Mann Ki Baat: PM Narendra Modi urges everyone to abide by 'Vocal for Local' this festival season - Read top points here

“Festivals are approaching with Shivratri, Holi in the pipeline...I urge everyone to abide by 'Vocal for Local' and celebrate festivals by purchasing from local markets. Celebrate these festivals with fervour but don't forget to stay cautious too," said PM Modi.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (February 27, 2022), in his monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat', urged the people  to abide by 'Vocal for Local' motto this festival season. 

Addressing the 86th episode of the monthly radio programme, Mann Ki Baat today, the Prime Minister said, “Festivals are approaching with Shivratri, Holi in the pipeline...I urge everyone to abide by 'Vocal for Local' and celebrate festivals by purchasing from local markets. Celebrate these festivals with fervour but don't forget to stay cautious too.” 

Festivals are approaching with Shivratri, Holi in the pipeline...I urge everyone to abide by 'Vocal for Local' and celebrate festivals by purchasing from local markets. Celebrate these festivals with fervour but don't forget to stay cautious too: PM Modi in Mann Ki Baat pic.twitter.com/MZ6YKyNB5o — ANI (@ANI) February 27, 2022

PM Modi also paid tribute to CV Raman ji and all the other scientists a day before the ‘National Science Day' in his Mann Ki Baat address. 

‘India brought back over 200 idols since 2014’

PM Modi also highlighted that India has been successful in bringing back invaluable artifacts.

"Many idols were smuggled from India, sold in different nations. Bringing those idols back was our responsibility. Till 2013, just 13 idols were brought back but after 2014, India brought back over 200 precious idols from nations like the US, Britain, and Canada," said PM Modi.

The prime minister also talked about the country’s rich culture and diversity and asserted that the country is so rich in terms of languages that it just cannot be compared. "We must be proud of our diverse languages," he said.

Many idols were smuggled from India, sold in different nations. Bringing those idols back was our responsibility. Till 2013, just 13 idols were brought back but after 2014, India brought back over 200 previous idols from nations like US, Britain, Canada..: PM Modi in Mann Ki Baat pic.twitter.com/PX0bO2ysTU — ANI (@ANI) February 27, 2022

In his monthly address, PM Modi also mentioned the Tanzanian siblings Kili and Neema, who have gained great popularity on TikTok for their renditions of Indian songs. “They paid tribute to Lata Didi, sang our national anthem. I am grateful to them,” he said. 

Kili and Neema from Tanzania have shown passion for Indian music. They paid tribute to Lata Didi, sang our national anthem. I am grateful to them. Just like them how about our kids doing the same... Like Kannada students lip syncing in J&K (language)...: PM Modi in Mann ki Baat pic.twitter.com/hHrvurxvUp — ANI (@ANI) February 27, 2022

‘Speak their mother tongue with pride’

Additionally, a few days after the International Mother Language Day, PM Modi said that people in the country should speak their mother tongue with pride. In his monthly address, the Prime Minister highlighted that Tamil is one of the oldest languages in the world. 

PM Modi said that, in 2019, Hindi was the third most spoken language in the world. "It is our mother tongue; we should speak it with pride. And, our India is so rich in terms of languages that it just cannot be compared. The biggest beauty of our languages is that from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, from Kutch to Kohima, hundreds of languages, thousands of dialects which are different from each other but are mutually integrated...many languages - one expression. For centuries, our languages have been evolving whilst learning from each other and have been refining themselves, developing each other," the Prime Minister said. 

The International Mother Language Day was observed on February 21. He added, "The people of India are proud to be associated with 121 forms of mother tongues and 14 of these languages are spoken by more than 1 crore people in everyday life. That is, many European countries do not have a total population than the people who are associated with 14 different languages in our country. In the year 2019, Hindi was ranked third among the most spoken languages of the world. Every Indian should be proud of this too."

This was the 86th episode of the monthly radio programme of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister`s monthly radio broadcast `Mann ki Baat` is aired on the last Sunday of every month. The programme will be broadcast on the entire network of AIR and Doordarshan and also on AIR News and mobile app. The first episode of the programme was broadcast on October 3, 2014.

(With agency inputs)