Narendra Modi greets nation on Eid, says diversity is India's strength in 'Mann ki Baat'

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday extended Eid-ul-Fitr greetings to all and said inspiration should be drawn from such pious festivals to spread happiness and to take the nation forward. He emphasised that India’s diversity is its speciality as well as its strength. “The holy month of Ramadan was celebrated with devotion. Now it is time for Eid. On the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr, my best wishes to all,” Modi said in his monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat. Eid-ul-Fitr, which marks culmination of the fasting month of Ramadan, will be celebrated on Monday. [caption id=“attachment_2435818” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Narendra Modi during a Mann ki Baat address. PIB[/caption] “Ramadan is a month of holy donations, to spread happiness… Come, let us all together take inspiration from such pious festivals to keep spreading the treasure of happiness and keep taking the nation forward,” he added. While talking about the diversity, the prime minister also referred to the Lord Jagannath Yatras taken out on Sunday in the country as well as some parts of the world with devotion and religious fervour. While talking about Ramadan, the prime minister highlighted an “inspiring” gesture of the people of Muslim-dominated Mubarakpur village in Bijnaur district of Uttar Pradesh. He said during the Ramadan, the people of the village with a population of about 3,500 families, mostly Muslims, decided to collectively construct a toilet. To extend help in this endeavour, the government provided about Rs 17 lakh, Modi said. “But you will be happy to know that all the Muslim brothers and sisters, on the occasion of Ramzan, returned the amount of about Rs 17 lakh to the government saying they would construct their toilet with their own money and labour,” the prime minister said. He said the villagers told the government to spend the amount on providing other facilities in the village. Congratulating the villagers of Mubarakpur for this, Modi said while their gesture was inspiring, the bigger element was that village was made ‘open defecation free’ (ODF). He said three states — Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh and Kerala — had already been declared ODF and recently Uttarakhand and Haryana had also joined these states. “I thank the governments and public of these five states for accomplishing this task,” Modi said. The prime minister, who is vigorously pushing the Swacch Bharat campaign, said accomplishment of the programme will need a sustained and a prolonged effort.