On Mann ki Baat, Narendra Modi says yoga 'ushering in wellness revolution', credits states for 'success' of GST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday addressed the 45th edition of his radio show Mann ki Baat and hailed the "historic" Test match between India and Afghanistan  earlier in June. He also talked about the 4th International Yoga Day and how yoga was ushering in a wellness revolution. [caption id=“attachment_4581711” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Reuters.[/caption] Calling the India-Afghanistan Test “historic”, the prime minister praised Rashid Khan, describing him as an asset to the world of cricket and also lauding his performance in the Indian Premier League matches this year. Modi said he would remember the Test match for another reason — the Indian team had invited the Afghan squad for a group photograph while holding up their trophy. This, the prime minister said, reflected the spirit of sportsmanship. He also expressed hope that India and Afghanistan will play and prosper with the same spirit in future. Talking about yoga, Modi said it was a great unifying force, and that it was a matter of great pride for Indians to witness our armed forces perform yoga on land, sea and in the sky. He also highlighted that an event to mark International Yoga Day was organised in Saudi Arabia for the first time. “Yoga is ushering in a wellness revolution,” he added. On Mann ki Baat, the prime minister also talked about Doctor’s Day, which is observed on 1 July. Calling doctors “lifestyle guides”, he said they not only cure but also heal. He extended best wishes to all doctors through his radio show. Modi talked about the town of Maghar in Uttar Pradesh, which he is scheduled to visit on Thursday. The prime minister remembered Sant Kabir Das and said he took samadhi in Maghar — a town once considered impure. It was believed that a person who died in Maghar would never go to heaven. But Modi said Kabir Das never believed in this and took his samadhi there, sending a message of peace and unifying people by resolving their differences. The prime minister also talked about Guru Nanak Dev, saying that he worked for the poor and for the society. He said the 550th prakash parv of Guru Nanak Dev will be celebrated in 2019, calling for ideas on how to celebrate it with great pride. Remembering the incident at the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, Modi said 2019 marks 100 years of the “horrific” event. It gives the message that violence and cruelty can never solve any problem, he said. “Victory is always of peace and non-violence.”

2019 marks 100 years of the horrific incident of Jallianwala Bagh - an incident that embarrassed entire humanity. The incident underlines the message that violence and cruelty can never solve any problem. The victory is always of peace and non-violence and sacrifice : PM pic.twitter.com/05hhQai6uV

— BJP (@BJP4India) June 24, 2018

The prime minister also remembered Syama Prasad Mookherjee and his role in the industrial development of India. He said that Mookerjee laid the strong foundation of India’s industrial development and in 1948, the first industrial policy in independent India had an impression of his ideas. “It was his dream to make India self-reliant in all its industrial needs,” Modi added. Modi also talked about the Goods and Services Tax (GST), which is about hit its one-year mark. Calling it a great example of cooperative federalism, he said that states had helped fulfill the dream of ‘One Nation, One Tax’. He called GST a victory and celebration of honesty. The prime minister also talked about a unique initiative in Bengaluru where IT engineers and corporate professionals had come together to double farmers’ income through the Sahaj Samadhi Trust, through which they are reaching out to farmers and enabling them to market their produce.