#MannkiBaat: Elated to see 'can do' attitude of youth, says Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday addressed the 72nd edition of his monthly radio show 'Mann ki Baat'. In his address, Modi pushed for his "vocal for local" campaign to make India more "aatmanirbhar" or self-reliant. He also praised the "can do" attitude of the country's youth which made him feel "elated and reassured." Here's more on what he said.
Modi started by recalling the events of 2020 in what was this year's last 'Mann ki Baat'. He said, "Supply chains got disrupted the world over, but we learned new lessons from each crisis. We can call this capability 'aatmanirbharta' or self-reliance." He recalled the Janata curfew and the taali-thaali appeal in March as protesting farmers decided to clang plates during Sunday's radio show.
In concordance with his past addresses, Modi pushed for 'Make in India' toys and said that customers are now demanding indigenous products. "This is a big change," he said. "When people have taken a step forward and when the mantra of 'vocal for local' is resonating in every house, I call upon our manufacturers and industry leaders to ensure that our products are world-class."
Modi said, "The global best must be manufactured in India. For this, our entrepreneurs and startups must come forward." He appealed, "Make a list of goods of daily use and analyze which imported articles have unconsciously become part of our lives and made us their captive. Let's find out their Indian alternatives and resolve to use products produced by the hard work of Indians."
Modi went on to add, "When I look at India's youth, I feel elated and reassured. I feel so because my country's youth has a 'can do' approach and a 'will do' spirit. No challenge is too big for them. Nothing is beyond their reach."
Modi noted that India has seen a 60% rise in the leopard population, which rose from around 7,900 in 2014 to 12,852 in 2019. "Their population has increased in most parts of the country, especially in central India," he said. India has seen a rise in the population of lions, tigers as well as a significant increase in forest cover, he added.
Modi also noted, "On this day, Guru Govind Singh Ji's mother Mata Gujri ji embraced martyrdom." He also urged people to not litter and said we have to rid the nation of single-use plastics. He also said that Kashmiri saffron has been given the Geographical Indication tag or GI tag. "Through this, we want to make Kashmiri saffron a globally popular brand."
