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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday announced the launch of the Meri Mati Mera Desh campaign in the run up to Independence Day to honour the martyred bravehearts of the country, with special inscriptions to be installed in panchayats in their memory.
In his monthly Mann Ki Baat radio broadcast, Modi said Amrit Kalash Yatra will be organised under the campaign and 7,500 pots carrying soil from different corners of the country will be brought to the national capital along with saplings.
He said, "Amrit Vatika will be built near the National War Memorial by fusing the soil and saplings that would arrive in 7500 urns. This Amrit Vatika will also become a grand symbol of Ek Bharat Shresth Bharat."
The ongoing Amrit Mohatsav to mark the 75th anniversary of the Independence has been resonating everywhere, with over two lakh programmes organised so far.
Meri Mati Mera Desh will recall the memory of those brave men and women who laid down their lives for the country, he said.
Noting the whole country came together for the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign last year, the prime minister urged people to continue with the tradition of hoisting the tricolour at their houses this time too.
"With these efforts, we will realise our duties.... we will realise the innumerable sacrifices made for the freedom of the country, we will realise the value of freedom. Hence, every person in the country must join in these efforts," he said.
In his radio address, the prime minister spoke about the rising numbers of pilgrims to different holy places, saying this is the result of "our collective cultural awakening".
"Now more than 10 crore tourists are reaching Kashi every year. The number of devotees visiting pilgrimage sites such as Ayodhya, Mathura and Ujjain is also increasing rapidly. Due to this lakhs of poor are getting employment," he said.
Noting the US recently returned hundreds of rare and ancient artefacts to India, he said it sparked a lot of debate on social media and the youth displayed a sense of pride about their heritage.
These artefacts returned to India are 2,500 to 250 years old and are related to different regions of the country. These have been made using terracotta, stone, metal and wood, Modi noted.
He shared details of some of the items and noted that many artefacts were returned to the country following his earlier visits to the US in 2016 and 2021 as well.
"These efforts will increase awareness to stop the theft of our cultural heritage and will further deepen the attachment of the countrymen to our rich heritage," he said.
Referring to the floods, landslides and other natural calamities hitting different parts of the country during the monsoon season, he said people suffered at many places.
Amid natural calamities, people of the country also again brought to the fore the power of collective effort, the prime minister said.
Modi said it was encouraging to see people make novel efforts for water conservation at many places. He cited the record plantation of 30 crore saplings in a day in Uttar Pradesh, saying it is an example of public participation and awareness.
Over 60,000 'Amrit Sarovars' built during the Azaadi ka Amrit Mahotsav are helping in water conservation during the rainy season, he said, adding over 50,000 more ponds are being built.
During his recent visit to France, Modi said he met Charlotte Chopin, a yoga teacher and practitioner who is more than 100 years old.
"She gives credit for her health and this age of 100 years only to yoga. She has become a prominent face of India's science of yoga," he said.
"Let us not only embrace our heritage but also present it responsibly to the world," the prime minister added.
Lauding efforts against the use of drugs, he said the increasing participation of youth in such campaigns is very encouraging.
"If we want to save the future generations of the country, we have to keep them away from drugs," he said, noting that 'Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan' was launched on August 15, 2020, with this idea.
More than 11 crore people have been connected with this campaign, he said adding India has created a unique record of destroying 10 lakh kg of drugs worth over Rs 12,000 crore.
In this context, he lauded the transformation of Madhya Pradesh's Bicharpur village from the "grip of intoxication" to become a place for football, now known as 'mini Brazil'.
He lauded the efforts of Raees Ahmed, a former national player and coach, for leading the change.
"Just imagine, a tribal area which was known for illicit liquor, infamous for drug addiction, has now become the football nursery of the country. That's why it is said -- where there is a will, there is a way," he said.
In his radio address, Modi also hailed the changes made by the government in the Haj policy in the past few years and said now more and more people are getting an opportunity to go for the annual pilgrimage.
Over 4,000 women were able to perform Haj without 'mehram' or a male companion which he said was a "big change", the prime minister said.
He said Muslim women who recently came back from Haj wrote to him.
"Their Haj was very special as they performed the pilgrimage without 'mehram'. Their number is not 50 or 100 but over 4,000. This is a big change," Modi said while pointing out that earlier Muslim women were not allowed to perform Haj without 'Mehram'.
"Through Mann ki Baat, I would also like to thank the Saudi Government," he said.
"The changes made in the Haj policy in the last few years are being appreciated. Our Muslim mothers and sisters have written a lot to me. Now more and more people are getting an opportunity to go for Haj," the prime minister said.