New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 31 congratulated Indian athletes during the 134th episode of his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ radio programme for their stellar achievements at the National Senior Athletics Federation Competition held in Ranchi, Jharkhand.
During the broadcast, the Prime Minister hailed five Indian athletes, Gurindervir Singh, Vishal TK, Tejaswin Shankar, Dev Meena, and Kuldeep Kumar, for shattering national records across four different events at the domestic competition.
PM Modi interacted with Gurindervir Singh, praising the 25-year-old Indian Navy officer for becoming the fastest Indian sprinter after clocking 10.09 seconds in the men’s 100m final. His historic run made him the first Indian to breach the 10.10-second barrier, eclipsing Milkha Singh’s long-standing mark and securing his qualification for both the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games.
In his interaction, the Prime Minister also lauded sprinter Animesh Kujur, who had briefly broken the men’s 100m national record on May 22, just minutes after Gurindervir Singh set a new mark during the tournament’s semi-finals. This rapid exchange of timings officially secured Commonwealth Games 2026 qualification for Kujur as well.
While recounting their journeys with PM Modi, both Animesh Kujur and Gurindervir Singh spoke about their friendship, training routines, and healthy rivalry on the track. In response, the Prime Minister lauded their positive competitive spirit as exemplary and expressed absolute confidence in their ability to bring further glory to the country.
“Look, the competition you’ve participated in is to enhance the nation’s prestige, to take the country to this position in the future, and done with a positive spirit. And I believe that this sportsman spirit of your – to play, also to challenge each other, also to strive to get ahead, and to help each other to move ahead – this is a wonderful job you’ve done. My heartfelt congratulations to you, my best wishes, and you’ll bring glory to the country… I’m confident. Continue to work hard just like this and make great progress. My best wishes to you,” said PM Modi.
Shifting focus from sporting milestones, PM Modi gave a special shout-out to indigenous cooling food items, which continue to make the intense heatwave in North India bearable.
The Prime Minister highlighted Bihar’s Sattu sherbet’s speciality, for filling the stomach and providing strength to the people.
He further praised the other regional cold drinks of the country, stating that they beautifully reflect the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’.
During the broadcast, the Prime Minister highlighted the distinct varieties of mangoes found in every pocket of the country.
In the ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme, he specifically highlighted Kashi’s Langra mango for its ability to remain green even after ripening.
Highlighting varieties from the southern and eastern belts, the Prime Minister also focused on Banganapalli, Totapuri, Neelam, and Malgova, along with Bengal’s Himsagar and the Suvarnarekha variety from Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, asserting that the fruit’s character changes with the geography. PM Modi also hailed the mango farmers, describing them as special to the country’s agricultural economy.
“Today, through ‘Mann Ki Baat’, I will praise my farmer brothers and sisters involved in mango cultivation. You are not just ordinary farmers… ” You are very special to the agricultural economy of the country,” said PM Modi.
During the broadcast, PM Modi threw light on the discovery of rare copper plates in Malhar, Chhattisgarh, under the Gyan Bharatam Abhiyan. Believed to be related to the reign of Maharishi Balarjun of the Panduvanshi dynasty, the Prime Minister noted that these historical plates provide critical information about the governance, religion, and culture of that era.
Highlighting the rare discovery, he asserted that the government is continuously making dedicated efforts to preserve such priceless heritage sites across India.
The Prime Minister further expressed a deep fascination with the Chola-era copper plates that were brought back to India following his return from the Netherlands. These artefacts include 21 large and 3 small copper plates that primarily relate to King Rajendra Chola I, fulfilling a vow made by his father, King Rajaraja Chola.
PM Modi detailed that the inscriptions mention the donation of the village of Anaimangalam to a Buddhist monastery while vividly describing the overall achievements of the historic Chola dynasty.
At the end of the programme, PM Modi also highlighted India’s first Ganga dolphin rescue ambulance, which recently played a crucial role in saving a Gangetic dolphin. He asserted that rescuing the Ganga dolphin is vital to safeguarding the overall biodiversity of the river.
“To those watching ‘Mann Ki Baat’ on TV, I would like to say – You must watch this video. This video has been in the news recently. In this, some people are patiently and carefully trying to save a Gangetic dolphin. You will be surprised to know that this entire effort took about 13 hours, and ultimately, the dolphin was saved. Friends, India’s first Ganga dolphin rescue ambulance played a huge role in this. This incident took place in Uttar Pradesh. A Gangetic dolphin was trapped in a canal there. At that time, this ambulance, built under the ‘Namami Gange Abhiyan’, reached there as a ray of hope. It was then carefully pulled out. It was examined, it was treated, and then it was safely released into the Rapti River. In a way, a life returned home…
This dolphin rescue ambulance is very special. It has been designed like a mobile hospital. It has arrangements for keeping the dolphin safe. It has oxygen facilities, special stretchers, and rescue equipment. This means that if a dolphin gets injured, gets stuck in a canal, or gets cut off from the river, it can be helped immediately. Friends, when we save the Gangetic dolphin, we don’t just save a species; we save the biodiversity of the Ganga. We save the river’s entire life system and preserve a priceless natural heritage for our future generations,” said PM Modi. (With inputs from ANI)
