My Dear Countrymen,
Last time when I addressed Mann ki Baat, I was extremely distracted and upset by the earthquake that had struck then. My mind did not allow me to speak, but still I spoke Mann ki Baat. Today, when I am addressing Mann ki Baat, we are all surrounded by severe hot weather, with all the heat related problems and news from all corners of the country. I would like to request you all to take care of your health in this hot weather by following simple instructions, such as drinking ample amount of water and covering yourself for protection from the heat. At the same time, I would also like to request you all to take care of the birds and animals in your neighbourhood and fulfill their requirements too. We should take this opportunity to give the responsibility to our children to place a bowl of water for the birds in a suitable place where the water does not get heated up. By doing this, I can assure you that your children will imbibe good moral and cultural values. Moreover, in this extreme heat, this act will be a life saver for the birds and animals too.
This summer season is marked on one side by the extreme heat conditions, while on the other side there is both happiness and sadness. After completing our exams, we are in a state of anxiety until the announcement of the results. Now, CBSE and the other boards have declared their results and I would like to congratulate each and every student who has passed with flying colours. I came to know the significance of Mann ki Baat when many students, after obtaining their exam results, informed me that they listened carefully to my words on Mann ki Baat and followed them strictly during their exams, which has in turn proven to be quite fruitful and beneficial. Well Friends, I am glad to know this through your letters. However, the true reason behind your success is not any Mann ki Baat, but your hard work throughout the year and the consistent support from your entire family. Your school, your teachers and many others have a role to play in your success, and you have strived hard to attain this success, in order to meet everybody’s expectations. Mann ki Baat is a kind of exam tip given before entering the examination hall. However, today I really enjoy the fact that Mann ki Baat has created a significant impact, and I am very happy about it. While I speak about happiness surrounding our friends, who have passed with good scores, I would also like to make a mention of many of our friends who may have got low scores and some of them who were not successful. To all those who have passed, I would like to remind them that they are in that stage of their lives where they can choose their career in the right direction. Now, you have the opportunity to decide that right path for your career according to your wish and capabilities. Please also remember that your future will depend on the path which you choose. Generally, I have observed that most of the students have no idea about what they should study, why they need to study, or where they should study. They are also not aware of the aims in their lives. Many students mostly choose their career paths based on the opinions of their friends and families or based on the wishes of their parents. Our universe has expanded itself in all directions. There are no limits for the choice of subjects or opportunities. You must be careful and determined in choosing your career path, in accordance with your talent and capabilities. Why do you always have to choose the prevailing opportunities? Try your best. Try to utilise the talents within you to gain new opportunities. At the same time, you should also think how you can contribute to the betterment of your nation from what you have learned or what you become.
You will be shocked to hear about the fact that, as compared to the number of museums built around the world, the number of museums in India is very few. It is very difficult to find the right staff members for these museums as it is not a conventionally popular field. I do not want to drag on one topic. However, my only point is that our nation is in dire need of excellent teachers, soldiers, scientists, as well as artists and musicians. The field of sports is very broad, wherein other than players, various eminent human resources are also required for the fulfilment of any sports activity. This proves that we are surrounded by a vast variety of fields and opportunities on this planet. We all must try with strong determination. Your strengths, your capabilities, your dreams – all should be aligned to the dreams of our nation. This is your only chance to choose your right path.
To those who have not succeeded, I would like to tell them that success or failure is part of life. Those who consider failure as an opportunity, always head towards the foundation of success. Those who give up in life, due to failure, can never reach the heights of success. We can learn a lot from our failures. Why not we believe that our failures can provide us the opportunity to know ourselves better and understand our strengths, and by knowing our strengths and talents, we will be able to choose the right path in life.
I am reminded of our nation’s ex-President, Shri A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. In his book “My Journey- Transforming dreams into Action”, he has mentioned an incident that took place in his life. He says that he always aspired to become a pilot. However, when he tried to become a pilot, he failed and could not clear his exams. Now, you can see that his failure gave him a great opportunity in his life. He became a great scientist of our nation. He became the President of India and his contribution stands unparalleled in the field of nuclear energy in India. Therefore, friends, please do not bend yourselves under the burden of failure. Failure is a kind of opportunity. Do not let the failure go without learning a lesson from it. Try to search for a hope and opportunity that lies hidden in your failure. This is my humble request to all my young friends, and also to their family members – if your son fails, please do not create an atmosphere which can force him to lose all hopes in his life. Sometimes, the children’s failure is associated with their parents’ dream which leads to various problems in future. It should not happen. Fighting with failures can provide us the strength to live our lives peacefully. I would once again like to congratulate all my young friends who have passed out with flying colours. I would also like to convey my thoughts to my young friends who have failed, but I congratulate them to have obtained opportunities to find a right path in their lives. Please try and strive to move forward with hope and trust in your lives.
Meanwhile, many incidents have happened since my previous Mann ki Baat. Our government has completed one year. The entire nation analysed us quite minutely and criticised us. Many people gave us a distinction for our governance. In democracy, I believe that it is very important to receive the feedback from the supporters and the opposition, in politics. We must try to understand the drawbacks and the areas where we lag behind. It is also beneficial to understand our merits.
In my case, I am happy with all that has happened so far. My heart is always yearning to do something for the poor people in our country. I always think of novel ideas and accept suggestions from others in order to help the poor. Last month, we launched 3 key policies to provide social security to the people of our society, i.e. Prime Minister’s Suraksha Bima Yojna, Prime Minister’s Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojna, and Atal Pension Yojna. It has been just twenty days since the launch of these policies, and I can proudly say that due to your trust in our nation, our government and our programmes and policies, the common citizens of our country have joined hands with us in such huge numbers. I am extremely happy in sharing the fact that within a short span of 20 days, more than 8 crore and 52 lakhs people have registered their names for these programmes. We have adopted important measures in the path of social security and it will act as a boon for the people in the future years.
For those who have not yet received this information, I would like to request them to acquire these benefits as soon as possible. No one could have imagined receiving Suraksha Bima Yojna by investing just one rupee per month or 12 rupees in a year. In order to get the benefits of Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojna, you need to invest just 330 rupees in a year, which is less than a rupee per day. Therefore, by using these benefits, the poor will not be dependent on others for their living. The poor will become independent and self-confident. We are adopting different measures in this direction. I want to create an army of people, my army comprising of poor people will fight against poverty and defeat it. Our nation has been burdened with poverty for years now, and we will take appropriate steps to try and eliminate poverty from our nation. We are sure we will succeed.
Another most important development is the introduction of a channel for farmers on television, and I am feeling happy about it. We have a number of channels on televisions in our country, such as cartoon channels, sports channels, news channels and entertainment channels. For me, the channel for farmers is very important as I can clearly see the future of farmers through this channel.
According to my view, this channel is like an open university for farmers and their farms. This is a channel where both students and teachers are farmers. These farmers can learn a lot of things through excellent experience and move from traditional farming towards modern farming. Only minimal areas are left for farming. The families of farmers are increasing in number, but the land area is reducing. Due to this problem, it is very critical to understand the ways to grow crops efficiently, in such small areas. Now, we can get details about the weather forecast and plan accordingly. The channels for farmers will be focussing on these various issues. My farmer brothers and sisters, a system for monitoring farmers has been arranged in each of our districts. Please contact the respective district heads for availing this benefit.
I would like to speak to my fisherman brothers and sisters, to all those who are involved with fishery. There are many things for them to learn from this channel. In India, animal husbandry has been a traditional segment in a villager’s life, which acts as a supportive role in farming. However, as compared to the number of animals and the amount of milk production in various countries around the world, India lacks far behind. As compared to the numbers of animals, the estimated amount of milk production is not achieved in our country. The process by which we can produce more milk per animal, the ways in which the animals can be taken care of and the types of food that should be provided to them, are some the important factors to be considered. We take various measures based on our traditions, but we need to move forward by adopting scientific methods and technologies. By adopting these scientific methods, farmers as well as the animal husbandry can help us achieve financial strength. In this way we can provide confidence and power to the farmers and also the animal keepers. We should get scientific guidance regarding the direction in which we should move forward and attain success in this area.
My dear countrymen! Do you remember this date, 21st June? Generally, 21st June is remembered as the longest day of the year. But, recently this date has gained a new significance in the world. In September, last year, I had raised a subject and proposed to celebrate 21st June as International Yoga day while addressing the United Nations Assembly. The whole world was astonished, and you will also be surprised to know that within hundred days, we got support from 177 countries and this proposal was successfully passed. In the history of United Nations, such huge numbers of supporters from different countries were seen for the first time. This proposal was passed in a very short span of time, with the support of various countries around the world. This is a proud moment for every Indian.
Now, this is our responsibility. Would we have ever thought that Yoga can act as a connecting link between nations? Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam implies that our ancestors had imagined the same, where Yoga will act as a catalyst in connecting the world. This is news of utmost happiness and pride for us. But to achieve its real significance, we need to project the real essence of Yoga, and its real strength, to the entire world. Yoga connects the heart and mind and acts as a medium for freedom from ailments and lust. I am realizing that Yoga connects the body, mind and knowledge. Now, it is has been widely proven that Yoga can also act as a medium for connecting the world.
Why are we not taking steps to become an ambassador for this venture? Why not move forward in this path of human development with the help of this vital knowledge of Yoga? We must celebrate 21st June as Yoga day, in every corner of India. Please call up your relatives and friends staying in different parts of the world and ask them to gather in groups and celebrate Yoga day. If they have no knowledge of Yoga, ask them to take help from books. Read and explain the importance of Yoga in our lives. You can also read various letters on Yoga. I strongly believe that by declaring Yoga day, we have taken an important step in the development of the world. We have contributed to human development by removing stress from the lives of people, by providing positive energy to those who have lost all hopes in their lives. I want that what world has accepted, what world has respected, and what world has given to India should be a matter of pride, three weeks are left and you should take efforts and join and make others join.
I would especially like to speak to my soldiers of the army, who are fighting for our country’s safety. They have joined the army for their living and have sacrificed their lives for our country. Here, I am not speaking to them as a Prime Minister, but from my inner self, inner truth and deep emotions that I have for my soldiers.
Questions about one-rank and one-pension have not been resolved or answered for over forty years. There is no denial from the truth that the previous governments have spoken about this issue, but have never done something about it. I can assure you, and I have also promised my army men, that my government will surely launch one-rank and one-pension. We know our responsibilities, and after the formation of our government, different departments have begun working on this issue. I used to consider this to be a simple issue, but it is far more complicated than I thought, and for forty years this issue has been delayed. In order to resolve this issue in a simpler direction, I have asked the government officials to find solutions to this problem. It is not necessary to provide information to media every single second. There is no requirement to run a commentary for this issue. I would like to assure you, and I would like to repeat, that our government will launch one-rank and one-Pension and provide solutions to all related issues. Your life is very important to us, owing to the thought-process and ideals, with which we are moving forward.
I would like to connect with you and help you, not just as a part of any government programme, or any political campaign, but as a reflection of my patriotism. I, once again would like to convey to all the soldiers of my country, that we are not one of those people, who, in the name of politics, played games with you for the past forty years. I am against this path, and I am not willing to take any step which would complicate the existing issues. I want you to trust me, even if people are talking against us and playing games in the name of politics. I would like to provide all the assistance to my people who are sacrificing their lives for the country. These are my motives, and I believe that the words from my soul, which is made up of nothing but truth, will touch your heart as well. You have kept your patience intact for forty years. I need some time and opportunity to work. Once again, I would like to assure my countrymen that we will mutually work on this issue and find solutions for the same.
You all must have visited different parts of the country during vacations. Some of you must be planning now to visit places. It is natural that “Seeing is Believing”. When we visit places, we may go to our relatives’ place or go sight-seeing. We get to explore and understand the world. For a person, who has just seen a pond in his village, the experience of seeing an ocean cannot be expressed in words. He is unable to describe the size of ocean in front of the villagers, as seeing is altogether a different experience. When in vacations while you are travelling, with friends or family or planning to go, I do not know if you have the habit of writing a diary while travelling. I believe you must jot down your experiences when you meet new people and, you should write down in words all that influenced you. When you see something, you should describe it in words. In other words, you must assimilate what you see or feel, within you. Travelling is a form of knowledge in itself. It is not possible for all of us to get a chance to climb the Himalayas. One must read the adventurous travel stories through the books written by those who have got a chance to visit the Himalayas.
I am not saying that you should become a writer. We should travel and write to learn something new, to understand our country, and to know its varied diversity. We can write about a particular place, the food-habits of the people there, their clothing style, language, and culture, and also about their dreams, aspirations and problems. We are living in this vast nation. If we want to understand the entire nation, one life is not enough to do this. It is my earnest request to all of you, who are planning to visit or travel, to share your travelling experiences with me. I would be glad to read your stories. I would request you to mail me your photo and your experience with Incredible India#, and I will share your impressive stories with others.
I would like to feel what you have experienced. I would to like see from far, what you have seen during your travel. You can visit a sea shore and take a walk alone. Though I may be unable to do this, by reading your story, I would love to share your vivid experience with others.
On this note, let me remind you once again, please take care of yourself and do not fall sick. There are many ways to protect yourself from the summer heat, but please take care of the birds and animals around you too. I have spoken all that came out of my heart. I will meet you all again, and will speak again. My heartfelt greetings to one and all.
Thank you all for your support.