Modi: India Trusted in Constitution by Voting

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that people expressed their unwavering faith in the country’s Constitution and democratic process by participating in the just concluded Lok Sabha elections. Addressing his first “Mann ki Baat” after the general election, the Prime Minister talked about various issues, including farmers, global acceptance of Indian culture, sports etc.

Resuming his monthly radio broadcast, which was last aired on February 25, the Prime Minister said, “Today, I 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.”

During his address, the Prime Minister also spoke about the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” campaign launched on World Environment Day. Mentioning that he also planted a tree in memory of his mother, Modi said, “I am immensely happy to see that the campaign to plant trees in memory of the mother or in her honour is progressing rapidly. On social media, people are sharing pictures of planting trees with their mothers or with their photographs. This campaign will also help protect ‘Mother Earth’.”

Pointing out that Indian culture is earning glory around the world, Modi cited a host of developments to highlight the increasing acceptance of practices and products linked to the country abroad.

After playing a clip of a Hindi programme aired on Kuwait Radio, Modi said, "The Kuwait government has started a special programme on its national radio. And that too in Hindi. It is aired 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."

He mentioned that the local population in Kuwait was also taking a lot of interest and thanked its government and people for taking this wonderful initiative.

"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 the 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 and an honour for India," the Prime Minister said.

He also mentioned that in the month of June, two Caribbean countries — Suriname and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines — celebrated their Indian heritage with full zeal and enthusiasm.

“Every Indian feels proud when such a spread of Indian heritage and culture is seen all over the world,” he said.

Talking about the 10th International Day of Yoga celebrated on June 21, the Prime Minister said that locals, including women, joined him in participating in the yoga programme in Srinagar.

“As the observance of Yoga Day progresses, 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,” he said.

Modi noted that this time in Egypt, a photo competition was organised on Yoga Day and 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.

The Prime Minister said: “There are so many products of India that 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 the 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 an 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,” he said.

Modi stated that this has also enhanced the income of these farmers a lot and the Konda Dora tribal community has also benefited a lot from this.

The Prime Minister informed the listeners that Jammu and Kashmir is also not lagging behind in making local products global and the first consignment of snow peas was sent to London from Pulwama.

Talking about next month's Paris Olympics, the Prime Minister urged people to use the "cheer4Bharat" hashtag to motivate them.

“Next month, the Paris Olympics will begin. I am sure that all of you will 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,” he said.