Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday addressed the 90th edition of ‘Mann Ki Baat’, his monthly radio address. The prime minister began his address by discussing the 1975 Emergency.
IMAGE SOURCE : dnaindia
Addressing the 90th episode of his monthly radio address ‘Mann Ki Baat’, the Prime Minister said, “Today, when the country is celebrating 75 years of its independence, Amrit Mahotsav, we should never forget that dreadful period of emergency. The generations to come should also not forget. The Amrit Mahotsav not only encompasses the victory saga of freedom from hundreds of years of slavery, but also the journey of 75 years after independence. We move forward, learning from every important stage of history.”
“It was in the month of June when the Emergency was proclaimed and the rights of citizens were snatched away. Among the rights curtailed included ‘Right to Life & Personal Liberty’. There was an attempt to crush the democracy of India,” the prime minister said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that when the country is celebrating 75 years of its independence it should never forget that Talking about the ban imposed on famous singer Kishore Kumar after he refused to toe the government line, the Prime Minister said, “His entry on the radio was stopped. But even after many attempts, thousands of arrests, and atrocities on lakhs of people, the faith of the people of India in democracy did not shake at all.”PM said ‘it was our democratic mindset that eventually prevailed’ with reference to the Congress` defeat after the emergency.
IMAGE SOURCE : https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/features/12-rare-aspects-genius-kishore-kumar/
During his radio address, the prime minister spoke about India’s development in the space sector. “In recent times, the space sector has witnessed development. Among the achievements include the formation of agency In-Space. It is an agency which is promoting opportunities for the private sector in space,” he said.
“Before 2019, StartUps in the space sector were not common. In the last 3 years, things have changed and our youth have shown great innovative skills,” the prime minister said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi even addressed India’s sporting icons during his session like ace javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra’s gold conquest at the Paavo Nurmi Games, he said, “Neeraj shattered his own Javelin record in Finland. At the Kuortane Games, he made India proud by clinching gold.”
The prime minister also talked about legendary cricketer Mithali Raj who retired from international cricket. “Mithali is not just an extraordinary cricketer. She is an inspiration for several sportspersons. I wish her all the best for her future.”
The Prime Minister noted that one amongst those rights taken away during the emergency was the ‘Right to Life and Personal Liberty’ provided to all Indians under Article 21 of the Constitution.
“At that time an attempt was made to crush the democracy of India. The country’s courts, every constitutional institution, the press, were put under control. The condition of censorship was such that nothing could be printed without approval,” the Prime Minister said.
“For us, the people of India, the sanskars of democracy which we have been carrying on for centuries, the democratic spirit which is in our veins, finally won. The people of India got rid of the emergency and re-established democracy in a democratic way. It is difficult to find such an example of defeating a dictatorial mindset, a dictatorial tendency in a democratic way, in the whole world. During the Emergency, I had the good fortune to have been a witness; to be a partner in the struggle of the countrymen – as a soldier of democracy,” he said.
