Mann Ki Baat@100: Personalities from India and abroad who have featured in PM's radio show

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be addressing the 100th Episode of his marathon monthly series of ‘Mann Ki Baat’ on April 30. In his previous 99 Episodes of Mann ki Baat, PM Modi addressed many issues and topics spanning space, history, youth, tech, solar energy, COVID, governance, multiple great personalities from India and abroad and much more.

So, in this article, we will be discussing the personalities who featured in PM Modi’s ‘Mann ki Baat’ and what PM expressed about them. 

• Mali Teacher Seydou Dembele

Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an "interesting" remark on Seydou Dembele from Mali during the 69th episode of "Mann Ki Baat". Dembele, a teacher at a public school in Kita, Mali, a country in West Africa, has a deep affection for India, PM Modi stated.

“Every Sunday afternoon, Dembele presents a one-hour radio programme named — 'Indian Frequency on Bollywood Songs’. He has been presenting this programme for the last 23 years. He has a tremendous love for India. He was born on August 15. Recently, he has started another two-hour programme every Sunday at 9 pm in which he tells the story of a Bollywood movie in French and Bambara (the national language of Mali),” the PM said.

• Freedom Fighter Birsa Munda

PM Modi paid tribute to the Odisha-born tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda. PM Modi highlighted the contributions made by Birsa Munda to the nation in the areas of freedom, culture, and the environment during the 82nd episode of his monthly 'Mann Ki Baat' programme.

PM Modi, while hailing his bravery and selfless contribution towards the country, said, "Bhagwan Birsa Munda fought to protect his culture, his forest, his land. He taught us to be proud of our culture and roots."

• 105-yr-old Student Bageerathi Amma

In the 62nd episode of "Mann ki Baat," Prime Minister Narendra Modi cited the example of a 105-year-old woman from Kerala who continued her education despite her old age and inspired people to never let the student inside of them die. However, two years later at the age of 107, Nari Shakti awardee, Bhageerathi Amma passed away due to age-related illness.

Speaking at his 62nd Mann Ki Baat radio program, PM Modi said, "If we wish to progress in life, develop ourselves, and wish to achieve something, then the first pre-condition for that is the student within us must never die. Our 105-year-old Bageerathi Amma also gives us this inspiration."

• Mahant Bharatdas Darshandas, sole voter from Gir Village

In the first Mann Ki Baat of 2019, PM Modi made a special note of Mahant Bharatdas Darshandas, the sole voter from Banej village in the Gir forest for whom the Election Commission of India (ECI) sets up a polling booth. 

Darshandas, who is in his 60s, is provided with a special booth by the ECI because he would otherwise have to travel 120 kilometres to cast his vote at the closest booth.

PM, while hailing the Election Commission’s efficiency and Darshandas for his dedication to vote, said, “Whereas we hear of a polling station at 15,000 feet above mean sea level in Himachal Pradesh we also learn about the same being organised in remote islands of the Andaman Nicobar archipelago. And you must have heard about Gujarat … in a remote place in Gir forest, there is a polling booth for a sole voter. Just imagine … for that one and only voter! These facts are bound to instil a sense of pride, of the commitment of the Election Commission. Caring for that lone voter, for ensuring that he or she enjoys full opportunity to exercise the right to vote, personnel of Election Commission travel to distant remote places to make necessary arrangements for the voting. This is the beauty of our democracy."

• Inderpal Singh Batra, India's sparrow man

Inderpal Singh Batra is on a mission to control the decline in the population of sparrows due to rapid urbanisation. Indrapal made the decision to conserve the sparrow at the start of the year 2000. He then began purchasing pottery and decided to drill a hole in it and fill it with twigs to create a bird nest.

More than 100 nests are currently present at Indrapal Singh Batra's home. The number of birds in this effort, which began with a few sparrows, has now risen to more than 2500. Through his efforts, his house has become a place of refuge for these birds. PM also lauded Inderpal Singh Batra’s efforts in his ‘Mann ki Baat’ episode in March 2021.

• Jammu's Bee keeper Vinod Kumar

Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned Vinod from the nation's first Solar Energy Panchayat as an example on the Mann Ki Baat programme. Vinod of the Palli village engages in beekeeping, the PM stated. He has received training in rearing queen bees. He makes between 15 and 20 lakh rupees a year. Vinod Kumar, a resident of Palli, stated that for the past 27 years, beekeeping has been his source of income. He had  only 15 boxes when he began this project.

• Gurleen Chawla, Strawberry Farmer

The Jhansi strawberry festival was recognised by PM Modi in his Mann Ki Baat programme on All India Radio. The beginning of a month-long "Strawberry Festival" in Jhansi delighted the prime minister. Gurleen Chawla, a law student, has been instrumental in making it happen. Gurleen successfully cultivated strawberries, first at her house and subsequently on her farm, giving Jhansi residents confidence that it was also possible in their district. She got a special mention in PM’s radio programme 'Mann ki Baat'.

The 100th episode of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s monthly radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’ will be broadcast live in the United Nations headquarters in New York.