Mann Ki Baat @100 : Manipur and North East - PM's favourite on MKB

PIB *

100th Episode of Maan Ki Baat at Raj Bhavan, Imphal on April 30 2023 :: Pix - David Mayum

In Mann Ki Baat, Prime Minister Modi has made it a priority to celebrate the vibrant culture and linguistic diversity of the North East. By narrating the tales of remarkable individuals from this region, he encourages the entire nation to follow in their footsteps.

In his Mann Ki Baat, Manipur found special mentions a number of times. He has given voice to the spirit of sportsmanship of the state along with hailing traditional forms of sport. He has given encouragement to youths and artists through his Mann ki Baat.

o PM Modi commended Bijay Shanti from Manipur, who founded a start-up that produces thread from lotus stems, creating new opportunities in both lotus farming and the textile industry. The PM lauded her for her new innovation and encouraged youths to draw inspiration.

o In his 79th Episode of 'Mann Ki Baat' PM talked about Moirang Day, about the tiny town of Moirang in Manipur which was once a major base of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose's Indian National Army, INA. Here, even before Independence, Col Shaukat Malik ji of INA had unfurled the Flag. During Amrit Mahotsav, on the 14th of April, the Tricolour was once again hoisted at that very Moirang. Innumerable such freedom fighters and great men are being remembered by the country during Amrit Mahotsav.

He further said "But if I ask you to add the name of Manipur too to this list you will probably be filled with surprise. Youths filled with passion to do something new have demonstrated this feat in Manipur. Nowadays apple farming is picking up fast in the Ukhrul district of Manipur. Farmers here are growing apples in their orchards. To learn apple farming these people have taken formal training by going to Himachal.

One of these is T S Ringphami Young. By profession he is an aeronautical engineer. He along with his wife Shrimati T S Angel has grown apples. Similarly, Avungshee Shimre Augasteena too has grown apples in her orchard. Avungshee had a job in Delhi. She returned to her village quitting this and started farming apple. There are many such apple growers in Manipur who have demonstrated something different and something new."

In the same episode PM in his Mann ki baat said Kudos to the people of Manipur and Tripura for learning and growing! Their strides in agriculture are commendable.

o In the 85th Episode of 'Mann Ki Baat' PM mentioned Padma Shri awardee 77-year-old Lourembam Beino Devi of Manipur for conserving the Liba textile art of Manipur for decades.

Further he said "My dear countrymen, I now want to ask a question to you and especially to our youth. Now imagine how many push-ups you can do at once. What I am about to tell you will surely fill you with wonder?

Thounaojam Niranjoy Singh, a 24-year-old youth in Manipur, has made a record of 109 push-ups in a minute. Breaking the record is nothing new for Niranjoy Singh, earlier also, he had held the record for most Knuckle push-ups with one hand in a minute. I am sure you will be inspired by Niranjoy Singh and make physical fitness a part of your life."

o In the 90th Episode of 'Mann Ki Baat' PM said In the recently held Khelo India Youth Games too, our players set many records. You would love to know that a total of 12 records have been broken in these games - not only that, 11 records have been registered in the names of female players. M. Martina Devi of Manipur has made eight records in weightlifting.

In the 98th Episode of 'Mann Ki Baat' PM while talking about musical instruments he talked about award winner Saikhom Surchandra Singh. He is known for his mastery in making the Manipur Meitei Pung Instrument. PM in one of his Mann ki baat episodes applauded Residents of Tamenglong district in Manipur for raising of money through crowd funding to procure a TruNet machine within 24 hrs.He said Residents of Tamenglong district in Manipur have once again proved that fight against Covid 19 is truly people driven in our country.

Mann Ki Baat has given voice to numerous stories of grit and determination from the North East. Jadav Payeng's unwavering commitment to cultivating a 300-hectare forest on Assam's Majuli Island and Sange Sherpa's tireless work towards environmental protection at an altitude of 12,000 feet in Sikkim are just a couple of the inspiring examples.

In one of the episodes of MKB, PM pitched to the nature enthusiasts to definitely schedule a visit to the North East which he describes as having tremendous tourism potential.

Below are some of the instances and anecdotes:

He also shared the story of Mawlynnong, a village in Meghalaya that has long been dedicated to cleanliness and was awarded 'Asia's cleanest village.'

In his Mann Ki Baat address, PM Modi mentions a letter from Bhavesh Deka from Guwahati, in which North-East related issues and problems are discussed. PM acknowledges the active participation of the North-East people and mentions about Modi government's decision to send government officials and their team on a seven-day camp to North-East states to visit the districts, villages, meet local government officials and talk to people's representatives and citizens to listen to their problems and take appropriate measures to solve them.

When they return with this pledge, they can easily understand the problems of these states even when they reach Delhi. He mentions that this is a great initiative to go far-off from Delhi to the East, and this act is called "Act East Policy.

o PM Modi in his Mann Ki Baat, mentions Shri Jadav Payeng of Assam who received the Padma award for his work. Shri Jadav Payeng is the person who actively contributed in raising about 300 hectares of plantations in the Majuli Island in Assam. He has been constantly working for forest conservation and is also involved in motivating people for Plantation and conservation of biodiversity.

o In this episode of Mann Ki Baat, PM Modi mentions Sikari Tissau from Karbi Anglong district in Assam, who has been documenting the Karbi language for the last 20 years. The Karbi language, spoken by the Karbi tribal community, is disappearing from the mainstream, and Tissau has made efforts to preserve its identity. Tissau has received awards and recognition for his work, and the Prime Minister congratulates him for his efforts. He also acknowledges the efforts of others who are working towards similar initiatives.

o PM Modi in this address of Mann Ki Baat mentions about a Self Help Library, which was set up in Rayo village in Nirjuli of Arunachal Pradesh. Meena Gurung and Dewang Hosayi from the village funded the library after they learnt that there was no library in the area. The library has no membership and is open all seven days for 24 hours. Anyone can borrow books for two weeks and have to return them after reading.

o In this address of Mann Ki Baat, PM Modi talks about the efforts made by parliamentarians in rural areas. He mentions the efforts of Sri C.L. Ruwala, MP from Mizoram, who selected Khwalahilung village for Adarsh Gram and initiated a Sugarcane Festival to promote sugarcane production and market the village's produce. The festival saw participation from various social and public figures, and was aimed at making the village self-reliant.

o PM mentions in his Mann Ki Baat address about a letter written by the Governor of Meghalaya, Mr. Shanmuganthan, about a village called Mawlynnong that has been dedicated to cleanliness for many years. The village has won the award for the 'cleanest village' in Asia a few years ago, and every generation is committed to the cause of cleanliness.

o PM Modi in his Mann Ki Baat address talks about his recent visit to Sikkim, where he met with two young individuals,Anurag Agarwal and Sidhi Karnani, who have studied from IIM and are involved in a start-up in the agriculture field in North East India. They focus on global marketing of herbal and organic produce, which is particularly noteworthy given that Sikkim has become an organic state.

o PM Modi mentions a comment he saw on the MyGov portal from a man named Ramesh Sharma in Assam. Mr. Sharma mentions a festival called Brahmaputra Pushkar, which was held between November 4th and 16th on the Brahmaputra river. The PM was surprised to hear about the festival.

o PM Modi talked about Sange Sherpa of Sikkim, who has been working towards environmental protection at an altitude of 12,000 feet for the last 14 years. Sange Sherpa has been keeping Tsomgo lake clean and his efforts have changed the look and feel of this glacier lake. Today, there are garbage bins all around the lake, and the garbage collected is sent for recycling. Due to such efforts, Sikkim is now counted among the cleanest states of India.

o PM Modi mentions in his MKB address that he recently travelled to the North East and he urges nature lovers to take a tour of the region, which he describes as having tremendous potential and possibilities. He expresses his joy and admiration for the beauty of the place and its people and recommends others to visit the area to experience the same pleasure. He also urged all the nature lovers, who want to experience the divinity in nature, to take a tour of the North East.

o PM Modi this MKB address talks about the introduction of 4G internet services in Jorsing village, Siang district, Arunachal Pradesh, after years of waiting. He highlights that this is a significant development for the village and the region and compares it to the joy people felt when electricity reached their village in the past. He emphasizes that the introduction of 4G in remote areas of Arunachal and the North East is a new sunrise for the region.

o Talking about the culture of North East, PM mentions about The Madhavpur Mela. It is a fair held in the village of Madhavpur near the sea at Porbandar in Gujarat. The fair is said to have a deep connection between the East and West of India, which comes from a Pauranik story. It is said that Lord Krishna was married to Rukmani, a princess from the North East, in Madhavpur, Porbandar.

As a symbol of this marriage, the Madhavpur fair is held even today. The fair lasts for a week, and artists from all the states of the North East come to showcase their culture and handicrafts. The fair creates a beautiful example of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat, and new aspects are added to it with the efforts of the people. The bride's side is called Gharati in local parlance, and many Gharaatis from the North East also come to this fair.

o PM mentions about the North Eastern State of Meghalaya, which has become the first state to have formulated its own water-policy.