India: ‘Mann ki Baat’ allowed me to connect with people, says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the ‘Mann ki Baat’ filled the “emptiness” he felt after coming to Delhi in 2014 and described it as an expression of the feelings of millions of Indians which has ensured he is never cut-off from people.

He was speaking in the 100th episode of the monthly radio broadcast.

The milestone broadcast was an occasion for PM Modi to walk down the memory lane as he asserted that it was not merely a programme but a matter of faith and spiritual journey for him.

“Mann ki Baat has become a festival that celebrates the positivity of India and its people,” he said and added he was filled with emotions at the thousands of letters he received from listeners on the occasion of its 100th episode.

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including Union ministers, listened to Modi’s address at different places as the ruling party went all out to make the 100th episode a mega exercise in public connect.

The BJP had earlier said nearly 400,000 venues would be set up for people to listen to the prime minister’s broadcast.

The prime minister said the programme is a reflection of the “Mann ki baat” of millions of Indians and an expression of their feelings.

Be it ‘Swachh Bharat', Khadi or ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’, issues raised in “Mann Ki Baat” became people’s movements, he said.

Modi said the monthly radio broadcast, which mostly steers clear from politics, has become an important medium of learning from others.

“This programme has ensured that I am never cut-off from you,” he said.

During the 100th episode, PM Modi also had a telephonic conversation with some people who were featured earlier on the broadcast for their unique initiatives.

Noting that the programme started on October 3, 2014 on the occasion of Vijaya Dashami, he said it has also become a unique festival of goodness and positivity of the countrymen.

Recalling that his mentor Laxmanrao Inamdar, one of the early RSS functionaries in Gujarat, always advised “worshipping” the good qualities of others, including rivals, PM Modi said ‘Mann Ki Baat’ has been an exercise for him to worship the qualities in others and learning from them.

Modi said the programme has never let him to be away from people and added that as the Gujarat chief minister, it was natural for him to meet and interact with the common people.

“But after coming to Delhi in 2014, I found that life here was very different. The nature of the work is different, the responsibility is different, and one is bound by circumstances, the rigours of security and time limits. In the initial days, something felt different, there was an emptiness,” he said.

The programme has led a transformative change in our society by popularizing the stories of the people who have come up with inspiring solutions for nation's welfare, Nadda said.