In his last ‘Mann ki Baat’ radio address for 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged people to make a New Year resolution to substitute foreign-made products for indigenous goods in 2021 “for the sake of the country”.
Mr. Modi also asked manufacturers to make sure that Indian-made products are up to global standards, as a part of the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat or self-reliant India push and “Vocal for Local” campaign.
He reiterated his earlier appeal to Indians to make a list of products used daily, identify which ones are made abroad and look for Indian substitutes.
“...think of things manufactured abroad that have permeated into our lives unknowingly, in a way, shackling us down. Let us find out their substitutes made in India. and decide that henceforth we shall use products made with the hard work and sweat of the people of India. You make New Year resolutions every year…this time one has to certainly make a resolution for the sake of the country,” Mr. Modi said, according to an English translation of his address released by the government.
Kashmir saffron
Later in his address, he urged people to buy saffron from Kashmir, which he said had a unique flavour.
Mr. Modi said while there were many challenges in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the country had learnt a lesson with every crisis. He said due to the pandemic, the topic of single-use plastic was not discussed much this year, but ridding India of single-use plastic should be another resolution for 2021.
Amid the on-going agitation by farmers from Punjab on the farm laws, the Prime Minister spoke of the sacrifices of Guru Teg Bahadur, Mata Gujari, Guru Gobind Singh and his sons, remembered as the four Sahibzade, and Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh, adding that it was these kind of sacrifices that kept the fabric of India intact.
Mr Modi also spoke of the increase in the leopard population from 7,900 in 2014 to 12,852 in 2019.
Referring to the “uniqueness” of the Bhagvad Gita, the Prime Minister reminded listeners that it was Gita Jayanti two days ago. He lauded efforts to clean up Someshwar Beach in Karnataka by a couple, Anudeep and Minusha, and different areas in the Himalayas by Pradeep Sangwan, but said there was a need to question why so much plastic and garbage ends up at these places to begin with.
