the attention of common people in important social issues concerning everybody. The programme has been a major hit across all the sections. Peculiar point of which is that throughout its inception, the honourable PM has kept it non-political while touching diverse social issues.
The programme which has also highlighted the role of radio with 1st such programme of its nature has been enriched with visuals removing monotonous effect and inciting interest among all the age groups. The programme has covered the issues, people, organizations, initiatives, thoughts from the length and breadth of the country. And the programme has particularly showcased the special concern of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Jammu & Kashmir. Throughout numerous MKB episodes, the evolving landscape of Jammu and Kashmir, shaped by the grassroots strengthening of democracy and accelerated pace of development, has been a focal point. PM Modi brings forth the captivating success stories of the people of the region. Take, for instance, the entrepreneurial journey of Abdul Majeed Wani, who embraces e-trading to sell his GI-tagged saffron at a Pampore trading center, or the historical value of Kashmiri saffron that PM Modi underscores in his addresses. Another compelling narrative is that of Javed Ahmed, who survived a terrorist attack in Kashmir in 1996 and now dedicates his life to improving infrastructure for the physically challenged.
By highlighting these heartening stories, Prime Minister Narendra Modi uses Mann Ki Baat as a platform to showcase the positive strides Jammu and Kashmir has made while emphasizing the region’s vast potential for growth and prosperity.
? Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Mann Ki Baat address talked about effective endeavours made by local residents of villages and Gram Panchayats of Jammu and Kashmir. He mentions Balbir Kaur, the sarpanch of Gram Treva in Jammu, who constructed a 30-bed quarantine centre and made arrangements for water availability on roads leading to the Panchayat.
? Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Mann Ki Baat address talked about Zaitoona Begum (Sarpanch) who decided that her Panchayat would fight the battle against Corona and along with that, create income opportunities too. She distributed free masks & free ration in the vicinity; at the same time, she distributed crop seeds & apple saplings so that people were not subjected to inconvenience in farming & horticulture.
? Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this address talks about Javed Ahmed who is a survivor of a terrorist attack in Kashmir in 1996, in which he was shot and suffered serious injuries including a damaged kidney, lost intestine, and spinal injury. Despite losing the ability to stand on his own feet, he did not give up and instead dedicated his life to social work. For the past 20 years, he has been working on improving infrastructure for the physically challenged and developing systems for the disabled in government offices and public spaces. He has a master’s degree in social work and is now a leading figure in advocating for the disabled.
? Prime Minister Narendra Modi Modi appreciates Shriman Mohd Iqbal in his Mann Ki Baat address, who is the Municipal President of Anantnag. PM mentions that he needed a sprayer for sanitizing his area, but he was informed that the machine had to be brought from another town at a cost of six lakh rupees. Instead, he designed and made a sprayer machine through his own efforts, which only cost him fifty thousand rupees.
? Prime Minister Narendra Modi Modi appreciates people of Pulwama in his Mann Ki Baat address. He says that the people of Pulwama, including Manzoor Ahmad Alai, have shown entrepreneurship and dedication towards their work. Manzoor Alai sold his ancestral land to establish a unit for manufacturing wooden boxes and later expanded his business to include supplying pencil slats to big companies. His business is now worth crores and provides livelihood to around 200 people.
? Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentions about The Shrinagar Municipal Corporation who had appointed Bilal Dar, an 18-year-old from Shrinagar, as their brand ambassador for the Swachhata Abhiyan or Cleanliness Campaign. PM congratulates the Shrinagar Municipal Corporation for their initiative towards sanitation and for appointing Bilal as their ambassador for cleanliness.
? Prime Minister Narendra Modi Modi discusses the benefits of solar energy and shares inspiring stories of individuals who have implemented solar technology in their lives. He also mentions a story of Manzoor Ahmed Larhwal from Shrinagar, who reduced his electricity bill by more than half by installing a solar rooftop plant.
? In this episode of Mann Ki Baat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Modi talks about the success stories of farmers in honey production. He shares experience of Vinod Kumar from Palli village of Jammu who has been beekeeping in more than 1.5 thousand colonies and is earning 15 to 20 lakh rupees annually.
? In his Mann Ki Baat address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Modi highlights the achievements of athletes who have won gold medals in various sports competitions despite coming from humble backgrounds. He shares the stories of Adil Altaf from Shrinagar. Adil’s father, who is a tailor, supported his son’s dream of becoming a cyclist.
? Prime Minister Narendra Modi Modi discusses the history and importance of Kashmiri saffron through MKB. He also mentions how the recognition of the GI tag will benefit farmers who grow saffron and promote the government’s efforts towards building an Atmanirbhar Bharat.
? In his Mann Ki Baat address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Modi shared a comment from Muhammad Aslam from Shopian, Jammu & Kashmir, who had played a positive role in organizing the community mobilization program ‘Back to Village’ in his state. PM Modi appreciated the initiative and stressed the importance of the public directly entering into a dialogue with the Government.
(The author is Media Incharge
& Media Secretary, BJP).
