Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, launched the Amrit Kalash Yatra under the 'Meri Mati-Mera Desh' campaign in New Delhi, today. Many dignitaries including the Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur, Union Minister of Law and Justice Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of State for External Affairs, Smt. Meenakshi Lekhi and Secretary, Ministry of Culture were present on the occasion.

In his address, Shri Amit Shah said that today's event is somewhat like an evening, as it is happening at a time when India has completed 75 years of independence. He said that upcoming Amritkal and “Sankalp Se Siddhi” will put India at the forefront in every field globally by August 15, 2047. Shri Shah said that India, as envisioned by our freedom fighter, will be created in the next 25 years. He added that over the past 75 years, India has got many achievements, but they are not sufficient. Shri Shah said that after a long period of subjugation and the sacrifices of millions, we gained independence, and in the last 10 years under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, every Indian has been given the opportunity to come together and help create a greater India.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that the Meri Mati-Mera Desh programme expresses its meaning through its name itself. He said that now we are living in independent India, and for this, millions have made sacrifices. He added that from 1857 to 1947, for 90 years, a long struggle for freedom was fought, and countless known and unknown freedom fighters sacrificed their life to the cause. He said that only a person like Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, who is full of patriotism in his heart, could have imagined initiating this journey of “Sankalp se Siddhi”, by taking a pledge with ‘Mitti’’ in his hand and paying homage to those who have made the sacrifices. Shri Shah said that the idea behind this programme is that every individual, family, citizen, and child should connect emotionally with the idea of creation of great India. He said that from 1-30^th September, every household, ward, and village will collect the ‘Mitti’ or grains in a pot, following it up from 1-13^th October at the block and later from 22-27^th October at state level, and finally, from 28-30th October these 7,500 pots will reach New Delhi, the capital of the country. Shri Shah said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will put soil from these Amrit Kalash in the Amrit Vatika created at Delhi honour of our great veers, which will keep on reminding every citizen that we must make India great during the period of Amritkal.

Shri Amit Shah said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has integrated several programmes into this initiative, and has providing every Indian with an opportunity to become part of the initiative. He said that a new series has been made by 5 programmes aimed at re-dedicating oneself to the country. Under these progarmmes inscription have been installed in every village of the country, crores of citizens of the country have taken the pledge of ‘Panch Pran’ which will pave the way to make India great, 75 trees have been planted in the celebration of Amrit Mahotsav under the Vasudha Vandan programme and honouring the heroes and hoisting the national flag has been done.

Union Home Minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, organisation of over 2 lakh programmes during the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav have once again awakened the spirit of patriotism in the entire nation and these programmes will conclude with Meri Mati-Mera Desh programme. He said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had called upon all the countrymen from the ramparts of the Red Fort to take ‘Panch Pran’ – the goal of a developed India, to remove the mentality of slavery, to be proud of our traditions, to dedicate whole life for unity and integrity, and, to awaken a sense of duty in the mind of every citizen. Shri Shah said that these ‘Panch Pran’ are the highway to building a great India. He said that 23 crore houses, offices and buildings across the country were beautified with the Tricolour after Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's call for 'Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyan'. Shri Shah said that the whole country joined the Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyan by respecting the call of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the result of this patriotic feeling was that recently our Chandrayaan reached the Shivshakti point on the Moon, which is a very proud moment for all the countrymen. He said that the feeling of pride in the mind of every person of the country has arisen with the tricolor campaign in every house.

Shri Amit Shah said that connecting every person with the future of the country, connecting his feelings with the progress of the country and connecting the efforts of every person with the progress and development of the country is the test of leadership and its responsibility. He said that the whole country is fortunate that after a long time, we have got such a leader like Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, who is paving the way to make the country first in the world during Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. Shri Shah said that today our economy has moved from 11th to 5th position in the world and soon we will become the 3rd largest economy. He said that the self-confidence that has been awakened in the mind of every citizen of India has happened through such programmes. Shri Shah said that the confidence instilled in the minds of every Indian citizen through such programmes serves as inspiration for our courageous soldiers to carry out surgical strikes, empowers our scientists to develop the COVID-19 vaccine, and provides the courage for ISRO scientists to reach the Moon and the orbit of Sun.

The Home Minister said that Meri Mati - Mera Desh is not just a programme, but it is a medium to connect oneself with the future of the country. Shri Shah said that this programme can become a medium to make oneself a part of the process of making the country great and after 25 years when the present generation will lead a great India, then they will have the satisfaction in their mind that previous generation had helped make a very strong India.

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RK/AKS/AS