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Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on August 25 addressed the nation in his 3rd Episode of ‘Mann Ki Baat 2.0’. In the episode, he made an appeal to the countrymen to curb ‘single use-plastic’. PM also appreciated ‘Mutthi Bhar Dhaanya’ initiative in Nashik which turned into big movement for curbing undernourishment. Here, we are publishing brief highlights of the address for our esteemed readers :
–Everyone can find solutions to present day problems from lord Shri Krishna’s life.
The importance of selfless service, the importance of knowledge, or be it marching ahead smilingly, amidst the trials and tribulations of life, we can learn all these from Lord Krishna’s life’s message. And that is why Shri Krishna is known as Jagatguru – teacher to the world… ‘Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum’.
–Gandhiji emphasized not only on the spirit of service, but also on the inner happiness it led to.
–For Mahatma Gandhi, the individual and society, human beings & humanity was everything. Whether it was the Phoenix Farm or the Tolstoy Farm in Africa, the Sabarmati Ashram or Wardha, he laid special emphasis on community mobilization in his own distinct way.
–I sincerely urge you to visit at least one place associated with Mahatma Gandhi in the days to come. It could be any site… such as Porbandar, Sabarmati Ashram, Champaran, the Ashram at Wardha or spots in Delhi related to Mahatma Gandhi.
When you visit them, do share your photographs on social media so that others may be inspired. And do pen a couple of sentences or couplets to express your feelings.
–You may remember that in the Haripura Congress Session in Gujarat, Subhash Chandra Bose being elected as President is recorded in history. These Art Panels have a beautiful past. Before the Haripura Session, in 1937-38, Mahatma Gandhi had invited the then Principal of Shantiniketan Kala Bhavan, Nandlal Bose. It was Gandhiji’s wish that the lifestyle of the people of India be depicted through the medium of art and this artwork may be exhibited during the session. This is the same Nandlal Bose whose artwork adorns our Constitution; lends to the Constitution a new, unique identity.
–The very commitment & reverence of Nandlal Bose have made him, along with the Constitution, immortal. Nandlal Bose toured villages around Haripura, concluding with a few works of art canvas, depicting glimpses of life in rural India. One should do something for the sake of the country, society or just for someone else. This will be a good, true & genuine Karyanjali to Bapu, a tribute through a good deed.
We have been running a countrywide campaign ‘Swachchata Hi Sewa’, ‘the quest for cleanliness is service’, around a couple of weeks before the 2nd of October. This time around it will commence on the 11th of September. During this period, all of us will move out of home, donating toil & sweat through ‘Shramdaan’, as a ‘Karyanjali’ to Mahatma Gandhi.
–This year, on the 2nd of October, when we celebrate Bapu’s 150th birth anniversary, we shall not only dedicate to him an India that is Open Defecation Free, but also shall lay the foundation of a new revolution against plastic, by people themselves, throughout the country.
–I appeal to all strata of society, residents of every village, town & city, take it as a prayer with folded hands; let us celebrate Gandhi Jayanti this year as a mark of our plastic free Mother India.
–Today, I want to touch upon a very important point from a Sanskrit Subhashit. These lines were written centuries ago, but even today, carry great relevance. There is an excellent Subhashit that mentions –
“पृथिव्यां त्रीणि रत्नानि जलमन्नं सुभाषितम् |
मूढैःपाषाणखण्डेषु रत्नसंज्ञा प्रदीयते”||
–That is, water, grain and subhashit are the three gems found on earth. Imprudent people call stones as gems. In our culture much glory has been ascribed to food. We have even converted the knowledge about food into a science. Balanced and nutritious food is essential for all of us, more so for women and the new-born, since these two categories are the foundation of the future of our society. Under the ‘Poshan Abhiyaan’ campaign, nutrition made available with the help of modern scientific methods is being converted into a mass movement all over the country.
–People are fighting a battle against malnutrition in innovative and interesting ways.
The ‘Mutthi Bhar Dhaanya’ initiative has turned into a big movement in Nashik. In this novel scheme, during the harvest period, Anganwadi workers collect a handful of rice grain from the people. This grain is used to make piping hot food for children and women.
–In 2010, Gujarat embarked upon planning to provide kids complimentary food on the occasion of ‘Ann Praashan Sanskar’ so that this initiative spreads awareness among the masses. This is a great initiative that can be adopted anywhere.
In many states, people run meal campaigns on certain dates. If the family celebrates a birthday, certain auspicious day or observe an in- memoriam day, then the family members with self-prepared nutritious and delicious food, go to the Anganwadis and also to the schools and these family members themselves serve the children and feed them.
–Today, due to lack of awareness, both poor and affluent families are affected by malnutrition. The month of September will be celebrated as ‘Poshan Abhiyaan’ across the country. You must get connected with it, get information about this initiative, add some new facet to ‘Poshan Abhiyaan’ by contributing to it. If you manage to save a few people from malnutrition, it would mean that we can bring the country out of the circle of malnutrition.
–Who can forget the historic speech of Swami Vivekananda delivered on September 11, 1893. This young monk of India, who shook the conscience of the human race of the entire world, imparted onto this world a glorious identity of India. The enslaved India which was gazed at by the world in a much distorted manner was forced to change its way of looking at India due to the words of a great man like Swami Vivekananda on September 11, 1893…. Let us put in practice the inherent strength of India realized by Swami Vivekananda. We possess everything within us, let us proceed with confidence.