'It's about people, not politics', says PM Modi in 'Mann Ki Baat'

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed his 50th monthly radio broadcast 'Mann Ki Baat' today at 'All India Radio', where he said that India's main soul is not in politics but in social policy, social power and social service .

He also said that he never wanted politics to be the part of 'Mann Ki Baat'. He said "I decided politics will not be the part of Mann Ki Baat."

PM Modi has been utilizing this platform to address several key issues,like education of the girl child, tackling exam stress, curbing pollution, concerns to farmers, poverty and drug menace.

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He also explained how the idea of 'Mann Ki Baat' came into his mind. He said, "Many people want to know how did the idea of a programme like 'Mann Ki Baat' came to me. Today, I want to share it."

"In 1998, I was working in Himachal Pradesh as a worker of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). It was May and I was going to travel to another location in the evening. It was a cold evening in the hills of Himachal, and I stopped for tea on a dhaba (Shack) on the way. There was only one person managing the stall and selling tea."

He further said that the person on the stall took out a laddu (a sweet) and offered him to eat it first, before the tea. "I was surprised and asked him what is the occasion, did someone get married? He said no, don't you know?"

Modi (Then a BJP worker) asked the man the reason behind his happiness. The man turned on a radio and then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was heard saying that it was the day India conducted its atomic test.

"I was surprised that in a secluded terrain of this forest, between the icy hills, someone doing his daily job listens to the radio which creates so much impact on his mind," the Modi said.

"Since then, there was a point in my mind that radio is linked to the masses and has a lot of power," he said.

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Here are the Highlights of the program 'Mann Ki Baat' 50th episode:

• Modi said that today's youth is very ambitious, they think big.
• "It's good, dream big and achieve great success - this is the New India. People say the young generation wants to do so many things at the same time. I say what's wrong in that? They are good at multitasking, so they do that."
• "Modi will come and go, but this country will remain eternal, our culture will remain immortal."
• He also said, "TV channels have made it the most watched radio programme."
• "I thank media for playing 'Mann Ki Baat' on their channels on a regular basis." He further said that no political person is ever happy with the media, they think they don't get enough coverage or get negative publicity, however, the media has been raising issues discussed in his programme on their own."
• "When Mann ki Baat started, I decided that politics will never be a part of it. It'll neither attract praises for the government nor my name. I got the inspiration and strength to stay true to my resolution from all of you."
• "Mann Ki Baat is about people, not politics."
• Radio is linked to the masses and has a lot of power."

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