New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday suggested the media houses to amplify the efforts of highlighting lesser-known events of the freedom struggle and unsung freedom fighters and places associated with the struggle.
While speaking at the inauguration of the centenary year celebrations of Mathrubhumi, via video conferencing, the Prime Minister paid tribute to all the leading personalities in the journey of the newspaper.
“Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals, Mathrubhumi was born to strengthen India’s freedom struggle,” said PM Modi.
He placed the publication in the glorious tradition of newspapers and periodicals founded all across India to unify the people of our nation against colonial rule. The Prime Minister gave examples of Lokmanya Tilak, Mahatma Gandhi, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Shyamji Krishna Varma and others who used newspapers for their work during India’s freedom struggle.
“Media can amplify the efforts of highlighting lesser-known events of the freedom struggle and unsung freedom fighters and places associated with the struggle. Similarly, newspapers can be a great way to give a platform for upcoming writers from non-media backgrounds and promote regional languages in areas where they are not spoken,” said PM Modi.
The Prime Minister said that while we did not have the opportunity to sacrifice our lives during the freedom struggle for Swarajya, however, this Amrit Kaal gives us the opportunity to work towards a strong, developed and inclusive India,” the Prime Minister said.
He elaborated on the positive impact of the media on the campaigns of New India. He gave the example of the Swachh Bharat Mission where every media house took up this mission with great sincerity.
“Likewise, the media has played a very encouraging role in popularising Yoga, fitness and Beti Bachao Beti Padhao. These are subjects beyond the domain of politics and political parties. They are about making a better nation in the coming years,” he added.
Speaking about the world’s expectations from India in today’s day and age, the Prime Minister said that India defied the initial speculation of inability to handle the pandemic. “For two years, 80 crore people got access to free ration. 80 crore doses of vaccines have been administered.”
“Powered by India’s talented youth, our nation is moving towards Aatmanirbharta or self-reliance. At the core of this principle is to make India an economic powerhouse that caters to domestic and global needs,” the Prime Minister said. He said that unprecedented reforms were brought in, which will boost economic progress.
“Production Linked Incentive Schemes were introduced in different sectors to encourage local enterprise. India’s start-up eco-system has never been more vibrant, he added. “In just the past 4 years, the number of UPI transactions have increased over 70 times. Rs 110 lakh crore are being spent on a National Infrastructure Pipeline.”
He further said that PM Gati Shakti is going to make infra creation and governance more seamless. “We are actively working to ensure every village of India has high-speed internet connectivity. The guiding principle of our efforts is to ensure the future generations lead a better lifestyle than the present ones,” he said.