Celebrating with restraint to help beat Covid-19 pandemic: PM Modi

Asserting that India stands firmly with its brave soldiers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged people to light a diya at their homes to honour security forces guarding the country’s borders while they celebrate festivals.

In his Mann ki Baat radio broadcast, Modi made a strong pitch for unity in the country while remembering Sardar Patel whose birth anniversary is on October 31. “Unity is power, unity is strength, unity is progress, unity is empowerment, united we will scale new heights,” the PM said. He also remembered former prime minister Indira Gandhi, whose death anniversary is on October 31.

Modi exhorted people to constantly try through their creativity and love to bring out the beautiful colours of ‘Ek Bharat-Shrestha Bharat’ even in the smallest of tasks. “There have also been forces which continuously try to sow the seeds of suspicion in our minds, and try to divide the country. The country too has given a befitting reply to these ill-intentions every time,” he said. 

The PM wished people on Dussehra and said with various festivals coming up, they need to show patience and follow health guidelines in celebrating these auspicious occasions during the Covid-19 times. “Today, all of you are carrying on with immense patience, celebrating the festival with restraint… and hence, in our ongoing fight, our victory too is assured,” Modi said.

He asked people to keep the ‘vocal for local’ resolve in their mind and give priority to local products while shopping for festivals. The world is taking note of India’s products, he said, citing the example of rising popularity of Khadi. The prime minister hailed the sacrifice of those families, whose sons and daughters are at the border.