Mann Ki Baat: PM Modi Urges People to Come Forward for Organ Donation

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today urged people to come forward for organ donation. Addressing the nation in the 99th episode of his Mann Ki Baat programme on All India Radio, Mr Modi said there are a large number of needy people who are waiting for organ donors.

He noted that in India, selfless charity, also known as Parmarth, has been placed so high that people do not hesitate to donate their all for the happiness of others. He expressed satisfaction that his government is working on a uniform policy in the country for organ donation. He further stated that it has been decided to remove the condition of domicile of the states.

It will enable patients to go to any state and register for receiving organs. The government has also decided to abolish the age limit of below 65 years for organ donation.

Mr Modi highlighted that awareness about organ donation is also rising in the country. In 2013, there were less than five thousand cases of organ donation in the country. This number increased to more than fifteen thousand in 2022.

Prime Minister spoke of his long-standing desire to know the Mann Ki Baat of people who do such noble deeds. In today’s Mann Ki Baat, he spoke to the parents who donated the organs of their 39-day-old baby girl after she passed away. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and his wife Supreet Kaur are residents of Amritsar in Punjab.

They were blessed with a beautiful girl child who they named Ababat Kaur. Sukhbir ji told Prime Minister Modi that the baby had a bunch of nerves in her brain due to which the size of her heart got bigger.

When she was only 39 days old, she suffered a heart attack. Sukhbir ji told Mr Modi that they felt that the child had some purpose in being born and decided to donate her organs.

The Prime Minister praised them for their good deeds saying many people will come forward to save someone’s life after hearing their story.

Sukhbir ji said that they held their heads high with pride when the doctors told them that their daughter had become the youngest donor in India whose organs had been successfully transplanted.

Prime Minister also had a conversation with Abhijit Chaudhary, son of Snehlata Chaudhary of Jharkhand, who donated her heart, kidney and liver at 63 years of age.

Abhijeet ji told the Prime Minister that four people got their lives back due to organ donation and two people got back their eyesight. Mr Modi saluted them for their service to society.

Touching upon the subject of renewable energy, Mr Modi said that the speed with which India is moving forward in the field of solar energy is a big achievement.

He said that there is a lot of talk about clean energy and renewable energy all over the world these days. He added that people across the world are talking about India’s phenomenal success in this field.

Mr Modi said the people of India have had a special relationship with the Sun for centuries. He pointed out that the scientific understanding Indians have about the power of the Sun, and the traditions of worshipping the Sun, are rarely seen in other places.

He expressed happiness that every person understands the importance of solar energy today and wants to contribute towards clean energy. He emphasized that this spirit of ‘Sabka Prayas’ is taking India’s Solar Mission forward.

The Prime Minister cited an example in Pune, Maharashtra, where people of MSR-Olive Housing Society have decided to run common utility things like drinking water, lifts and lights in the society with solar energy only.

People in this society got solar panels installed. Today, about 90 thousand kilowatt-hours of electricity are generated from these solar panels every year. This is resulting in savings of about 40 thousand rupees every month.

Prime Minister also highlighted that Diu has become the first district in India to use 100 per cent clean energy for all daytime needs. Mr Modi said solar panels were installed on barren land and many buildings.

Through these panels, more electricity is being generated in Diu than what is required during the daytime. Through this solar project, about 52 crore rupees have also been saved on the purchase of electricity.

Mr Modi hailed these efforts, adding that these show how sensitive Indians are to the environment and nature.

Prime Minister mentioned a number of women achievers on the occasion of Navratri. He said women’s power has a big role in the New India that is emerging.  He said Asia’s first female loco pilot Surekha Yadav, has set another record.

She has also become the first woman loco pilot of Vande Bharat Express. Mr Modi took the names of producer Guneet Monga and director Kartiki Gonsalves who brought laurels to the country by winning an Oscar for their documentary, ‘The Elephant Whisperers’.

Jyotirmayi Mohanty, a Scientist at Bhabha Atomic Research Center has received a special award from IUPAC in the field of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. Mr Modi said that India’s Under-19 women’s cricket team created history by winning the T-20 World Cup.

He mentioned that in Nagaland, for the first time in 75 years, two women legislators have reached the state assembly through their victory. One of them has also been made a minister in the Nagaland government. Mr Modi stressed that for the first time, the people of the state have got a woman minister.

Prime Minister added that recently, he had met the brave women of the NDRF contingent who went to help the people after an earthquake hit Turkiye. India has also deployed a Women-only Platoon in the Peacekeeping Force under the UN Mission.

Mr Modi praised the daughters of the country for raising the flag of their bravery in all three armed forces. Group Captain Shalija Dhami has become the first woman Air Force officer to get a Command Appointment in a Combat Unit. She has a flying experience of about 3000 hours.

Similarly, Prime Minister mentioned Captain Shiva Chauhan of the Indian Army who has become the first woman officer to be posted at Siachen. Shiva will be stationed for three months in Siachen where the temperature drops to minus sixty degrees.

Prime Minister added that this energy of women’s power is the oxygen of a developed India.

Touching upon the topic of Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat, Mr Modi spoke about the Kashi-Tamil Sangamam, in Kashi.  The centuries-old historical and cultural ties between Kashi and the Tamil region were celebrated during the event.

Prime Minister informed that with the spirit of unity, ‘Saurashtra-Tamil Sangamam’ will be held in different parts of Gujarat next month.

The ‘Saurashtra-Tamil Sangamam’ will run from 17th to 30th April. Mr Modi elaborated that centuries ago, many people from Saurashtra had settled in different parts of Tamil Nadu. These people are still known as ‘Saurashtri Tamil’. Even today, some glimpses of Saurashtra can be found in their food habits, lifestyle and social rituals.

Mr Modi also spoke about Assam’s hero Lachit Borphukan whose 400th birth anniversary is being celebrated. He said that the brave Lachit Borphukan had liberated Guwahati from the clutches of the tyrannical Mughal Sultanate. He expressed satisfaction that today, the country is getting acquainted with the indomitable courage of this great warrior.

A few days ago, a campaign for essay writing based on the life of Lachit Borphukan was launched. Prime Minister was pleased to note that about 45 lakh people sent essays for this and it has become a Guinness Record.

These essays have been written in about 23 different languages, including Hindi, English, Bangla, Bodo, Nepali, Sanskrit, and Santhali.  He gave his appreciation to everyone who has been a part of this effort.

In Mann Ki Baat today, Mr Modi spoke about Kashmir’s Dal Lake which is known for its delicious Lotus Stems.  Lotus stems are known as Nadru in Kashmir. The demand for Nadru is continuously increasing due to which farmers cultivating Nadru in Dal Lake has formed an FPO.

About 250 farmers have joined this FPO. Today these farmers have started exporting their Nadru to foreign countries. Prime Minister took pride in the fact that these farmers recently sent two consignments to the UAE. He said that this success has increased the income of hundreds of farmers.

Mr Modi spoke about another such effort of the people of Kashmir related to agriculture. In the ‘Bhadarwah’ town of Doda district, around two and a half thousand farmers are cultivating lavender. They have also been handheld through the Aroma Mission of the Central Government.

This new cultivation has greatly increased the income of the farmers. Mr Modi said that along with lavender, the fragrance of their success is spreading far and wide.

He remembered Maa Sharda who is seated on the lotus flower. He added that a few days ago, the Grand Temple of Maa Sharda was inaugurated in Kupwara. The local people have helped a lot in the construction of this Temple. Mr Modi congratulated the people of Jammu and Kashmir for this auspicious work.

Speaking about the festivals that are being observed, Prime Minister said the holy month of Ramzan has begun. The auspicious festival of Ram Navami is also going to be celebrated in the next few days. He said Mahavir Jayanti, Good Friday and Easter will also be observed soon.

He added that in the month of April, the birth anniversaries of two great personalities of India are celebrated – Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, and Babasaheb Ambedkar. Prime Minister said that both these great men made immense contributions to eradicate discrimination from society.

He said that in ‘Azadi ka Amrit Kaal’, there is a need to learn from such great personalities and take constant inspiration from them. He stressed that people must keep their duties at the forefront.

Mr Modi looked back at the journey Mann Ki Baat has covered so far,  saying that Mann Ki Baat has reached its ninety-ninth distinction. He expressed happiness that there is a lot of enthusiasm among the people of the country regarding the hundredth episode of Mann Ki Baat on the 30th of April.

He said he is eager to know people’s suggestions and thoughts regarding the hundredth episode. He added that these suggestions and ideas will make the hundredth  Mann Ki Baat extremely memorable.

Prime Minister reminded that cases of Corona are rising in some places. He urged everyone to take precautions and be mindful of cleanliness.