Stating that the Janta Curfew imposed in March last year in India was an unprecedented example of discipline, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that India is now running the world’s largest vaccination programme.
Addressing the nation in his monthly radio programme, Mann Ki Baat , he said that the elderly in the country are showing a lot of enthusiasm and getting vaccinated across all corners of the country and pointed out to examples of how citizens even above the age of 100 years have come out to take the vaccination doze.
He reiterated the mantra of “Dawaayi bhi Kadaayi bhi” to fight the pandemic.
In the 75 the edition of Mann Ki Baat, the Prime Minister noted that the month of March also marks the commencement of ‘Amrit Mahotsav’ of the 75 years of India’s Independence.
“Amrit Mahotsav’ had begun from the day of Dandi Yatra and will continue till the 15th of August, 2023. Programmes in connection with Amrit Mahotsav are being held throughout the country consistently; people are sharing information and pictures of these programmes from a multitude of places,” he added.
He said that the Amrit Mahotsav of our freedom also implies that the citizens should make new resolves for the welfare of society, for the good of the country and for a bright future for India.
Pointing out to the perservance being displayed by various citizens to fulfill their resolves, the Prime Minister gave examples of the work being done by various citizens in various fields such as Benaras’ Indrapal Singh Batra’s efforts to save the sparrows and Bijay Kumar Kabiji focus on growing a 25-acre mangrove forest in Kendrapada in Odisha.
He also talked about the efforts of the students of St. Teresa's College in Kochi, Kerala to make reusable toys and the sculptures made of automobile and electronic waste by Professor Srinivasa Padkandlaji in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh.
Sweet revolution
Modi also talked about how bee farming is becoming the foundation of a honey or sweet revolution in the country.
"Modernization in the field of Indian agriculture is the need of the hour. It is already late. We have already lost a lot of time. Adopting new alternatives, new innovations, along with traditional farming, are equally important to create new opportunities for employment in the agriculture sector; to increase the income of farmers. The country has experienced it during the white revolution. Now bee farming is emerging as a similar alternative," he added.
The PM said that efforts made in locations such as Gurdum in Dajeeling and Sunderban areas of West Bengal, Banaskantha in Gujarat and Yamuna Nagar, Haryana are examples of how India is making progress not just in honey bee farming but also in cutting down on imports of bee wax.
Talking about the various festivals that will be celebrated in the coming days such as Holi, Easter, Ugadi, Gudi Pawda among others, he reiterated the need to follow safety measures to fight the pandemic.