Prime Minister Narendra Modi used his monthly radio broadcast on Sunday to address the two constituencies which are particularly upset with his government — soldiers and farmers. In the case of soldiers, he reiterated his commitment to implementing One Rank One Pension (OROP) – albeit, not immediately given the vexed nature of the issue.
To farmers, he reminded them about the launch of the Kisan Channel and advocated pisciculture and greater milk production.
That he is conscious about the political backlash over delay in implementing OROP — for which budgetary allocation was made by the UPA Government in its tailender months, and has been promised time and again by his own administration – was evident in the manner in which Mr. Modi dwelt on the subject.
In his 24-minute radio address, OROP was the only subject into which he injected some politics; beginning by posing the question as to whether any previous government had tried to resolve the vexed issue over the past 40 years. Admitting that the issue was more complex than he had anticipated and further confounded over the past four decades, the Prime Minister said all concerned departments were at work trying to iron out the rough spots.
He did not offer any timeframe by which OROP would be rolled out but repeatedly maintained that he would keep his promise to the soldiers of the country. On the Government's silence over the issue, he elaborated, “It is not necessary to give media the minute-to-minute details on what we are doing in this regard; no running commentary is required. We are committed to it; a soldier is important to the ideology in which we have grown. It is neither politics for me nor a governance issue. This is a symbol of my patriotism.”
Urging soldiers to trust him, Mr. Modi said the ongoing effort was to resolve the issue; not complicate it further. As for the politics around OROP and the flak the Government is getting for delaying its implementation, he said, “People who did nothing to resolve the issue are again playing politics over it. Let them. You have been patient for 40 years. Give me some time so that we can together find a way out.”
For farmers and the poor, besides talking about Kisan Channel and animal husbandry, the Prime Minister flagged the social safety web that the Government is weaving for the country through low-premium insurance policies. In just 20 days, over eight crore people have enrolled for the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana and the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, he added.
With the first International Yoga Day to be celebrated on June 21, Mr. Modi used his broadcast to enlist participation to make the day a success not just in India but worldover. “The world has recognised the greatness of Yoga; it is time we in India do too.”
Ahead of the broadcast, Union Information & Broadcasting Ministry sought to build some curiosity around the eight edition of Mann ki Baat; placing advertisements in newspapers with the question, “Farmers, Students or Army Personnel... or all of us! Who will the PM share his `Mann ki Baat' with?” In the end, farmers, students – school-leavers, in particular – and army personnel found mention this time round as opposed to his earlier broadcasts where Mr. Modi would pick on one subject and stick to it.
