My dear countrymen, Namaskar. The day all of us had been waiting for since February has finally arrived. Today I have come amidst you, my family members, once again through ‘Mann Ki Baat’. There is a very lovely saying – ‘Iti Vida Punarmilanaaya’, its connotation too, is equally lovely, I take leave of you, to meet again. With this very feeling, I had told you in February that I would meet you again after the election results. And today, with ‘Mann Ki Baat’, I am again present amongst you. I hope all of you are well, all at home are keeping well... and now the monsoon has also arrived... When the monsoon arrives, the mind also gets delighted. From today, once again, in ‘Mann Ki Baat’, we will talk about those countrymen who are bringing change in the society; in the country, through their endeavour. We will discuss our rich culture, our glorious history and our efforts towards making a developed India.

Friends, since February until now, whenever the last Sunday of the month would come, I would miss this dialogue with you a lot. But I was also very glad to see that in all these months, you sent me lakhs of messages.

The 'Mann Ki Baat' radio program may have been paused for a few months, but the spirit of 'Mann Ki Baat' in the country and society, touching upon the good work done every day, work done with selfless spirit, work having a positive impact on the society – carried on relentlessly. Amidst the news of the elections, you certainly would have noticed such news that touched the heart.

Friends, today I also thank the countrymen for having reiterated their unwavering faith in our Constitution and the democratic systems of the country. The 2024 elections were the biggest elections in the world. An election as big as this, in which 65 crore people cast their votes, has never taken place in any other country in the world. For this, I congratulate the Election Commission and everyone involved in the voting process. My dear countrymen, today, the 30th of June is a very important day. Our tribal brothers and sisters celebrate this day as 'Hool Diwas'. This day is associated with the indomitable courage of Veer Sidhu-Kanhu, who strongly opposed the atrocities of the foreign rulers. Veer Sidhu-Kanhu united thousands of Santhal compatriots and fought the British with all their might. And do you know when this took place? This happened in 1855, that is, it happened two years before India's first war of independence in 1857. Then, in Santhal Pargana of Jharkhand, our tribal brothers and sisters took up arms against the foreign rulers.

The British had committed many atrocities on our Santhal brothers and sisters, and had also imposed many types of restrictions on them. Veer Sidhu and Kanhu attained martyrdom while displaying amazing bravery in this struggle. The supreme sacrifice of these immortal sons of the land of Jharkhand inspires the countrymen even today. Let us listen to an excerpt from a song dedicated to them in Santhali language –

#Audio Clip#

My dear friends, if I ask you what the most precious relationship in the world is, you will certainly say - “Maa”, Mother. In the lives of all of us, the Mother holds the highest stature. A mother nurtures her child even after undergoing all kinds of hardships. Every mother showers limitless affection upon her child. This love of the mother who has given birth is like a debt on all of us, which no one can repay. I was thinking... we can’t give anything to our mother, but, can we do something else? Through this thought, a special campaign has been launched on World Environment Day this year. The name of this campaign is – ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’. I have also planted a tree in the name of my mother. I have appealed to all the countrymen; people of all the countries of the world to plant a tree along with their mothers, or in their name.

And I am immensely happy to see that the campaign to plant trees in memory of the mother or in her honor is progressing rapidly. On social media, People are sharing pictures of planting trees with their mothers or with their photographs. Everyone is planting trees for one’s mother - whether one is rich or poor, whether one is a working woman or a homemaker. This campaign has provided all of us with an equal opportunity to express affection towards mothers. They are inspiring others by sharing their pictures with #Plant4Mother and #Ek_Ped_Maa_Ke_Naam. Friends, this campaign shall benefit us in another way. The Earth also takes care of us like a mother. Mother Earth is the very basis of the lives of all of us... so it is our duty to take care of Mother Earth as well. The campaign to plant trees in the name of mother will not only honor our mother, but will also protect Mother Earth. During the last decade, through collective efforts, there has been an unprecedented expansion of forest area in India. During the Amrit Mahotsav, more than 60 thousand Amrit Sarovars have also been created across the country. Now we have to lend speed to the campaign of planting trees in the name of mother.

My dear countrymen, monsoon is spreading its hues rapidly in different parts of the country. And during this rainy season, the thing that has started being searched for in every home is the 'umbrella'. Today in 'Mann Ki Baat', I want to tell you about a special kind of umbrella. These umbrellas are made in our Kerala.

In a way, umbrellas have a special significance in the culture of Kerala. Umbrellas are an important part of many traditions and rituals there. But the umbrella I am talking about is 'Karthumbhi Umbrella' and it is crafted in Attappady, Kerala. These colourful umbrellas are strikingly splendid. And the special fact is that these umbrellas are made by our tribal sisters of Kerala. Today the demand for these umbrellas is rising across the country. They are also being sold online. These umbrellas are made under the supervision of 'Vattalakki Cooperative Farming Society'. This society is led by our woman power. Under the leadership of women, the tribal community of Attappady has displayed a wonderful example of entrepreneurship. This society has also established a bamboo-handicraft unit. These people are now also preparing to open a retail outlet and a traditional cafe. Their aim is not only to sell their umbrellas and other products, but they are also introducing their tradition, their culture to the world. Today Karthumbi umbrellas have completed their journey from a small village in Kerala to multinational companies. What could be a better example than this of being vocal for local?

My dear countrymen, by this time next month, the Paris Olympics would have begun. I am sure that all of you would also be waiting to cheer for the Indian sportspersons in these Olympic Games. I wish the Indian team the very best for the Olympic Games. The memories of the Tokyo Olympics are still fresh in our minds.

The performance of our players in Tokyo had won the heart of every Indian. Right after the Tokyo Olympics, our athletes were whole-heartedly engaged in the preparations for the Paris Olympics. If we take all the players together, then all of them have participated in nearly nine hundred international competitions. This is a very big number.

Friends, in the Paris Olympics, you will get to witness certain things for the first time. In shooting, the talent of our players is coming to the fore. Both men’s and women’s teams have qualified in table tennis. Our shooter daughters are also part of the Indian shotgun team. This time, members of our team will compete in wrestling and horse riding in those categories as well, in which they had never participated before. From this, you can make out that this time we will see a different level of excitement in sports. You might remember... a few months ago, we displayed our best performance in the World Para Athletics Championship. Our players have also won glorious laurels in chess and badminton. Now the whole country is hoping that our players perform well in the Olympics as well... win medals in these games and also win the hearts of the countrymen. In the coming days, I will also get an opportunity to meet the Indian team. I will encourage them on your behalf. And yes, this time our hashtag is #Cheer4Bharat.

Through this hashtag, we have to cheer our players... keep encouraging them. So keep up the momentum... this momentum of yours will help in showing the magic of India to the world.

My dear countrymen, I am playing a small audio clip for all of you.

#Audio Clip#

You must have also been surprised to hear this radio program, right? So come, let me tell you the whole story behind it. Actually, this is a clip of a broadcast of Kuwait Radio. Now you might think that since we are talking about Kuwait, how did Hindi get there? Actually, the Kuwait government has started a special program on its National Radio. And that too in Hindi. It is broadcast every Sunday for half an hour on Kuwait Radio. It includes myriad shades of Indian culture. Our films and discussions related to the art world are very popular among the Indian community there. I have even been told that the local people of Kuwait are also taking a lot of interest in it. I thank the government of Kuwait and the people there from the core of my heart for taking this wonderful initiative.

Friends, which Indian will not be happy with the way our culture is earning glory all over the world today! For example, in Turkmenistan, the 300th birth anniversary of its national poet was celebrated in May this year. On this occasion, the President of Turkmenistan unveiled the statues of 24 famous poets of the world. One of these statues is also that of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore.

This is an honour for Gurudev; an honour for India. Similarly, in the month of June, two Caribbean countries Suriname and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines celebrated their Indian heritage with full zeal and enthusiasm. The Indian community in Suriname celebrates 5 June every year as Indian Arrival Day and Pravasi Din. Bhojpuri is also widely spoken here, along with Hindi. The number of our brothers and sisters of Indian origin living in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is also around six thousand. All of them are very proud of their heritage. The way they celebrated Indian Heritage Day on the 1st of June with great jubilation reflects this feeling. Every Indian feels proud when such a spread of Indian heritage and culture is seen all over the world.

Friends, this month the whole world celebrated the 10th Yoga Day with great enthusiasm and zeal. I also participated in the yoga program organized in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. In Kashmir, along with the youth, sisters and daughters also participated enthusiastically on Yoga Day. As the observance of Yoga Day is progressing, even new records are being made. Yoga Day has attained many great achievements all over the world. For the first time in Saudi Arabia, a woman, Al Hanouf Saad ji, led the common yoga protocol. This is the first time a Saudi woman has instructed a main yoga session. This time in Egypt, a photo competition was organized on Yoga Day. The pictures of lakhs of people performing yoga on the banks of the Nile River, on the beaches of the Red Sea and in front of the pyramids became very popular. Myanmar's Maravijaya Pagoda Complex, famous for its Marble Buddha Statue, is world famous. Here too, a splendid Yoga Session was organized on the 21st of June. A special camp was organized for Divyang children in Bahrain. A memorable Yoga Session was also held at Galle Fort, famous for its UNESCO heritage site in Sri Lanka. People also did Yoga at the Observation Deck in New York, USA. The President of Marshall Islands also participated in the Yoga Day program organized there on a large scale for the first time. A grand Yoga Day program was also organized in Thimpu, Bhutan, in which my friend Prime Minister Tobgay also participated. That is, we all saw panoramic views of people doing Yoga in every corner of the world. I express my heartfelt gratitude to all the friends who participated on Yoga Day. And then there is this long standing request of mine. We do not have to make Yoga just a one-day practice. You should do Yoga regularly. You will certainly feel positive changes in your life by doing this. Friends, there are so many products of India which are in great demand all over the world and when we see a local product of India going global, it is natural to feel proud. One such product is Araku coffee. Araku coffee is produced in large quantities in Alluri Sita Rama Raju district of Andhra Pradesh. It is known for its rich flavour and aroma. Around 1.5 lakh tribal families are associated with the cultivation of Araku coffee. Girijan cooperative has played a very important role in taking Araku coffee to new heights. It brought together the farmer brothers and sisters here and encouraged them to cultivate Araku coffee.

This has also enhanced the income of these farmers a lot. The Konda Dora tribal community has also benefited a lot from this. Along with income, they are also getting a life of dignity. I remember once I got a chance to taste this coffee in Visakhapatnam with the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Chandrababu Naidu Garu. And it’s taste…! This coffee is amazing! Araku coffee has received many global awards. The coffee was also a hit at the G-20 summit held in Delhi. Whenever you get a chance, you must enjoy Araku coffee.

Friends, the people of Jammu and Kashmir are also not lagging behind in making local products global. What Jammu and Kashmir has achieved last month is an example for people across the country. The first consignment of snow peas was sent to London from Pulwama here. Some people got the idea... why not bring the exotic vegetables grown in Kashmir onto the world map! And lo and behold… Abdul Rashid Mir of Chakura village was the first to come forward for this. He started growing snow peas by integrating the land of other farmers of the village and within no time, snow peas started reaching London from Kashmir. This success has opened new doors for the prosperity of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. There is no dearth of such unique products in our country. You must share such products with #myproductsmypride. I will also touch upon this topic in the upcoming 'Mann Ki Baat'.

Mam Priya: Deshvasin:

Adya Aham Kinchhit Charcha Sanskrit Bhashayaam Aarabhe.

You must be thinking why I am suddenly speaking in Sanskrit in 'Mann Ki Baat'? The reason for this is a special occasion related to Sanskrit today! Today, on the 30th of June, the Sanskrit Bulletin of Akashvani is completing 50 years of its broadcast. For 50 years, this bulletin has kept so many people connected to Sanskrit. I congratulate the All India Radio family.

Friends, Sanskrit has played a big role in the progress of ancient Indian knowledge and science. The demand of today's times is that we should respect Sanskrit and also connect it with our daily life. Nowadays, many people are making such an effort in Bengaluru. There is a park in Bengaluru - Cubbon Park! In this park, the people here have started a new tradition. Here, once a week, every Sunday, children, youth and elders talk to each other in Sanskrit. Not only this, many debate sessions are also organised in Sanskrit. The name of this initiative is Sanskrit Weekend! It has been started by Samashti Gubbi ji through a website. This initiative which started a few days ago has become very popular among the people of Bengaluru.

If we all join such efforts, we will get to learn a lot from such an ancient and scientific language of the world.

My dear countrymen, it was great to connect with you in this episode of Mann ki Baat. Now this series will continue once again as earlier. The holy Rath Yatra is going to start after a week from now. It’s my solemn wish that the blessings of Mahaprabhu Jagannath always remain on all the countrymen. The Amarnath Yatra has also commenced, and in the next few days, the Pandharpur Wari is also about to start. I wish all the devotees participating in these Yatras all the best. Just ahead is also the festival of the Kutchi New Year – Ashadhi Beej. Many best wishes to all of you for all these festivals too. I am of the firm belief that you will keep sharing such efforts of public participation related to positivity with me. I am waiting to connect with you again next month. Till then please take care of yourself and your family as well. Thank you very much. Namaskar.

*****

DS/VK