Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Mann Ki Baat radio programme, which will be completing 100 episodes on April 30, has consistently highlighted the achievements of Indians making the country proud at an international level.
Spanning numerous countries and multiple events, the prime minister narrates inspiring stories in his radio show about those who stand out with their dedication, hard work, and excellence.
Reflecting a global outlook, he has shared stories of those trying to preserve their mother tongue in foreign lands, as well as those who have won international accolades.
Prime Minister Modi has also pressed upon India’s civilisational gifts to the world, with one such example being yoga that has made an unprecedented impact on foreign shores.
These stories, shared by the PM, weave a tapestry of India’s growing influence on the global stage and reflect the collective efforts of its people.
Through their accomplishments and the cultural riches they share, Indians continue to strengthen the country’s image as a powerhouse of talent, innovation, and wisdom.
Here are some glimpses from Mann Ki Baat, which reflect Modi’s global outlook:
Yoga: Globally the most recognised of India’s civilisational gems, yoga is a prime topic of discussion in Modi’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’ episodes. The prime minister has often shared his own yoga regimes in the radio show and also highlighted how the world has adopted it as a lifestyle. From Japan to Chile to Qatar, the PM has talked about the growing influence of the ancient discipline. In Japan, he has mentioned the establishment of a ‘Japan Yoga Niketan’, which has made yoga popular throughout the island nation while there is an organisation called ‘Sarv Yoga International’ started in Italy that has popularised yoga throughout Europe. Yoga has always resonated in the US and UK, but is also popular in countries like Chile, Qatar and Vietnam. In fact, the PM has shared how children in Vietnam regularly practise yoga. A milestone was reached when the United Nations decided to observe June 21 as International Yoga Day, the proposal for which was first made in 2015 at the United Nations assembly. He has made several references to Yoga Day after this was adopted and has said there is hardly a major world leader who had not discussed yoga with him.
Sanskrit: The teaching of Sanskrit around the world is also a major topic in Modi’s Mann Ki Baat episodes. From the beginning of the radio programme in 2014, the PM has mentioned how the ancient language is being taught in universities across the world. For example, Boris Zakharin teaches Sanskrit at Moscow State University in Russia, Rutger Kortenhorst teaches Sanskrit in Ireland, Dr Chirapat Prapandavidya and Dr Kusuma Rakshamani have promoted Sanskrit in Thailand. Modi has also mentioned a school of Sanskrit in Australia’s Sydney and how newly elected MP in New Zealand, Dr Gaurav Sharma, took the oath of office in Sanskrit. Modi has also mentioned the existence of a Sanskrit-Serbian dictionary.
Heritage and culture: Modi has often praised those helping in the preservation of Indian traditions and culture outside the country. He has acknowledged the contribution of not only Indians but also non-Indians towards this endeavour. From the episode in October 2020, he has mentioned Chinmay Patankar and Pragya Patankar, who teach mallakhamb in America. He also spoke about the popularity of the ancient martial art across the world. In November 2020, he mentioned Jonas Masetti, who teaches Vedanta and Bhagavad Gita to people in Brazil, and also runs an institution called ‘Vishwavidya’. In December 2021, he spoke about Professor J Gendedharam of Mongolia, who has translated about 40 ancient texts, epics and compositions of India into the Mongolian language. In the same episode, he also mentioned how students from a high school in Greece had sung ‘Vande Mataram’. In his episode from February 2022, he mentioned Surjan Parohi, who is working in Suriname to save the heritage of the Hindi language while also praising two Tanzanian siblings, Kili Paul and sister Nima, for singing ‘Jana Gana Mana’. He has also praised the Kalari club in Dubai, which has a record in the Guinness Book of World Records in the ancient martial art form of kalaripayattu.
Religions and festivals: Another topic widely discussed by Modi are the religions and festivals of India on the global stage. In October 2016, he lauded the efforts of several countries in celebrating Diwali, one of the most popular Hindu festivals. In 2018, on multiple occasions, he spoke about important milestones such as the establishment of the Kartarpur corridor for Indians who could easily visit Kartarpur in Pakistan. He has also spoken about Buddhism as a link between Indian and many Asian countries and, in November 2022, explained the rich tradition of bhajan-kirtan mandalis in Fiji. He shared that people from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar had migrated to Fiji, where even today, there were more than 2,000 bhajan-kirtan Mandalis by the name of ‘Ramayana Mandali’.
Significant international milestones: In one his most popular episodes, the PM, in August 2019, talked about his experience of appearing on the television show ‘Man vs Wild’ with Bear Grylls. Another significant achievement for the radio show was the January 2015 episode with then US President Barack Obama. Modi has spoken about other achievements by India on a global stage, especially at the United Nations. For example, in December 2018, he spoke about how the UN Environment Award ‘Champions of the Earth’ had been conferred on India. And the year before that, UNESCO had marked Kumbh Mela in the list of ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity’. Among the most recent developments from 2022, in August, he spoke about the UN passing a resolution to declare 2023 as the ‘International Year of Millets’. The UN has recognised and honoured another effort by India, started in 2017, called ‘India Hypertension Control Initiative’. In the December episode from last year, Modi talked about the ‘Namami Gange’ Mission being included in the world’s top ten initiatives to restore the ecosystem.
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