My dear countrymen, Namaskar. Today, is the 26th of July, a very special day…It is Kargil Vijay Diwas. It was on this very day 21 years ago, our Army unfurled the flag of victory in the battle of Kargil. Friends, India can never forget the circumstances under which the battle of Kargil took place. Pakistan had embarked upon this misadventure, nursing delusions of encroaching upon Indian soil, to distract attention from the internal strife prevailing there. India was then in the process of making efforts to foster good relations with Pakistan. But as it is said,
“बयरु अकारन सब काहू सों।
जो कर हित अनहित ताहू सों।।”
Which means, to the wicked, enmity with one and all for no reason comes naturally. People with such a disposition keep thinking of harming even their well-wishers… that is why when India extended a hand of friendship, Pakistan tried to respond, stabbing in the back. But after that, when our gallant Army displayed deeds of valour, when India demonstrated her might the whole world watched it. You can imagine….the enemy lodged in soaring mountainous heights and our armed forces, our brave soldiers fighting from down below! But it was not about victoriously conquering the heights…
It was the victory of high morale and bravery of our armed forces in the truest sense of the term. Friends, at that point of time, I too was blessed with the opportunity to go to Kargil and witness the gallantry of our Jawans. That day is one of the most precious moments of my life. I am noticing, today, people are reminiscing the Kargil Victory, throughout the country. On social media, they are saluting their brave heart heroes and paying tributes to those martyred with the #Courage in Kargil. Today, I, on behalf of all countrymen salute the brave soldiers….and along with them I also salute the brave mothers who gave rise to the real heroes, sons of Mother India. I urge the youth of the country to share stories of the heroic deeds of our brave hearts and sacrifices on part of the brave mothers, throughout the day. Friends, today I call upon you to visit, the website www.gallantryawards.gov.in positively. There, you will come across an array of information on our brave warriors and tales of their valour. And when you discuss these with your friends, they will become a source of inspiration. You must certainly visit this website… infact, I would like to insist on multiple visits. Friends, what Atal ji had said from Red Fort during the Kargil war is relevant to all of us even today. Atal ji, had then reminded the nation of a mantra of Gandhi ji. Mahatma Gandhi’s mantra was…in the face of any dilemma, in order to decide what to do or what not to do, one must think of the poorest and the most helpless person of India. One must assess whether one’s deed will result in benefitting that particular person or not. Going beyond Gandhi Ji’s thought, Atal ji had said that the Kargil war has given us another Mantra- And the Mantra was – before taking any important decision, we should think whether our step, our endeavor is befitting to the honour of the soldier who laid down his life in those remote mountains. Come, let us listen to the sentiment in the very voice of Atal ji- Let us understand it…the time too has come to accept it.
Sound byte
“All of us remember that Gandhi ji had given us a Mantra. He had said that in the face of any dilemma in order to decide what to do, you should think of the poorest and the most helpless person of India; ask yourself whether your deed will result in benefiting that particular person. Kargil has given us another Mantra- And the Mantra was – before taking any important decision, we should think whether our step, our endeavor is befitting to the honour of the soldier who laid down his life in those remote mountains.”
Friends in times of war, whatever we say or do has immense bearing on the morale of the soldier, ever vigilant at the border, as well as the morale of his family. We should never forget this… and that is why our conduct, our demeanour, our speech, our statements, our limits, our aims… whatever we do and say, must distinctly be conducive to enhancing the morale & honour of our soldiers. Countrymen bound by a thread of unity, with the Mantra that the Nation is above everything else bolster the strength of our soldiers much more than thousand fold. We are aware of the dictum
‘Sanghe Shakti, Kalau Yuge’; the essence of which tells us that there is strength in unity in the present era.
At times, without paying heed to the essence, we encourage certain things on Social Media that are detrimental to the country. There are times when we keep forwarding things out of sheer curiosity. Despite knowing that it is wrong, we keep doing it. These days, battles are fought not just on borders; they are fought within the country too, on many fronts simultaneously. And every countryman has to decide his or her role in that. We too should determine our roles, fully bearing in mind soldiers fighting on the borders under the harshest conditions.
My dear countrymen, over the last few months, the way the country fought against Corona unitedly, has proven many apprehensions wrong. Today, the recovery rate in our country is better compared to other countries; the mortality rate in the context of Corona in our country is much less as well, compared to most countries, of course, the loss of even one life is saddening, but India has also succeeded in saving the lives of millions of her people. But friends, the hazards of Corona are far from being over. At many places, it is spreading fast. We need to be extra vigilant. We have to bear in mind that Corona is as fatal today as it was in the beginning – that’s why we have to be fully cautions. Wearing a face mask, using a gamchcha or a light towel to cover, two yard distancing, frequently washing hands, avoiding spitting anywhere, taking full care of hygiene & sanitation- these are our weapons to protect us from Corona. There are times when masks cause inconvenience, one feels like removing them from the face- especially during a conversation. When a mask is required the most, we tend to remove it. At such times, I urge you that whenever you feel your mask is bothersome and you want to remove it, spare a thought for those doctors, those nurses; think of our Corona warriors. You will find them wearing masks for hours together, diligently working to save our lives- sometimes wearing masks for a span of eight to ten hours. Doesn’t that discomfort them? Just think about them… you too will feel that as citizens, we should not be negligent at all; nor let others be so. On the one hand, we have to fight the battle against Corona with full awareness & vigilance; on the other, whatever our responsibilities, through sheer perseverance… business, jobs or studies… we have to lend pace to it, taking it to greater heights. Friends, during the Corona times, our rural regions came up as a beacon of guidance for the entire country. Many examples of effective endeavours on part of local residents of villages & Gram Panchayats are coming to the fore. In Jammu there is a Gram Panchayat named Gram Treva. The sarpanch there is Balbir Kaur Ji. I am told that Balbir Kaur ji got a 30 bed Quarantine Centre constructed in her Panchayat. She also made arrangements for availability of water on roads leading to the Panchayat. She ensured that people did not have to face any problem in washing hands. Not just that Balbir Kaur ji, with a spray pump slung on her shoulder embarks upon sanitization of the entire Panchayat & its neighbourhood, along with volunteers. Similarly, there is a Kashmiri woman sarpanch- Zaitoona Begum ji of Chauntliwaar, Gaanderbal.
Zaitoona Begum ji decided that her Panchayat would fight the battle against Corona and along with that, create income opportunities too. She distributed free masks & free ration in the vicinity; at the same time she distributed crop seeds & apple saplings so that people were not subjected to inconvenience in farming & horticulture. Friends, there is another inspiring example from Kashmir. Shriman Mohd Iqbal is the Municipal President of Anantnag. He required a sprayer for sanitization of his area. He was informed that the machine would have to be brought from another town, that too at a cost of Six Lakh Rupees. On this, Shriman Iqbal ji, through his own efforts, designed & made a sprayer machine, and that too at a cost of Fifty Thousand Rupees. There are many similar examples. Such inspiring examples are emerging in the entire country, from all corners, everyday. All of these are worthy of accolades. Challenges did come; but people rose up to them with singular fortitude.
My dear countrymen, the correct approach, a positive approach always goes a long way in transforming distressing times into opportunities, adversities into triggers of development & progress. In the present times of Corona, we have witnessed how the youth & women of our country have come up with new experiments on the basis of their talent & skills. In Bihar, many women self help groups have begun making masks with Madhubani motifs… by and by, they turned out to be very popular. These Madhubani masks, in a way, propagate a regional tradition; besides protecting health, they also create opportunities for livelihood. You surely know of Bamboo which grows abundantly in the North East. Now, using the same Bamboo, artisans of Tripura, Manipur and Assam have started crafting high quality water bottles and Tiffin-boxes. If you glance at the craftsmanship of these bottles, you will not believe that Bamboo can be used to create such fine products. Moreover, these bottles are eco friendly. Before actually making them, the Bamboo is first boiled, adding Neem and other medicinal shrubs. Thus, these bottles also acquire medicinal value. An example from Jharkhand shows us how small local products can be hugely successful. In Bishunpur, Jharkhand, more than thirty groups are collectively cultivating lemongrass. It takes four months for lemongrass to mature and its oil fetches a decent price in the market. These days, this product is much in demand. I also wish to refer to two regions of the country- both are hundreds of kilometers apart; yet are contributing in making India self reliant in their own unique, novel ways. One is Ladakh; the other is Kutch. The mere mention of Leh-Ladakh creates images of picturesque valleys, mountain heights & whiffs of fresh air. On the other hand, reference to Kutch draws images of an unending desert with no vegetation in sight. In Ladakh, a distinct fruit called chooli or apricot also known as Khubani is grown. This produce has the capacity to transform the economy of the area. But unfortunately, vagaries of supply chains & weather are some of the formidable challenges it keeps facing. To reduce spoilage to the minimum, a new innovation has been adopted for use. This is a Dual system, called solar Apricot Dryer & space heater. This desiccates apricots, other fruits & vegetables as per requirement; that too in a hygienic manner. Earlier, when apricots used to be dried in the vicinity of farms, there would be spoilage, besides loss of quality of fruit on account of dust & rainwater. On the other side, these days, farmers of Kutch are making commendable efforts in the cultivation of Dragon fruit. Many people are perplexed when they hear Kutch & Dragon fruit together. But, today, many farmers there have taken to this activity. Many innovations are taking place for enhancing fruit quality, productivity & yield.
I have been told that the popularity of Dragon Fruits is constantly increasing, especially usage in breakfast has increased considerably. The farmers of Kutch have resolved that the country should not import Dragon Fruit and this is what self reliance is all about.
Friends, when we think of doing something new, think innovatively, then even such tasks become possible, which, in general, no one imagines, as exemplified by some youth of Bihar. Earlier they used to do routine jobs. One day, they decided to start cultivating pearls. In their area, people did not know much about this, but, this group of people, first, gathered all the requisite information, went to Jaipur and Bhubaneswar and took training and started cultivating pearls in their village. Today, they are not just earning a lot from this activity but have also started training the migrant labourers returning from other states at Muzaffarpur, Begusarai and Patna. And for many people, this has opened the avenues to self-reliance.
Friends, a few days from now, the auspicious festival of Rakshabandhan will be celebrated. These days, I am noticing that many people and institutions are campaigning to celebrate Rakshabandhan this time in a different manner. And many people are linking the festival with Vocal for Local, and this is true too. In society, if the business of a person near our home increases on account of our festivals and thus, in turn, his festival becomes merrier, then the joy of the festival increases manifold. Many felicitations to all the countrymen on Rakshabandhan.
Friends, the 7th of August is National Handloom Day. The Handloom of India and our Handicrafts encompass a glorious history of hundreds of years. It should be an endeavour on part of all of us to use Indian Handloom and Handicrafts as much as possible, and also communicate to more and more people about them. The more the world knows about the richness and diversity of Indian handloom and handicrafts, the greater our local artisans and weavers will benefit.
Friends, especially my young friends, our country is changing. How is she changing? How fast is she changing? In what all fields is she undergoing change? If we look at it with a positive point of view, we ourselves will be astounded! There was a time, when whether in sports or other sectors, most people were either from big cities or from famous families or from well-known schools or colleges. Now, the country is changing. Our youth are coming forward from villages, from small towns and from ordinary families. New heights of success are being scaled. These people are moving forward in the midst of crises, fostering new dreams. We see something similar to this in the results of the board exams that have recently been announced
