Gandhi, Patel gave direction to nation: Modi

Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, September 24  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said October is the month of remembering great leaders, including Mahatma Gandhi who gave the nation a proper direction towards 20th and 21st centuries.

"From Mahatma Gandhi to Sardar Patel, there are many great leaders who gave us the direction towards the 20th and 21st centuries, led us, guided us and faced so many hardships for the country," Modi said in his radio programme Mann Ki Baat.

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October 2 is the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and second Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. October 11 is the birth anniversary of Jayaprakash Narayan and Nanaji Deshmukh while Sardar Patel's birth anniversary falls on October 31. 

He said this year was the centenary birth anniversary of Nanaji Deshmukh and Deen Dayal Upadhyay.

The Prime Minister said the focus of all these men was to live for the country, do something for the nation and lead the people not by sermons but action.

He said he had kept this three-year-old programme away from politics and had tried to connect with the people without getting swayed by the (political) "heat" and "anger" that may prevail at any particular time.

 Modi told people not just to cherish the diversity of the nation but experience it by travelling and meeting others with diverse languages, cultures and food habits.

Modi’s suggestion comes at the time of protests from several sections in South Indian states that Hindi language and the culture and mannerisms of ‘northern India’ were being “imposed” on them.

He asked people to share pictures and locations of their visits within India and wanted that pictures with local population be posted under ‘#Incredible India’. 

Moving on to the cleanliness drive, he said: “If we have to inculcate cleanliness as a habit, we must start an idea-based movement.” 

He lauded the electronic media and the print media for rendering “a big service” to the country to speared awareness about cleanliness. 

Modi mentioned the name of Srinagar youth Bilal Dar who is the brand ambassador for cleanliness.  

18-year-old Bilal Dar has been cleaning the Lake (Dal) near Srinagar. He also earns from this activity. 

The PM mentioned Lieutenant Swati Mahadhik and Lieutenant Nidhi Dubey who have been commissioned as officers in the Amry, both had lost their husbands who were in the Army.

The PM said on the pious occasion of Navratri, he conveyed his best wishes the countrymen.