New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi used the 134th episode of his monthly radio programme “Mann Ki Baat” on Sunday, May 31, to speak about a wide range of topics – from urging citizens to stay safe in the summer heat, celebrating India’s mango diversity, highlighting grassroots environmental initiatives, praising two young sprinters who broke the national 100-metre record three times in two days to shining a light on community-driven efforts in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Goa.
With temperatures soaring across large parts of the country, Modi urged listeners to stay hydrated and take extra precautions before stepping out in the sun. “Keep drinking water. Don’t forget the guidelines issued by various government departments in this regard either,” he said.
The mango moment
True to summer tradition, mangoes found their way into the broadcast. Modi celebrated the diversity of India’s regional varieties, with Maharashtra‘s Hapus and Alphonso, Gujarat‘s Kesar, Uttar Pradesh’s Dussehri, Kashi’s Langra (which, he noted, often remains green even after ripening), Bihar‘s Zardalu, Chausa and Malda, along with South India’s Banganapalli, Totapuri, Neelam and Malgova, and Bengal’s Himsagar and Odisha‘s Suvarnarekha.
He praised mango farmers as more than ordinary agriculturalists, calling them vital contributors to India’s agricultural economy and its growing presence in global markets. “This journey of the mango is now reaching the global market from the village,” he said.
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River revivals
The Prime Minister highlighted citizen-led environmental action from two states. In Basti, Uttar Pradesh, a young man named Akash Gupta rallied friends to clean the Manorama river, wading into the water with nets, spades and baskets, while removing up to 50 to 60 kilograms of garbage in a single day until a stretch of the river was visibly restored.
In Goa, retired teacher Balkrishna Aiya solved a long-standing water access problem in the Maddi-Tolap area by leading a pipeline-laying effort that brought water to many homes.
A sprinting jugalbandi
Modi reserved particular enthusiasm for two young athletes – Gurindervir Singh and Animesh Kujur – who broke the national men’s 100-metre record three times within two days. He compared their rivalry to a “jugalbandi,” the call-and-response tradition of Indian classical music.
“One athlete issues a challenge, the other takes it up and then the first one raises the bar yet again,” he said.
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Swimming for life in Kerala
The PM spoke of Saji Valasheril, who runs a free swimming club in Aluva, Kerala, from the banks of a river, with no fees, no classrooms, no buildings. Over the years, more than 15,000 people, including children with disabilities, have learnt to swim there.
Valasheril’s mission began after several students died in a boat accident. “Service doesn’t require vast resources. What’s needed is a good intent and consistent effort,” Modi said.
A dolphin ambulance
In a conservation highlight, Modi praised India’s first dolphin rescue ambulance, launched under the National Mission for Clean Ganga. The specialised vehicle functions as a mobile hospital equipped with oxygen support, designed to reach distressed Gangetic dolphins stranded in shallow waters or canals.
He described a 13-hour rescue operation in Uttar Pradesh in which a dolphin was extracted, medically treated and released back into the Rapti river. “When we save the Ganga dolphin, we are not merely saving a single species, we are preserving the biodiversity of the Ganga,” he said.
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A cheque from Nagercoil
Modi recounted meeting Gomatam Veeraraghavan Girija, known as Girija Amma, a veteran educationist from Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu, whom he said he had first met nearly three decades ago. Inspired by Mann Ki Baat, she encouraged students across her Gopal Garodia Hindu Vidyalaya schools to contribute Rs 1 a day towards the welfare of soldiers.
Over a year, thousands of children collectively raised approximately Rs 40 lakh, which Girija Amma handed to the Prime Minister in person. The Hindu Vidyalaya network in Chennai recently marked its 50th anniversary.
(With inputs from PTI and IANS)
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