By Press Information Bureau
NEW DELHI: The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated centenary year celebrations of Mathrubhumi, via video conferencing on Friday.The Prime Minister paid tribute to all the leading personalities in the journey of the newspaper. He said “inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals, Mathrubhumi was born to strengthen India’s freedom struggle”. 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. He gave examples of Lokmanya Tilak, Mahatma Gandhi, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Shyamji Krishna Varma and others who used newspaper for their work during India’s freedom struggle. He specially recalled the efforts of Shri M.P. Veerendra Kumar to uphold India’s democraticethos during the Emergency.
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”. 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 BetiBachaoBetiPadhao. “These are subjects beyond the domain of politics and political parties. They are about making a better nation in the coming years”, he added.
The Prime Minister suggested 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 platform for upcoming writers from non-media background and promote regional languages in areas where they are not spoken.
Speaking about the world’s expectation 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. 180 crore doses of vaccines have been administered, he informed. “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.
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. Rupees 110 Lakh crore are being spent on a National Infrastructure Pipeline. PM Gatishakti is going to make infra creation and governance more seamless, Shri Modi informed. “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.
