Modi wishes countrymen on the auspicious occasion of Navratri
New Delhi, Sept 29 : Wishing the fellow countrymen on the auspicious occasion of Navratri, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that with the advent of Navaratri today, the air is bound to be full of new hopes, new energy, newer zest and newer resolves, once again. After all, it’s the festival season. The ensuing weeks shall be witness to the sparkle of festivals throughout the country.
In his “Man Ki Baat” programme today, he said, “All of us shall celebrate the Navaratri Mahotsava, Garba, Durga Puja, Dussehra, Diwali, Bhaiya Dooj, Chhath Puja…. in fact innumerable festivals. Heartiest greetings to all of you for these festivals to come. During festivals, families come together. Homes will be filled with joy! But… you must have felt this… there are many people around us who remain deprived of these celebrations. And this is what is termed as “Chirag Tale Andhera” darkness just beneath the lamp!”
“Perhaps this adage is not just a set of words; for us, it is an order a philosophical thought, or an inspiration. Just think about it; there are some homes, bathed in shimmering lights; on the other hand, just close by, there are some homes mired in darkness. There are homes where sweetmeats are left to rot; there are homes where children yearn for a sweet; at places almirahs run out of space to store more clothes; elsewhere, people have to slog to earn a decent covering for their bodies. So, is this not the darkness, just beneath the lamp? Indeed it is,” he added.
Prime Minister further said, “The true joy radiating out of festivals is only when the darkness subsides and dissipates and a radiant glow emerges. Let us distribute joy, where there is a paucity of it… let it come naturally to us. On the one hand, when we experience the ‘Delivery In’ of sweetmeats, apparel, gifts and so on, let us think for a moment on the process of ‘Delivery Out’. At least in our homes, items that are in excess and thus, not required anymore, could be allocated for ‘Delivery Out’. In many cities, many NGOs run by young friends have formed Startups for this endeavor. They collect clothes, sweets, food from homes, look for the needy and hand them over discreetly. Can we, this time, during the festival season, dispel some of the darkness beneath the lamp with due awareness and resolve? The smiles thus accrued on the faces of numerous underprivileged families will more than double your joy during festivals… your faces will be lit up with a glow that will brighten your Diwali immensely.”
He went on to say, “Laxmi, the goddess of wealth, makes an entry into each and every household in the form of fortune and prosperity. Of course, Laxmi should be welcomed in the traditional way. Can we, this time, introduce a novelty in welcoming her? In our culture, daughters are considered Laxmi, since they are harbinger of fortune and prosperity. Can we, this time around in society, organize programmes to felicitate daughters in villages, towns and cities? It could be in the form of a public function. There must be numerous daughters amongst us who, through there perseverance, diligence and talent have brought glory to their families, society and the country.”
Modi exhorts the fellow countrymen, “This Diwali, can we arrange programmes to honor the Laxmi of India? If you look around, you’ll find many daughters and daughters-in-law who are performing extraordinarily. Some must be engaged in teaching underprivileged children, others could be occupied in spreading awareness in the field of sanitation and health, while many could be doing society a service by working as Doctor and Engineers. Or striving for justice to someone by working as Lawyer!”
“Our society must recognize such daughters, honor them and feel proud of them. Programmes to felicitate them should be held throughout the country. We could do something more; we could highlight the achievements of these daughters by sharing their achievements on social media, using the hashtag # BHARAT KI LAXMI. The way we jointly ran a mega campaign “Selfie with daughter”, which spread globally. Similarly, this time, let us do a campaign BHARAT KI LAXMI. Encouraging the Laxmi of Bharat amounts to strengthening the paths of prosperity for the country and her citizens,” Prime Minister said.
