Since its inception, Mann Ki Baat has raised awareness about significant issues and motivated listeners to act for social and national causes
The nation celebrated the 100th episode of the popular radio program 'Mann Ki Baat' hosted by Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi on April 30th, 2023. I congratulate the PM on the roaring success of the program. Mann Ki Baat has been an important platform where the PM interacts with the people including tribal communities, understands their concerns, shares his personal experiences and creates awareness on important issues. His program has been a great source of inspiration for the tribal youth and motivates them to contribute to the nation's progress. As India celebrates Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, the progress, development, and achievements of our nation speak volumes of our potential and our position on the global platform.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Mann Ki Baat acted as a channel for educating the public and encouraging vaccination and is largely responsible for the success of India's vaccination story which alone is a sufficient testament to its importance and relevance. Tribal health being the prime focus, the government is committed to eradicating Sickle Cell Disease by 2047 by entailing awareness creation, universal screening, and counselling through the collaboration of Centres and States. To improve the quality of life for tribals through interventions in safe housing, access to clean water and sanitary facilities, enhanced education and healthcare, livelihood support, and cultural aspects, our efforts have always focused on implementing schemes that adopt a habitat-level development approach.
Certain tribes in India are identified as the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups, which are at the lowest level of development as they have been neglected for far too long. With 75 PVTG groups scattered across 18 states and the UT of Andaman & Nicobar Island in India, the Pradhan Mantri PVTG Mission, with an allocation of Rs. 15,000 Crores, the government is committed to conservation and development of PVTG communities. It is part of the PM’s 'Reaching the Last Mile' initiative.
The Hon'ble PM in his latest episode suggested the documentation of tribal languages to preserve them, such as Karbi of the Karbi Anglong region of Assam which has been revived through documentation and research. Other tribal languages at risk of extinction will also be preserved through similar efforts. Further, the Ministry also actively supports major tribal festivals such as Medaram Jathara and the Hornbill Festival, which are celebrated with great fervour in the country. This exercise helps in preserving and promoting our tribal cultural heritage.
The Hon'ble PM has observed that tribals are the denizens of the forests and the natural environment. He also discussed how to tackle issues like pollution and climate change, and emphasized the importance of organic farming and millet (shree-anna). Under the Van Dhan Vikas Karyakram, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs taps into the traditional knowledge and skill sets of the tribals and converts it into an economic activity through procurement and value addition of locally available Minor Forest Produce, targeting livelihood generation and transforming tribals into entrepreneurs.
The Hon’ble PM has suggested that the implementation of schemes be monitored at the grassroots level. Mann Ki Baat has been widely (and rightfully so) referred to as a social revolution and finds a solid base in Jan Bhagidari. The PM also takes note of the issues affecting the public and formulates action-based plans to tackle the problems. One such area is the Padma Awards. Hitherto considered elitist, these awards have now become People’s Padma where the efforts of the individuals who have brought changes at the grassroots level and helped in nation-building are being acknowledged. One such instance is the recognition of contribution of unsung tribal heroes in our freedom struggle and the Tribal Freedom Fighters’ Museum.
The nation now celebrates it as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas commemorating Bhagwan Birsa Munda, the martyrs of the Mangarh Hill Massacre of Rajasthan and the unsung heroes of tribal communities. Giving impetus to the provision of quality education for tribal children, our focus is not only limited to structured programmes and syllabi. Eklavya Model Residential Schools provide holistic education with enriching tribal knowledge, languages, history, and experiences. The government is in the process of recruiting 38,800 teachers for its 740 EMRS which will serve 3.5 lakh tribal students.
The PM receives lakhs of letters each month from all over the country. He frequently speaks to the audience members on the phone while the show is in progress. People's confidence in democracy and governance is at an all-time high because of this. It is pertinent to note that, since its inception, Mann Ki Baat has worked to raise awareness about significant issues throughout its successful run of 99 episodes over eight years and to motivate viewers to act for social and national causes. With the latest episode, we have marked the completion of 100 episodes, a grand feat! I am personally grateful to the Hon’ble Prime Minister for guiding the nation through Mann Ki Baat, and instilling a sense of pride, belongingness, and nationalism to further the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
(The writer is Minister of Tribal Affairs; the views expressed are personal)
