<span style="color: #222222;">Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said he will participate in the International Day of Yog programme at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on the 21st of this month. Addressing the nation in his Mann Ki Baat programme on All India Radio,  Mr. Modi said, there is tremendous enthusiasm among people to celebrate Yog Day. He said the theme of Yog Day this year is -'Yog For Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam', which is Yog for the welfare of all in the form of 'One World-One Family'. He further stated that it expresses the spirit of Yog, which unites and takes everyone along. Many programmes related to yoga will be organised in every corner of the country this year as well. The Prime Minister urged everyone to adopt yoga in their lives and make it a part of their daily routine. He said the 21st of June is a great opportunity to take this resolution for people who are not connected with Yog.</span> <br />''<br />''Mr Modi highlighted that India is the mother of democracy and her people consider democratic ideals as paramount. He said the Constitution is considered Supreme and therefore, 25th June can never be forgotten. It was on this day when an Emergency was imposed on the country. Prime Minister termed it a dark period in the history of India. He added that lakhs of people opposed the emergency with full might but the supporters of democracy were tortured a lot during that time. Many books have been written on these atrocities and the punishment meted out by the police and administration. Mr. Modi said he had also got the opportunity to write a book named 'Sangharsh Mein Gujarat' at that time. He said he came across another book written on the Emergency, – Torture of Political Prisoners in India. This book, published during the Emergency, describes how cruelly the government treated the guardians of democracy at that time.<br />''<br />'' Prime Minister hoped that as India celebrates Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, people must also take a look at such crimes which endanger the freedom of the country. He said doing so will help today's young generation to understand the meaning and significance of democracy.<br />''<br />''Speaking about Cyclone Biparjoy, Mr. Modi lauded the efforts, hard work, and sheer willpower of the common man of India. He said, just two-three days ago, Cyclone Biparjoy caused a lot of destruction in Kutch. He praised the courage and preparedness with which the people of Kutch fought the dangerous cyclone and called it unprecedented. He said,  the people of Kutch are also going to celebrate their new year, Ashadhi Beej, a few days later. Mr. Modi said it is a coincidence that Ashadhi Beej is considered a symbol of the onset of rains in Kutch. The Prime Minister made note of the zest and fortitude of the people of Kutch as they were able to recover after the devastating earthquake two decades ago. He said, the Kutch district is one of the fastest-growing districts in the country today. He expressed confidence that the people of Kutch will rapidly emerge from the devastation caused by Cyclone Biparjoy.<br />''<br />''Mr Modi also praised the strength of disaster management that India has developed over the years, which is becoming an example today. He emphasised that the conservation of nature is a significant way to combat natural calamities. He said, the responsibility in this direction increases manifold during monsoon.<br />'' <br />''The Prime Minister said, the country is making collective efforts to conserve water through campaigns like 'Catch the Rain'. Last month in 'Mann Ki Baat', Mr Modi discussed start-ups associated with water conservation. Today,  he mentioned Tulsiram Yadav of the Banda district of Uttar Pradesh. Tulsiram Yadav is the Pradhan of Luktara Gram Panchayat. In order to overcome the hardships regarding water in Banda and Bundelkhand regions, Tulsiram has built more than 40 ponds in the area, along with the people of the village. As a result of his hard work, the groundwater level in his village is improving.<br />''<br />''Mr Modi said that similarly in the Hapur district of Uttar Pradesh, people have collectively revived an extinct river. There used to be a river named Neem in the area a long time ago. People decided to revive this natural heritage and on account of the collective efforts of the people, the Neem river has started flowing again. Mr Modi said, the point of origin of the river is also being developed as an Amrit Sarovar.<br />''<br />''The Prime Minister said, these rivers, canals, and lakes are not only water sources but life's myriad hues and emotions are also associated with them. He noted that the canal work of Nilwande Dam is being completed in Maharashtra.  He added that the water was released in the canal during testing a few days ago. Mr. Modi said the pictures that came up during this time made him really emotional. He remarked that the people of the village were rejoicing as if it were the Holi-Diwali festival.<br />'' <br />''The Prime Minister spoke about Japan's Miyawaki technique for creating forests. He said that the Miyawaki method is a very good way to make an area green again. Miyawaki forests spread rapidly and become biodiversity spots in two to three decades. Mr. Modi observed that this is now spreading very fast in different parts of India as well.  He praised Raafi Ramnath, a teacher from Kerala, for changing the scenario of the area with this technique. Raafi Ramnath grew a mini forest with the Miyawaki technique and named it – 'Vidyavanam'. In the tiny space in this Vidyavanam, over 450 trees of 115 varieties were planted. His students also help him with their maintenance. School children from the neighbourhood and common citizens throng in hordes to view this beautiful place.<br />'' <br />''Prime Minister said Miyawaki forests can be easily grown anywhere, even in cities. He had inaugurated a Miyawaki forest in Kevadia, Ekta Nagar in Gujarat recently. In Kutch as well, in memory of the people who died in the 2001 earthquake, a Smriti-Van has been built in the Miyawaki style. Mr. Modi added that its success in a place like Kutch shows how effective this technology is, even in the toughest of natural environments. Similarly, saplings have been planted in Ambaji and Pavagadh by the Miyawaki method. Miyawaki Garden is also being created in Aliganj, Lucknow. In the last four years, work has been done on more than 60 such forests in Mumbai and its surrounding areas. It is being used extensively in many countries like Singapore, Paris, Australia, and Malaysia. The Prime Minister urged the countrymen, especially those living in cities, to make an effort to learn about the Miyawaki method.<br />'' <br />''Mr Modi emphasised that India has resolved to create a TB-free India by 2025. He said, the goal is lofty and to eliminate tuberculosis from the root, Nikshay Mitras have taken the lead. A large number of varied social organisations have become Nikshay Mitras in the country. The Prime Minister said that thousands of people in villages and panchayats have come forward themselves and adopted TB patients. He noted that public participation is the biggest strength of this campaign and it is due to this participation that today, more than ten lakh TB patients in the country have been adopted. Mr Modi said, this is a noble deed on the part of close to 85 thousand Nikshay Mitras. He expressed happiness that many sarpanches of the country, even the village heads, have taken the initiative to not spare any effort to uproot TB from their villages.<br />'' <br />''The Prime Minister mentioned Dikar Singh Mewari, a Nikshay friend of a village in Nainital, who has adopted six TB patients. Gyan Singh, head of a village panchayat of Kinnaur and a Nikshay Mitra, is also engaged in providing necessary help to TB patients in his block.<br />'' <br />''The Prime Minister said, children and youth are also not far behind in the campaign to make India TB-free. He gave the example of seven-year-old Nalini Singh from Una, Himachal Pradesh. Nalini is helping TB patients through her pocket money. Thirteen-year-old Meenakshi from Katni district of Madhya Pradesh and 11-year-old Bashwar Mukherjee from Diamond Harbor in West Bengal have also handed over their piggy bank money to the TB-free-India campaign. Mr. Modi remarked that all these examples are very inspiring. He appreciated all the children who are thinking big at a tender age.<br />''<br />''Prime Minister also cited the example of the people of Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir for starting dairy farming. There was a shortage of milk for a long time in the district. Mr. Modi said the people of Baramulla took this challenge as an opportunity. He mentioned Ishrat Nabi who started Mir Sisters Dairy Farm. About 150 litres of milk is being sold every day from their dairy farm. Prime Minister also mentioned Wasim Anayat from Sopore. Wasim has more than two dozen animals and he sells more than two hundred litres of milk every day. Mr Modi also made note of the dairy farming done by Abid Hussain whose work is also progressing a lot. He said 5.5 lakh litres of milk is being produced daily in Baramulla due to the hard work of the people. He said entire Baramulla is turning into the symbol of a new white revolution. During the last two-and-a-half – three years, more than 500 dairy units have come up there. Prime Minister said the dairy industry of Baramulla is a testimony to the fact that every part of the country is full of possibilities.<br />'' <br />''Mr Modi also remembered Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj today and said the Sea-forts built by him still stand proudly in the middle of the sea. He said the beginning of this month itself marks the completion of 350 years of the coronation of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. This occasion is being celebrated as a big festival and grand programs related to it were organized in Raigad Fort in Maharashtra. Mr Modi said it is the duty of all to know about the management skills of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on this occasion and learn from him.<br />'' <br />''The Prime Minister expressed delight that much good news came in for India this month from the sports world. He said, the Indian team has raised the glory of the Tricolour by winning the Women's Junior Asia Cup for the first time. Indian Men's Hockey Team has also won the Junior Asia Cup. With this, the team also became the team with the most wins in the history of this tournament. India's junior team also did wonders in the Junior Shooting World Cup and secured the first position in this tournament. Out of the total gold medals in this tournament, 20 percent has come in India's account alone. The Asian Under Twenty Athletics Championship was also held this month and India remained in the top three in the medal tally among 45 countries.<br />''Mr Modi exuded pride that for the first time, India is making her presence felt in Sports. In the long jump, Shrishankar Murali won a bronze for the country in Paris Diamond League. This is India's first medal in this competition. One such similar success has been registered by India's Under Seventeen Women Wrestling Team in Kyrgyzstan. Mr Modi congratulated all the athletes of the country, their parents, and coaches for their efforts.<br />''<br />''He said that the hard work of sportspersons is behind the success of India in international events. He added that today, sports are being organized with new enthusiasm in different states of the country. He made note of the Khelo India University Games which were organized in Uttar Pradesh recently. He said, the nation's youth have broken eleven records in these games. Punjab University, Amritsar's Guru Nanak Dev University and Karnataka's Jain University have occupied the first three places in the medal tally.<br />''<br />''The Prime Minister stressed that a major aspect of such tournaments is that many inspiring stories of young players come to the fore. In the rowing event at the Khelo India University Games, Assam's Cotton University's Anyatam Rajkumar became the first Divyang athlete to participate. Nidhi Pawaiya of Barkatullah University managed to win a Gold Medal in Shot-put despite a serious knee injury. Shubham Bhandare of Savitribai Phule Pune University, who had suffered a disappointment in Bangalore last year due to an ankle injury, has become a Gold Medalist in Steeplechase this time. Saraswati Kundu of Burdwan University is the captain of her Kabaddi team. Mr Modi said, she has crossed many difficulties to reach there. He added many of the best-performing athletes are also getting a lot of help from the TOPS Scheme.<br />'' <br />''The Prime Minister said, the historical Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath will be taken out with great fanfare in different States of the country day after tomorrow. He said the  Rath Yatra in Odisha's Puri is a wonder in itself. He recounted that when he was in Gujarat, he had the opportunity to attend the Rath Yatra in Ahmedabad. He said, Rath Yatra is also a reflection of the spirit of Ek Bharat- Shreshtha Bharat. He prayed that Lord Jagannath blesses everyone with good health, happiness and prosperity.<br />''<br />''Mr. Modi also mentioned the interesting events held by the Raj Bhavans of the country. He said Raj Bhavans in the country are now being identified with social and development work. He added that Raj Bhavans are becoming the flag bearers of the TB-Free India campaign and the campaign related to Organic farming. He said that the enthusiasm with which different Raj Bhavans celebrated their foundation days is an initiative that empowers the spirit of Ek Bharat-Shreshtha Bharat.<br />''<br />''Mr. Modi mentioned that he received a letter from the country's famous Indian classical dancer Ananda Shankar Jayant. In her letter, she wrote about the episode of 'Mann Ki Baat', in which storytelling was discussed. Inspired by the programme of 'Mann Ki Baat', Ananda Shankar Jayant has prepared 'Kutti Kahani' which is a collection of stories from different languages meant for children.<br />'' <br />''<span style="color: #222222;">Mr Modi urged people to take care of their health during seasons of rain and take a balanced diet. He also advised children to not keep their homework pending for the last day. </span><br />