Hundredth episode of Mann Ki Baat: Radio Kranti and the Modi magic

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the 100th episode of his hugely popular, marathon, monthly series of “Mann Ki Baat” on 30 April, 2023. In the 100th episode of Mann ki Baat, PM Modi said the broadcast filled the “emptiness” he felt after coming to Delhi in 2014 and described it as an expression of the feelings of crores of Indians which has ensured he is never cut-off from the people. The milestone broadcast was an occasion for the PM to walk down the memory lane as he asserted that it was not merely a radio programme but a matter of faith and a spiritual journey for him. Mann ki Baat has not only ushered in a “Radio Kranti”, but has become a festival that celebrates the positivity of India and its people. In a historic moment, this 100th episode was broadcast live at the United Nations headquarters, in New York, in a glowing endorsement of PM Modi’s global reach. Microsoft founder, Bill Gates, congratulated the PM ahead of the 100th episode, noting how the Mann Ki Baat program had resulted in so “many action-oriented initiatives in India”. An interesting survey conducted by IIM Rohtak found that there are 230 million, as in 23 crore regular listeners of Mann Ki Baat, with 96 per cent of the population being aware of this unprecedented radio programme. Note, the total population of the USA is about 330 million, that is, 33 crore people. So basically, every month,a population equal to  almost 70 per cent of the overall US population, watches Mann Ki Baat regularly and that is exemplary by any yardstick. What is even more noteworthy is that, 73 per cent of the respondents of the survey are optimistic and feel the country is progressing. 58 per cent of the listeners responded saying their living conditions have improved, while a similar number (59 per cent) have reported increased trust in the Modi government. While 23 crore people tune in to the programme regularly, another 41 crore constitute an occasional audience that has the scope of being converted into a regular audience. 62 per cent of the respondents between the age of 19 to 34 preferred watching it on TV. Hindi grabs a major chunk of the listeners of Mann Ki Baat, with 65 per cent of the audience preferring it over any other language while English comes in second place with 18 per cent. Apart from 22 Indian languages and 29 dialects, Mann Ki Baat is broadcast in 11 foreign languages, besides English, namely, French, Chinese, Indonesian, Tibetan, Burmese, Baluchi, Arabic, Pashto, Persian, Dari and Swahili. Mann Ki Baat’s first episode was aired on 3 October, 2014, on the occasion of Vijayadashami. In his first address through the radio after becoming the Prime Minister, PM Modi gave a call for “Swachh Bharat”. Rather than making it a complete government program, the PM made it a “people’s movement”, urging citizens to join hands together to make the country clean. Following this, a new era of cleanliness began in the country where people participated in multiple cleanliness drives, with great zest. PM Modi has always amplified Swachh Bharat in his Mann Ki Baat show. In the 29 September, 2019, episode of Mann Ki Baat, PM Modi stressed on eliminating single-use plastic. He also spoke on the ban on e-cigarettes and said that the latter was banned so that a “new form” of intoxication does not destroy the country’s youth. Modi’s “Selfie with Daughter” campaign also got overwhelming support from the citizens. The effect of amplifying the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) campaign via the Mann Ki Baat platform also paid rich dividends,with the sex ratio at birth (SRB) improving by 16 points from 918 in 2014-15 to 934 in 2019-20 and the gross enrolment ratio of girls in schools at the secondary level improving from 77.45 per cent to 81.32 per cent. Of course the SRB today is even higher. According to the National Family Health Survey, India’s sex ratio at birth in 2022 was a very healthy 1020 females per 1000 males. The moot point is,through his Mann ki Baat radio broadcast,the PM crafts messages that venture into the nooks and corners of the nation, building bridges between the people and the government, “leaving a splendid trail of impactful leadership examples,” as was aptly described by union home minister Amit Shah. In the previous 99 episodes of Mann Ki Baat, PM Modi addressed many issues and topics spanning space, history, youth, technology, solar energy, COVID, governance, so on and so forth. Modi made an interesting remark on Seydou Dembele from Mali during the 69th episode of “Mann Ki Baat”.   “Dembele, a teacher at a public school in Kita, Mali, a country in West Africa, has a deep affection for India. Every Sunday afternoon, Dembele presents a one-hour radio programme named — ‘Indian Frequency on Bollywood Songs’. He has been presenting this programme for the last 23 years. He has a tremendous love for India. Recently, he has started another two-hour programme every Sunday, in which he tells the story of a Bollywood movie in French and Bambara (the national language of Mali),” the PM said. Similarly, PM Modi highlighted the contributions made by Birsa Munda to the nation in the areas of freedom, culture, and the environment during the 82nd episode of his monthly “Mann Ki Baat” programme. Again, in the 62nd episode of Mann ki Baat, Modi cited the example of a 105-year-old woman from Kerala who continued her education despite her old age and inspired people to never let the student inside them die. However, two years later at the age of 107, Nari Shakti awardee, Bhageerathi Amma passed away due to age-related illnesses. In the first Mann Ki Baat episode of 2019, PM Modi made a special note of Mahant Bharatdas Darshandas, the sole voter from Banej village in the Gir forest, for whom the Election Commission of India (ECI) set up a polling booth. Darshandas, who was in his 60s, was provided with a special booth by the ECI because he would otherwise have to travel 120 kilometres to cast his vote at the closest booth. PM, while hailing the Election Commission’s efficiency and Darshandas for his dedication to vote, said, “Whereas we hear of a polling station at 15,000 feet above mean sea level in Himachal Pradesh, we also learn about the same being organised in remote islands of the Andaman Nicobar archipelago. And you must have heard about Gujarat, where in a remote place in Gir forest, there is a polling booth for a sole voter. Just imagine, for that one and only voter. This is the beauty of our democracy.” Inderpal Singh Batra is on a mission to control the decline in the population of sparrows due to rapid urbanisation. Indrapal made the decision to conserve the sparrow species at the start of the year 2000. He then began purchasing pottery and decided to drill a hole in it and fill it with twigs to create a bird nest. More than 100 nests are currently present at Indrapal Singh Batra’s home. The number of birds in this effort, which began with a few sparrows, has now risen to more than 2500. Through his efforts, his house has become a place of refuge for these birds. PM praised Inderpal Singh Batra’s efforts in his “Mann ki Baat” episode in March 2021. Again, PM Modi mentioned Vinod Kumar from the nation’s first solar energy Panchayat, as an example, on the Mann Ki Baat programme. Vinod engages in beekeeping, has received training in rearing queen bees and makes between Rupees 15 and 20 lakh a year. Vinod, a resident of Palli village, stated that for the past 27 plus years, beekeeping has been his source of income. He had only 15 boxes when he began this project. Interestingly, the Jhansi Strawberry festival was also recognised by PM Modi in his Mann Ki Baat programme. Gurleen Chawla, a law student, has been instrumental in making it happen. Gurleen successfully cultivated Strawberries, first at her house and subsequently on her farm, giving Jhansi residents confidence that it was also possible to do so in their respective areas. With the 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat being aired, Modi has emerged as a well-wisher, friend, philosopher and guide, both for those who gave him a thumping majority in two consecutive general elections and even those who did not vote for him or the BJP.  The charisma of Mann Ki Baat lies in the fact that it is non-political in its basic essence and ethos. It is a platform between the listeners and their leader,who wants to hear, be heard, solve issues, take feedback, give friendly advice, redress grievances and offer solutions for challenges both visible and invisible, thereby preparing his countrymen and women for the exciting road ahead, as India takes a giant leap forward, towards empowerment and transformation. PM Modi ushered in the Amrit Kaal by laying down the “Panch Pran” i.e., five pledges that every citizen of Bharat must take to lay the unshakable foundation of the future Bharat. Each of these Panch Pran is focused on inspiring action and facilitating nation building. The Pran or pledges include the goal of a developed Bharat; removing any traces of colonial mindset; celebrating our heritage; strengthening our unity and last but not the least, focusing on our duties. India, as in, Bharat, was able to not only produce indigenous vaccines for the benefit of both its citizens and the world during Covid, but more importantly, India gave lessons to the world in crisis management. And it was via the  “Mann Ki Baat” podium that PM Modi repeatedly urged and made fervent appeals for “Vocal for Local” in terms of  vaccine production and vaccine usage,denouncing pressure to import vaccines. Thank god we did not import vaccines from the likes of Pfizer which is now facing global scrutiny from regulators for palming off vaccines to gullible millions worldwide,without meeting basic healthy safety requirements and medical norms. Mann Ki Baat has indeed been a stellar platform for promoting StartUp India campaign, fuelling innovation and entrepreneurship among young people in India.The digital revolution in our country, to the largest scale, has also been popularised through this iconic radio programme. To say that Mann Ki Baat is yet another tool for transforming the lives of our citizens and uniting them to contribute to the broader goal of a developed nation, would not be far-fetched. Be it promoting the concept of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam or motivating people to work towards the goal of Bharat becoming a Vishwa Guru or adding the call of Sabka Prayas to the mantra of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, or invoking the people to make their contribution in the journey of building an “Atmanirbhar Bharat”, PM Modi’s Mann Ki Baat has made stellar contributions in highlighting the nation’s progress through Jan-Bhaagidari. Another significant achievement is that Modi has used this “Radio Kranti” and iconic program to reinvigorate our diversely rich socio-cultural legacy. As a result, Indians have  now started celebrating their traditions and festivals with even greater zeal, thereby promoting harmony and goodwill. “Mann ki Baat has catalysed community-led action on sanitation, health, women’s economic empowerment and other issues linked to the Sustainable Development Goals,” said Bill Gates, while congratulating PM Modi for this, in a Tweet. Highlighting this aspect, “Years ago, in Gujarat, many initiatives like ‘Gunotsav and Shala Praveshotsav’ became unique examples of community participation to provide better education and reduce dropout rates,” said the PM in the 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat. Clearly, Modi has ushered in for our nation and our civilization the vision of “Amrit Kaal”. One initiative by PM Modi which has stood out from the many outstanding initiatives he has taken for the upliftment and effective governance of India’s 1.4 billion strong population, is his mass-connect programme, “Mann Ki Baat”. This “Radio Kranti” has established direct contact with those staying in remote and far flung areas, including the most downtrodden in our society who have had the unforgettable opportunity of interfacing with the PM, on the last Sunday of every month. Ever since that eventful day on 3 October, 2014, which was the day of Vijayadashami and the day the historic journey of Mann ki Baat began, the lives of millions in India’s small villages, towns and rural hamlets where the radio is hugely popular, changed forever. In the 100th episode, among many other interesting anecdotes, PM Modi recalled the yeoman service by Pradeep Sangwan towards Swachh Bharat and tourism via his “Healing Himalayas” initiative, the entrepreneurial spirit of Vijayashanti of Manipur who has made manufacturing of clothes from lotus stem fibre into a profitable, commercial venture, the spirit of Manzoor Ahmed from Jammu and Kashmir, whose pencils have travelled the globe and the 20,000 unsung tribal women from Vellore in Tamil Nadu who worked tirelessly for revival and restoration of the Nag river. Needless to add that be it rejuvenating India’s Toy industry, creating awareness about our domestic breed of dogs, giving a clarion call to the well-off to voluntarily give up their gas subsidy, destressing our young exam warriors, emphasising on “Local for Global” or appealing to people at home and overseas about adopting Yoga as a way of life, Mann Ki Baat has clearly been the most uniquely global, multilingual, and multi-dimensional platform that gave participative democracy and Jan-Aandolan a whole new meaning. Mann Ki Baat is not just a radio programme but it typifies what Prime Minister Modi essentially is – an endearingly compassionate mass leader who will stop at nothing to ensure last mile delivery to those who need it the most. Plus, PM Modi’s brilliant oratory with infinite charm is a bonus to his audience. The author is an Economist, National Spokesperson of the BJP and the Bestselling Author of ‘The Modi Gambit’. Views are personal.  Read all the  Latest News,  Trending News,  Cricket News,  Bollywood News, India News and  Entertainment News here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.