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CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS OF MATHRUBHUMI, KERALA
Media plays a critical and positive role in highlighting government policies to the people and in changing their lives, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi said on 19 March 2022 and remembered its contributions in popularizing initiatives like ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’ and ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ scheme which were beyond the political domain.
Hailing the role played by the media in popularizing government initiatives as well as fitness activities like Yoga, the Prime Minister suggested that lesser known events of freedom struggle and unsung freedom fighters could also be highlighted or amplified by the fourth estate.
“For any nation to develop, making good policies is one aspect. But, to enable the policies to succeed and to ensure that large scale transformation takes place, active participation from all walks of society is needed. For that the media plays a critical role. In these years gone by, I have seen the positive impact the media can play,” Shri Modi said while inaugurating online the centenary celebrations of leading Malayalam daily Mathrubhumi.
In the same way, every town or village has places associated with the freedom movement. Not much is known about them. We could highlight those places and encourage people to visit them.
Among other suggestions he made included encouraging up and coming writers from non-media backgrounds. “Can we encourage the up and coming writers from non-media backgrounds and give them a platform to showcase their writing skills? One of India’s biggest strengths is our diversity. Can we think about making key words of other languages popular through your media properties?”
The Prime Minister, in his speech also recalled the contributions of Mathrubhumi in the Indian freedom struggle and also some of its “leading lights” like K P Kesava Menon, K A Damodar Menon, Kerala Gandhi K Kelappan and Kurur Neelakantan Namboodiripad.
Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals, Mathrubhumi was born to strengthen India’s freedom struggle. Mathrubhumi is a key part of the glorious tradition of newspapers and journals founded all across India to unify the people of our nation against colonial rule, he said.
We will never forget his efforts to uphold India’s democratic ethos during the Emergency. He was a great orator, scholar and was passionate about the environment, Shri Modi added.