Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday asked citizens to unite to overcome the challenging times emerging from the “fierce war” underway in West Asia, while also cautioning against those politicising the crisis, saying there is no place for self-serving politics in the prevailing situation.
“Presently, a fierce war has been going on in our neighbourhood for a month. These certainly are challenging times. Today, through ‘Mann Ki Baat’, I would once again urge all my countrymen that we must unite to overcome this challenge,” he said.
The PM said those who are politicising this crisis should refrain from doing so, as it concerns the interests of 140 crore citizens, adding that there is no place for self-serving politics.
“Trust only the continuous information provided by the government and take action based only on that,” he said.
He said he is confident that just as the people of the country have overcome past crises, this time too, Indians will together emerge victorious from this difficult situation.
On the condition of the millions of Indians living in the West Asia region, he said, “I am deeply grateful to the Gulf countries which are providing all kinds of assistance to more than 1 crore such Indians living there.”
“The region where the war is currently going on is a major centre of our energy needs. On account of that, a crisis is emerging around the world regarding petrol and diesel,” he said.
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“Our global relations, the support we receive from various countries and the strengths the country has built over the past decade have enabled India to bravely confront these circumstances,” he said.
He also said the month of March has been full of turbulence globally, even as all Indians remember that the entire world faced myriad problems for a long time on account of Covid.
“Indeed, all of us had expected that after emerging from the Corona crisis, the world would move forward on the path of renewed progress. However, situations of war and conflict have continuously arisen in different parts of the world,” he said.
Modi also highlighted the Gyan Bharatam Survey, the objective of which is to collect information about manuscripts across the country.
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“One way to participate in this survey is through the Gyan Bharatam App. If you have a manuscript or information about it, do share its image on the app. Information related to each entry is being verified before it is recorded,” he said.
He expressed happiness that thousands of manuscripts have been shared so far.
“For example, Chao Nantisindh Lokang ji of Namsai, Arunachal Pradesh, has shared manuscripts in the Tai script. Bhai Amit Singh Rana of Amritsar has shared manuscripts in the Gurmukhi script. This is a script associated with our great Sikh tradition and the Punjabi language. Some organisations have provided manuscripts written on palm leaves,” he said.
He said the Abhay Jain Library in Rajasthan has shared very old manuscripts inscribed on copper plates and the Hemis Monastery in Ladakh has provided information about valuable Tibetan manuscripts.
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On the recent successes of the Indian cricket team, he said when India achieved a historic victory in the T20 World Cup final in Ahmedabad, a wave of joy swept across the country.
“We are all very proud of our team’s thumping success. Late last month, a thrilling (Ranji final) match was witnessed in Hubli, Karnataka. By winning this match, the Jammu and Kashmir cricket team secured for themselves the Ranji Trophy. It is most heartening to note that after a wait of nearly seven decades, the team achieved its first Ranji Trophy title.”
Referring to J&K team captain Paras Dogra’s extraordinary skills, he said, “Through his leadership he played a significant role in this victory. The performance of young Kashmiri bowler Aaqib Nabi, who took 60 wickets, is being talked about nationwide.”
He said this victory has thrilled the players and coaching staff, as well as the people of Jammu and Kashmir. “This impressive performance on the cricket field has further increased the enthusiasm for sports among the youth there,” said the Prime Minister.
