From ‘Elephant Whisperers’ to Nagaland’s first female minister, Prime Minister Narendra Modi used his monthly radio show ‘Mann Ki Baat’ to highlight the role of India’s ‘Nari Shakti’ in realizing the country’s true potential.
In his 99th Mann Ki Baat address, PM Modi said, “Recently, I met those brave daughters who had gone to Turkiye in the rescue mission after the disastrous earthquake there. They were a part of the NDRF unit. Their courage and efficiency is being talked about in the whole world”. He stated that today, Indian women are demonstrating their bravery in all three armed forces.
“Group Captain Shalija Dhami became the first woman air force officer to receive Command Appointment in the Combat Unit. She has a flying experience of close to three thousand hours. Similarly, Captain Shiva Chauhan became the first woman officer to get posted at Siachen. In a region where the temperature falls to minus sixty degrees, Shiva will be posted for three months. India has also appointed a ‘Woman only’ platoon in the UN Mission” he said.
The Prime Minister also praised the two women behind ‘The Elephant Whisperers,’ the first Indian film to win an Oscar.
“You all would have definitely seen Surekha Yadav, who became Asia’s first loco pilot. She set a precedent by becoming the first woman loco pilot of Vande Bharat Express. In the same month itself, producer Guneet Monga, and Director Kartiki Gonsalves made the whole nation proud, by winning Oscar for their documentary ‘Elephant Whisperers”.
PM Modi added, “In another achievement for the country, Jyotirmayi Mohanti, the scientist of Bhabha Atomic Centre, has won the special IUPAC award in the field of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. India’s women’s team also created history by winning the first U-19 T20 World Cup”.
He went on to say that for the first time in history, Nagaland has a female MLA and minister.
“If you look at politics, a new start has taken place in Nagaland. For the first time in 75 years, two women MLAs have reached the state assembly. One of them was also made the minister. So, the people of Nagaland got their first woman minister,” PM Modi said.
The Prime Minister also mentioned the growing demand for lotus stems in Kashmir, which is known locally as ‘Nadru’.
“Whenever we talk about Kashmir or Srinagar, the pictures of the mountains and Dal jheel come in front of us. We all want to enjoy the scenic beauty, but there is one more specialty attached to it. Dal jheel is also known for its delicious Lotus stems. They are known by different names in the country, and in Kashmir, they are referred to as ‘Nadru’,” he said.
He went on to say that, in response to the rising demand for Nadru, the farmers formed a Farmers Producer Organization (FPO), of which 250 farmers are members.
“Today, the farmers are able to export the FPOs to foreign countries. Recently, they sent two sets to UAE. This is not just taking up the name of Kashmir, but also increasing the income of the farmers,” he said.
PM Modi also mentioned farmers who have switched to growing lavender and the benefits they receive through the government’s Aroma scheme.
The Prime Minister also discussed the events surrounding the 400th birth anniversary of Vir Lachit Barphukan.
“Another effort by the Kashmiri farmers is spreading the fragrance of its success. Actually, there is a small town Bhadarwah, in the Doda district of Jammu & Kashmir. The farmers there traditionally used to grow maize, but some farmers decided to do something innovative. They shifted towards floriculture. Under this, around 2,500 farmers are growing lavender. They have also benefitted from the Aroma scheme of the government. This has increased their income several times. And today, along with the lavender, the fragrance of their success is also spreading,” he added.
