Prime Minister Narendra Modi today expressed pride that Charaideo Maidam of Assam is being included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Addressing the nation in his Mann Ki Baat programme on Akashvani this morning, the Prime Minister highlighted that it will be the 43rd site of India in the list, and the first Cultural World Heritage site from the Northeast. Elaborating on why it is such an important place, Mr Modi said Charaideo was the first capital of the Ahom dynasty. The people of the Ahom dynasty traditionally kept the mortal remains of their ancestors and their valuables in the Maidam. Prime Minister added that the Maidam is a symbol of reverence for the departed kings and dignitaries of the Ahom Empire.
Prime Minister termed it as a great feat for the Ahom Empire to sustain from the 13th century till the beginning of the 19th century. He stated that the principles and beliefs of the Ahom Empire were so strong that they kept this dynasty alive for a long time. Mr Modi also recalled unveiling the tallest statue of the great Ahom warrior Lachit Borphukan on 9th March this year. Prime Minister said he feels privileged to have paid respects to the ancestors of the Ahom community at Lachit Maidam. He urged people to include Charaideo Madamin in their future travel plans.
Mr Modi noted that a country can progress only by taking pride in her culture. Highlighting efforts being made in India in this regard, he mentioned Project PARI, which stands for Public Art of India. Prime Minister observed that Project PARI is becoming a great medium to bring emerging artists on one platform to popularise public art. He said that the paintings made on roadsides, walls, and underpasses are made by the same artists who are associated with PARI. Mr Modi said this not only enhances the beauty of public places but also helps in making Indian culture more popular. He gave the example of Delhi’s Bharat Mandapam and flyovers which contains artwork from across the country. He requested art and culture lovers to work more on public art.
Speaking about the handloom industry, Mr Modi lauded 250 women of Rohtak district of Haryana for joining the UNNATI Self Help Group and spreading the magic of colours on clothes. The women joined the Self Help Group and received training in block printing and dyeing. They are now earning lakhs of rupees today as the bed covers, sarees and dupattas made by them are in great demand in the market.
National Handloom Day will be celebrated in the country on the 7th of next month. Prime Minister was pleased to note that artisans in different parts of the country are engaged in making handloom popular. He cited the examples of Sambalpuri saree of Odisha, Maheshwari saree of Madhya Pradesh, Paithani of Maharashtra, hand block prints of Vidarbha, Bhutiko shawls and woollen clothes of Himachal and Kani shawls of Jammu and Kashmir. He added that many private companies are also promoting handloom products and sustainable fashion through AI. He highlighted that Kosha AI, Handloom India, D-Junk, Novatax, Brahmaputra Fables, and many such start-ups are engaged in making handloom products popular. He also expressed happiness that many people are engaged in making such local products popular. He called upon people to upload their local products on social media with the hashtag – My Product My Pride.
Mr Modi stated that many people who never used Khadi products before are today wearing Khadi with great pride. He said the turnover of Khadi Village Industry has crossed 1.5 lakh crore rupees for the first time, which is an increase of four hundred percent. He pointed out that this rising sale of Khadi and handloom, is also creating a large number of new employment opportunities. He urged listeners who have not bought Khadi clothes to start buying from this year. He added that with August being round the corner, there cannot be a better time to buy Khadi.
Prime Minister said Paris Olympics are the flavour of the season in the whole world right now. He said the Olympics give Indian players a chance to hoist the tricolour on the world stage. He asked people to encourage the players and Cheer for Bharat. Mr Modi highlighted that students of India have performed exceptionally well in the International Mathematics Olympiad held recently. In this Olympiad, Indian team won four Gold and one Silver Medal and reached the top five. Youth from more than a hundred countries participate in the International Mathematics Olympiad. Mr Modi mentioned the names of the students who have brought glory to the country. They are – Aditya Venkat Ganesh and Siddharth Chopra from Pune, Arjun Gupta from Delhi, Kanav Talwar from Greater Noida, Rushil Mathur from Mumbai and Anando Bhaduri from Guwahati.
In today’s Mann Ki Baat episode, Prime Minister spoke to the winners about their experiences during the Olympiad. Aditya Venkat Ganesh and Siddharth Chopra said they were interested in Maths since childhood. Arjun Gupta and Kanav Talwar spoke about their preparation for the Olympiad and their hard work during the process. Rushil Mathur and Anando Bhaduri mentioned to the Prime Minister how one can get over the fear of Maths and form an interest in the subject. Mr Modi wished them the best for their future and lauded them for raising the glory of the country.
Touching upon the challenge of drug menace, Prime Minister said every family is worried that their child might get caught in the grip of drugs. He informed that the government has taken a special initiative called MANAS, which is a step in the fight against drug abuse. The Helpline and Portal of MANAS were launched recently and a toll-free number-1933-has been issued. Mr Modi said anyone can call on this number to get necessary advice or information related to rehabilitation. If someone has information related to drugs, they can also share it with the Narcotics Control Bureau by calling this number. Prime Minister said all information shared with MANAS will be kept confidential. He urged the people and all the institutions engaged in making India ‘drugs free’ to make use of the MANAS Helpline.
International Tiger Day will be celebrated across the world tomorrow. Prime Minister said tigers have been an integral part of Indian culture and people in the villages around forests know to live in harmony with the tiger. He said unprecedented efforts are being made for the protection of tigers in case conflict arises between tiger and man. He said “Kulhadi Band Panchayat” is one such effort of public participation.
The “Kulhadi Band Panchayat” campaign started from Ranthambor of Rajasthan. Mr Modi said the local communities have taken an oath that they will not go to the forest to cut trees so that a better environment can be created for the tigers. Mr Modi also praised Gond and Mana tribes around the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve of Maharashtra, for taking rapid strides towards eco-tourism. They have reduced their dependence on the forest so that the activities of tigers can increase in the area. Prime Minister also praised the efforts of ‘Chenchu’ tribe living on the Nallamalai hills in Andhra Pradesh. As Tiger Trackers, they have gathered information on the movement of wild animals in the forest. They are also monitoring illegal activities in the area. Mr Modi also mentioned the ‘Baagh Mitr Karykram’ being undertaken in Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh. Under this, local people are trained to work as ‘Baagh Mitr’. These ‘Baagh Mitr’ strictly ensure that there is no conflict between tigers and humans.
Prime Minister expressed happiness that public participation is proving very useful in tiger conservation. He stated that it is on account of such efforts that the tiger population in India is increasing every year. He took pride in the fact that 70 percent of the tigers in the world are in India. Mr Modi noted that along with the increase in tiger population, the forest area in the country is also increasing rapidly. He expressed delight that a large number of people are connecting with the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign. He highlighted that more than two lakh saplings were planted in Indore in a single day under the campaign recently. He called upon people to join this campaign of planting trees in the name of their mother, take a selfie and post it on social media.
Prime Minister also asked listeners to participate in the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign, with 15th August approaching. He underlined that Har Ghar Tiranga campaign has become a unique festival in upholding the glory of the Tricolour. He encouraged people to upload their selfies with the Tricolour on ‘harghartiranga.com’. He also sought their suggestions ahead of Independence Day on MyGov or NaMo App, saying that he will cover as many suggestions as possible in his Independence Day address to the nation.
