PM Modi bats for buying local products this Diwali, remembers contribution of tribal warriors in freedom struggle

New Delhi, Oct 29: With the Diwali season round the corner, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged people to purchase locally made products.

In his monthly radio broadcast 'Mann Ki Baat', PM Modi said, "When you brighten up your Diwali with products Made In India, Made by Indians; fulfill every little need of your family locally, the sparkle of Diwali will only increase, but in the lives of those artisans, a new Diwali will shine, a dawn of life will rise, their life will become wonderful. Make India self-reliant, keep choosing ‘Make in India’, so that the Diwali of crores of countrymen along with you becomes wonderful, lively, radiant and interesting."

He further informed that on October 31, on the birth anniversary of Sardar Patel, "The foundation of a very big nationwide organisation is being laid and that too on the birth anniversary of Sardar Sahib. The name of this organisation is -- 'Mera Yuva Bharat', i.e. My Bharat. My Bharat organisation will provide an opportunity to the youth of India to play an active role in various nation building events. This is a unique effort of integrating the youth power of India in building a developed India".

"Mera Yuva Bharat’s website My Bharat is also about to be launched. I would urge the youth -- I would urge them again and again that all of you Youth of my country, all you sons and daughters of my country, register on MyBharat.gov.in and sign up for various programmes," the Prime Minister said further.

"The 31st of October is also the death anniversary of former Prime Minister Smt Indira Gandhi Ji. I also pay my heartfelt tribute to her," PM Modi said.

With an eye on the huge tribal vote bank amid upcoming elections in tribal dominated states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh Mizoram and Rajasthan, PM Modi remembered contributions made by several tribal personalities towards the nation's freedom struggle like Birsa Munda, Tantiya Bheel and many others.

"We are proud that the warrior Tantiya Bheel was born on our soil. We remember Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh with full reverence, who stood by his people in difficult circumstances. Be it Veer Ramji Gond, Veer Gundadhur, Bheema Nayak, their courage still inspires us. The country still remembers the spirit that Alluri Sitaram Raju instilled in the tribal brothers and sisters.

"We also get a lot of inspiration from freedom fighters like Kiang Nobang and Rani Gaidinliu in the northeast. It is from the tribal community that the country got women brave hearts like RajMohini Devi and Rani Kamlapati. The country is currently celebrating the 500th Birth Anniversary of Rani Durgavati Ji, who inspired the tribal society. I hope that more and more youth of the country will know about the tribal personalities of their region and derive inspiration from them. The country is grateful to its tribal society, which has always held the self-respect and upliftment of the nation paramount," PM Modi said.