Asking the people to take the fight against black money and graft to the “next level”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged them to use less cash in their daily lives and continue to support the movement towards digital payments started after the note ban.
In his monthly ‘Mann ki Baat’ programme, he also spoke of building a ‘New India’, which he said can be achieved when 125 crore Indians take a pledge and unitedly work towards it.
“My dear countrymen, we must take our fight against black money and corruption to the next level. .... We should contribute towards ensuring reducing the use of cash, of currency notes,” the Prime Minister said.
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Asking the people to pay school fees, buy medicines or items from fair price shops or purchase air and train tickets digitally, he said “we can do this in our day to day lives.
You can’t imagine how you can serve the country in this way and become a brave soldier in the fight against black money and corruption.”
Observing that the budget had announced that there would be 2500 crore digital transactions this year, he said if 125 crore countrymen can resolve, “they need not wait for a year; they can do it in six months.”
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Expressing gratitude to the people, Mr. Modi said over the last few months the country has witnessed an atmosphere in which people in large numbers have participated in the digital payment, ‘Digidhan’ movement.
“There has also been an increase in curiosity about cashless transactions. The poorest of the poor are making attempts to learn, and people are gradually moving towards doing business without cash. There has been a surge in various modes of digital payment after demonetisation,” he said, adding that the BHIM App, launched about two and a half months ago, has already been downloaded by one and half crore people.
In his address, the Prime Minister also touched upon subjects ranging from building a “New India” to ‘Swaccha Bharat’, besides greeting the people of Bangladesh on their independence day saying India will always stand with them in the struggle for peace, security and development in the region.
Depression curable, speaking about it helps
Mr. Modi called on people to change the society’s mindset about the menace of “depression” and to encourage its victims to speak up.
“We are aware about depression. However, it is true that those suffering from depression are not forthcoming to share their exprerience with others because he or she feels ashamed to do so. We should change this and encourage them to speak and share their burden,” Modi said during his monthly ‘Mann Ki Baat’ radio address.
He said that depression was not an incurable ailment and one can get rid of it if a right psychological environment is built for him or her.
Emphasising the importance of speaking up once more, Modi said: “Suppression of depression is not good. Expression is always good. If depressed, share your feelings with others, it will make you feel better.”
He made the remarks ahead of World Health Day on April 7.
Modi lauds Gandhi enterprise as a young revolutionary
On the centennial year of Champaran and Kheda agitations helmed by Mahatma Gandhi, Mr. Modi on Sunday reminded the countrymen of the great leader’s arrival in public life at a time which was a “turning point”.
The arrival of Gandhi in public life in 1917 “was a turning point from the point of view of struggle (for independence)”, Mr. Modi said.
He implored people to imagine the hard work and immense enterprise that Gandhi must have put to use when he marshalled these agitations in Champaran and Kheda, having only been in India for two years.
He cited the agitations as a text-book example of “how to begin in public life”, for Gandhi’s display of his “organisational skills, knowing the pulse of people placed at the bottom rungs”, and of using other great leaders such as Rajendra Prasad in the movement.
“British at the time were confounded by Gandhi’s ways... who practised ‘sangharsh and srijan’ (struggle and creation) as modes of agitation,” Mr. Modi said.
A foreign-returned Gandhi led the two movements in Champaran (Bihar) and in Kheda district (Gujarat) against the oppressive British commercial and trade practices.
He brought the farmers of Champaran together who were forced to cultivate indigo for the British to export instead of food-crops, of which they were in dire need.
During the struggle at this time, he asked people not to demand ‘swaraj’ (self-rule) yet, but to campaign against the exploitative tax system and administration.