Live: Remember India has strength of 125 crore people, says PM Modi on AIR

11.18 am: PM ends speech with promise to do it again on Sunday And the speech is over - an uncharacteristically short one from the Prime Minister. But, as he said, this is just the beginning of what is going to be a very regular event. AIR should be glad at any rate. This is guaranteed listnership twice a month! Apart from asking the people of India to stand together, the Prime Minister also mentioned letters that he had been receiving from the people. Again a smart move, intended at showing the people that he listens to their concerns, and is connected to them. “On mail lot of people wrote to me that children should begin skill development courses at a very young age. It’s a good suggestion. Many others have said there should be a ban on polythene bags, compulsory use of dustbins”, he said. He also named people who had mentioned specific concerns: " Gautam Pal wrote to me about specially abled children. I really liked what he wrote. I remember we began Khel Mahakumbh for specially abled athletes and I myself would go & see the sports". “I want you to keep sharing these things with me. Together let us serve India and take our Nation to newer heights” 11. 12 am: ‘We are strong, but have forgotten our strength’ The Prime Minister is now telling people to remember that India is in fact a strong and great nation. “We’re not lacking in strength but we’ve forgotten how strong we are. 125 crore Indians are blessed with immense skill and strength. We have to understand ourselves better. It’s important that we understand our strengths to understand ourselves better”, he said. He also called for the people to work together. “This country belongs to the citizens, not the government. People should come together. If everyone takes one step forward, the country will take 125 crores steps forward”. 11.02 am: PM Modi begins address, says he will make it a fortnightly event Beginning his address and hailing Dusshera as the triumph of good over evil, PM Modi promised to make his radio address a fortnightly occurrence, saying that he would try to speak to the nation over radio at least two Sundays a month. In an effort to widen the scope of the Swacch Bharat Abhiyaan, the Prime Minister urged the people of the nation to join the movement and also asked the people of the nation to buy and wear khadi. “f you buy Khadi, you light the lamp of prosperity in the house of a poor person”, he said. He also asked the people to follow Gandhi. This will be seen by political observers as another effort by Modi, to free Gandhi from the exclusive domain of the Congress party, and appropriate him as a symbol of the nation. By resorting to radio over his usual televised address, the Prime Minister is trying to build a connect with the rural Indian with no access to television. It is also an effort to reclaim the vote of the rural poor, a community that has traditionally been a Congress vote banks. 10.00 am: PM Modi to address nation via man ki baat on AIR Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Friday address the nation through national broadcaster All India Radio. The programme, which will air at 11 am, is expected to be widely covered by private channels as well with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting providing free coverage. The programme, titled ‘Man ki baat’ was reportedly recorded by AIR staff on 2 October and will air simultaneously on Doordarshan as well. [caption id=“attachment_1741033” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Prime Minister Narendra Modi.[/caption] A senior official told news agency PTI that after recording of the prime minister’s address, the All India Radio (AIR) prepared a transcript which has been translated in regional languages. The AIR would on the evening of 3 October repeat the telecast in regional languages on its regional channels, the official said. When contacted by PTI, AIR DG F Sheheryar said it was a “great encouragement” that the prime minister had chosen the public service broadcaster. Prime Minister Modi is expected to address various issues that have been posted on the government’s online portal ‘mygov’. Modi had earlier tweeted asking citizens to post their questions or clarifications on the website and he would address some of them. This is the first time a prime minister is reaching out through social networks to interact with citizens. Reports have also suggested that the PM could repeat this initiative if it proves successful as a means to reach out to those who do not have access to modern forms of media.