– Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty
First of all I would like to say in humble words that there is a long list of great politicians who rose to the position of Prime Minister as the head of our nation. But, it seems that none of them handled the position as Narendra Modi did. They have presented India as best or unique in the global context especially in the background of different fields and aspects like demography, religion, geography, history, education, science, technology, philosophy, art, culture etc.
The Indian subcontinent (undivided India) was known for its physical vastness as well as for its intellectual and spiritual excellence. Therefore, before one evaluates the dimensions and modus operandi of Modi’s role as a leader of modern India, one must have a basic idea of ​​why and where India is different from all other countries in the world.
India invented ‘zero’ and then the number system, one of the greatest innovations in history. The decimal system, the value of pi, algebra, trigonometry, calculus and many other mathematical concepts originated in India. The sources of knowledge of ancient India are infinite. For example, some of them as 18 Vidyas can be cited here- the four Vedas, the four subsidiary Vedas (Ayurveda-medicine, Dhanurveda-weapons, Gandharvaveda-music and Shilpa-architecture), Puranas, Nyaya, Mimamsa, Dharma Shastra and Vedanga, the six subsidiary sciences, phonetics, grammar, meter, astronomy, ritual and philosophy.
Modern science probably begins at the time of Newton. But traditional knowledge systems have existed for more than two million years, when Homo habilis began making his own tools and interacting with nature. Since the beginning of history, different people have contributed to different branches of science and technology. Often in such a way that cultures separated by long distances came into contact. This interaction effect is becoming more apparent as global trade and cultural migration are increasingly recognized by researchers, despite extremely long distances.
Anyway, Indian civilization has a strong tradition of science and technology. In ancient India it was the land of sages and sages as well as scholars and scientists. Research has shown that from making the best steel in the world to teaching the world to count, India actively contributed to the field of science and technology centuries before modern laboratories were established. Many of the principles and techniques discovered by the ancient Indians have formed and underpinned the fundamentals of modern science and technology.
However, the vast and important contribution made by the people of the Indian subcontinent has been overlooked. The British colonialists could never accept the fact that Indians were highly civilized even in the third millennium BC, when the British were still in the process of developing their civilization. The above facts are only a drop in the vast ocean of which India is proud. Therefore, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is determined to intelligently showcase all the achievements that India has achieved over a long period of time.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been consistently raising multi-faceted issues and events in various episodes of his ‘Mann Ki Baat’. As a result, the whole world has known and been mesmerized by the excellence of India’s wonderful works. I am personally very impressed too. The Prime Minister emphasizes on three things in particular. To create a sense of unity or oneness among all Indians, irrespective of their caste and creed or any other difference in socio-economic status.
second- to inculcate a sense of pride in being an Indian; For this he calls upon his dear countrymen to remember the names of the bravehearts who fought against the Britishers and even sacrificed their lives to get freedom from foreign rulers. Third- To instill in all the citizens of India a sense of love and faith in our tricolor. He also urged that every Indian citizen, all students of schools and colleges should hoist the national flag in all educational institutions and even in their homes. The call of ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ in ‘Mann Ki Baat’ helped to accelerate the campaign across the country by evoking the spirit of public participation.
The Prime Minister has placed utmost importance on the flourishing of all India indigenous efforts under the slogan of ‘Make in India’. For example, AYUSH (traditional knowledge for holistic health), National Beekeeping and Honey Mission (promoting the sweet revolution in India), Indian Indigenous Toys (a success story of self-reliance), etc. I am very happy to know that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the first Prime Minister to acknowledge that Pingali Venkayya is the architect of the Indian National Flag. In connection with the ‘Amrit Mahotsav of Independence’, now the whole country knows about it. Ghantashal Gopikrishna, the grandson of Venkayyaji, has described it as a great honor for his family.
I am also very impressed by another initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. That is ‘Independence Trains and Stations’, which was implemented during the iconic week celebrations of the Ministry of Railways. The event marked 75 stations and 27 spotlight trains associated with the freedom movement across the country, which attracted public attention throughout the week. All the 75 stations were decorated and various activities like broadcast of patriotic songs and many other programs were organized.
Being a great admirer of India’s diverse and vibrant culture, the Prime Minister has not only spearheaded India’s socio-economic development, but India has also witnessed a cultural renaissance under his leadership. ‘Mann Ki Baat’ has proved to be such a platform where every citizen can directly connect with this positive change in the country.
Our visionary Prime Minister Narendra Modi has marked the next 25 years as a period of duty, so that every countryman can turn this festival into a mass movement during this period. The Prime Minister’s vision behind celebrating the centenary year of India’s hard-earned independence is that the generations to come on this brave and glorious land may move forward with broad smiles on their faces.
(The author is a Padma Bhushan awardee Indian classical vocalist.)
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