Democracy is not just about electing a government once in five years. It is about dialogue and assimilating various groups
In the countdown to the 100th episode of ‘Mann Ki Baat’, the monthly radio broadcast, there is much to look back on and reflect on the journey of conversation and action. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s penchant for direct dialogue with the people of the country is now without a parallel within the country and also abroad. The radio broadcast has truly been an exemplar that politics is not just the means to gain power but to serve the people. In the 99 episodes, millions of people have found comfort in the voice of empathy of PM Modi and also a reassurance that the prime minister of the country accords topmost priority to their concerns.
Democracy is not at all about electing a government once in five years. Democracy is all about dialogue. The discourse must be uninterrupted. Ears should be on the ground. Leaders must know the pulse of the people. Also, leaders cannot be dependent on intermediaries to connect with the people. PM Modi set a trend to connect with the people directly. Millions of letters are received in his office, and many of them have been read out in the radio programme to convey the message that connecting with the people is direct and a bond that is cherished.
A careful study of the contents of the 99 episodes reveals that PM Modi has been highly considerate of the issues closer to the people, and he worked to find ways to mitigate the hardships. In a way, the ‘Mann Ki Baat’ has been a two-way communication between the people and the prime minister. Since the communication has been direct, there has been no scope for noise as well.
Under the watch of PM Modi, the conventional ‘top-down’ governance approach has been transformed into a ‘bottom-up’ participatory and democratic model, wherein the potential of ‘Jan Shakti’ has been unleashed. Public campaigns for women empowerment, cleanliness, promotion of swadeshi products, environmental conservation and others have in some ways been also guided by Prime Minister’s conversations with the people in ‘Mann Ki Baat’.
‘Mann Ki Baat’ indeed scores high when compared with any radio-based outreach programs hosted by world leaders in entire history, including former US President Franklin Roosevelt’s ‘Fireside Chats,’ or Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s ‘Azad Hind Radio’. It must be noted that ‘Mann Ki Baat’ has driven home persuasion to the people to own up to the responsibilities of the issues which concern large sections of society. That the government alone will do everything has been an attitude, which has been firmly dispelled by the radio programme.
From December 2016 to March 2023, ‘Mann Ki Baat’ on Prime Minister’s official Facebook handle garnered nearly six crore views. During the covid-19 lockdown period, ‘Mann Ki Baat’ on PM’s Facebook handle garnered over two crore views.
Three common themes characterize ‘Mann Ki Baat’ -- ‘Jan Shakti’, changing the mindset of the people, and connecting India to its civilisational roots. Also, PM Modi’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’ episodes have proven to have a significant impact on the attitude of the general public, turning various government initiatives into mass movements. He lent his weight to the promotion of Khadi and other ‘swadeshi’ products, ‘Swachhata’, Yoga, women empowerment through ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’, water and energy conservation, environmental protection, etc. This has also given suitable support to the realization of the core Gandhian philosophy of ‘Swadeshi se Swaraj’.
This can also be gauged from the fact that PM Modi’s exhortations led to an increase in the sale of Khadi by 125 per cent within one week. In the last eight years, i.e. from 2014-15, the production in the Khadi sector in 2021-22 has increased by 191 per cent, while the Khadi sales have increased exponentially by 332 per cent. PM Modi’s espousal for a self-reliant India with his call for ‘Atmanirbharta’ has also found resonance among the listeners of the radio programme. In the 66th episode, he received calls from a woman in Assam and a man in Tamil Nadu, who expressed their wishes to see India becoming a self-reliant country by being ‘Vocal for Local’ and by achieving Atmanirbharta in the field of defence.
In his first ‘Mann Ki Baat’ broadcast, PM Modi, while reading a letter he received from a citizen, suggested his listeners eliminate 10 bad habits (evils), including dirt and filth, calling it the biggest evil that plagued the nation. This set off an ambitious task to guide the country to accord top priority to solid waste management. The state of filth in the cities had been appalling. The municipal administrations were proving to be too inadequate for the task of dealing with the ever-increasing solid waste, which was taking the form of a mountain at landfill sites across the country. Such garbage mountains have also been sources of emissions of toxic gases, besides contributing to global warming by emitting greenhouse gases. PM Modi wanted the support of the people to deal with the humongous challenge.
India’s population is 1.3 billion, which currently generates 62 million tonnes of municipal solid waste per year. Further, as per various studies, India has recently become the most populous country in the world. At this exponential population growth rate, landfills almost 90 per cent of the size of Bengaluru would be required for dumping if the waste remains untreated.
The ‘Waste to Wealth Mission’ aims to identify and support the development of new technologies that promise to create a clean and green environment. To tackle this issue, the prime minister talked about the potential of recycling garbage and waste to make fertilisers, bricks, electricity, and recycling water for irrigation in several of the ‘Mann Ki Baat’ episodes.
His call found resonance with the people as accounts of individuals and municipal bodies began coming of collective efforts to address the issue of solid waste management sustainably. Soon, Gram Panchayats also joined the campaigns. The water bodies which had become dump yards for solid wastes were reclaimed and restored to their pristine glories. This is an irreversible attitudinal change in the way people think about issues confronting them.
Giving credit to the media persons, PM Modi recalled an incident where an 18-year-old Bilal Dar from Srinagar was working for 5-6 years to clear plastic, polythene, used bottles, etc., from the Wular Lake, which had become infamous for its toxic debris. It was found that Bilal Dar had cleaned 12,000 kgs of trash as of 2017, for which he was made the brand ambassador by Srinagar Municipal Corporation as well.
In the 84th episode, PM Modi shared another inspiring story of scuba divers, who removed 4,000 kg of plastic waste from up to 100 metres away from the coast of the Mangamaripeta beach within 13 days, highlighting how a small beginning could become a big campaign.
The 99 episodes of ‘Mann Ki Baat’ has ingrained the message that PM Modi is also a listener, and he has the patience to listen to the tales of the people. This has been the story of ‘Mann Ki Baat’ so far, which has given a new direction to the three-tier democracy of the country.
(To be continued …)
(Author is a policy analyst)
