This could be well beginning of reenergising ‘swadeshi’ movement in the country Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged people to buy at least one ‘khadi’ cloth in their day-to-day life.
“If you buy khadi, you light the lamp of prosperity in the house of a poor person,” he said in his maiden radio address to the nation, ‘Man ki Baat’ on Friday. Khadi products comprises of most of products which any one need in his day-to-day life be it clothes, foot wares, food products including spices, cosmetics, herbal medicines and many more. Modi impress upon people to use use at least one Khadi product, may it be a handkerchief or even a bed sheet.
It will be a true homage to Mahatma Gandhi. As Khadi outlets provide special discount every year to mark the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, October 2, the Prime Minister called people to take advantage of this scheme which runs through for a month. Currently, there are over 7,000 khadi outlets all over the country besides various retail shops selling Khadi products. During 2013-14, Khadi & Village Industries produced goods worth over Rs 26,000 crore and provided employment to over 1.4 crore people.
Using the medium, which reaches to 99.2 per cent of population and covers 92.per cent of geographical area in the country, Modi gave a pep talk to shed despondency and use skills for betterment and prosperity of the country. “You know, our scientists have undertaken the Mars mission successfully at minimum expenses. There is nothing lacking in our capabilities. We only have forgotten our strengths. We have forgotten ourselves as if we have become despondents. My brothers and sisters, this cannot be,” he said in his little over 15 minutes broadcast.
“We need to recognise our internal strengths,” the Prime Minister said while narrating a short story of Swami Vivekananda about how a lion brought up by sheep rediscovered his prowess after coming in touch with another lion, he said while adding that if citizens move ahead with self-respect and right identity, we will emerge victorious.
Get up and walk
The Prime Minister said that he keeps laying emphasis on 125 crore citizens of the country because till now there has been a mindset that the government will do everything. “We have seen where we stand. If we have to move ahead, 125 crore Indians will have to act,” he said.
To press his point, Modi narrated another story regarding a person who sat on the wayside and kept asking several people the way to his destination, but was told the correct path only when he got up to walk. “Till we don’t decide to get up and walk, we won’t find guides to show us the way,” he added. While emphasising on greater participation of common people, the Prime Minister said the country belongs to not only the government but everyone.
Regular feature
The Prime Minister promised to be on radio twice in a month or even once at 11 am on Sundays. Explaining his decision to address the nation over radio, he said it is such a simple medium and through the broadcast he would be able to reach far and wide and the homes of the poor. “The strength of the country is in the huts of the poor, the strength of my country lies in villages, the strength of my country in mothers, sisters, youth and farmers. The country will progress on the basis of your strength, this I believe in. I have faith in your strength, so I believe in the future of India,” he said.