Departing from the traditional convention, this initiative has established a direct medium of interaction between the Prime Minister and the masses.
The participation of citizens in democratic governance should not stop at the ballot box. In fact, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always said that development should not just remain a government agenda. It has to be a joint mission of the people and the government. No wonder, he conceptualised the idea of Mann Ki Baat, aimed at promoting the culture of participatory democracy through active participation of the masses. Since Independence, Modi has been the first Prime Minister to start such a unique and revolutionary project of dialogue by directly engaging with the common citizens of India. Actually, at the threshold of its 100th edition, it has actually evolved as a fine example of “Dialogue of Democracy”.
Mann ki Baat could easily be the first-of-its-kind experiment of successfully converting a public address into a dialogue with the people. In a way, through this experiment in communication science, PM Modi has transformed the conventional “top-down” approach into a “bottom-up”, participatory and democratic model, while unleashing the potential of “Jan Shakti” right in a country known as the Mother of Democracy. There have been examples of people from the remotest corners of India stepping up, drawing inspiration from Modi’s Mann Ki Baat, and initiating some public action around issues of national importance, such as women empowerment, cleanliness, promotion of swadeshi products, protecting environment and so on. The scale at which this transformation has taken place is unparalleled, not just in the history of India but the entire world. As per a pan-India survey conducted by All India Radio’s Audience Research Wing, at least two out of 10 Indians were assured listeners of PM Modi’s Mann Ki Baat on radio, which is a significant coverage if we look at India’s total population (1,210,854,977 as per 2011 Census). This must be the highest number of listeners as compared to any radio-based outreach programmes hosted by world leaders in the entire history, for instance former US President Franklin Roosevelt’s “Fireside Chats”.
The most fascinating aspect of the Mann Ki Baat initiative is that even in the age of video-talks, Mann Ki Baat has revived the traditional media by using the All India Radio platform and amalgamated it with digital media in order to garner utmost participation. In fact, this has never been done in the past at such a large-scale across the globe. The extent of the initiative as well as its wider reach can be comprehended from the fact that Prasar Bharati undertakes the translation and broadcast of Mann Ki Baat in 52 regional languages/dialects, including 11 foreign languages.
Prime Minister Modi is known remarkably for his creative thinking. There are hundreds of things that he has ideated, initiated and implemented. India has seen hundreds of Chief Ministers, but the way he made transformative governance a reality in Gujarat, is unparalleled. Take the example of visitor management. Many CMs find themselves at their wits’ end when it comes to dealing with the load of visitors coming to the Chief Minister’s Office every day for grievance redressal. However, as Chief Minister, Narendra Modi handled this issue creatively and introduced a portal called Swagat, one of the pioneering efforts for effective application of information technology in day-to-day public administration. Take the case of his speeches. He is known for content-rich speeches and practically in almost every speech, one sees him initiating some path-breaking idea or sharing new thought. Notably, he speaks from the bottom of his heart and not just as an unavoidable formality. He speaks because he has something precious to tell, and his speeches also reflect his flawless homework. Listening to his speeches with complete attention makes one realise that he neither fumbles nor forgets. He is never at a loss for words, no matter what language he chooses to speak in. He is a patient listener, an extra-ordinary speaker and all this makes him a great communicator. PM Modi has been using his creative prowess to engage with his countrymen, espouse several causes of nation building and encourage all those unsung heroes contributing to the nation’s cause in multiple ways.
Departing from the traditional convention, this initiative has established a direct medium of interaction between the PM and the masses for mutual sharing of causes and concerns, expectations and aspirations, feelings and suggestions. No wonder, this has proved to be far more effective as compared to the established style of “address to the nation”.
PM Modi is able to do this almost effortlessly because—going by the style adopted by him for this communication—he apparently positions himself in multiple roles simultaneously while he speaks. He comes across as a caring guardian, a mentor; a family head who wants to convey, counsel and sometimes also advise. Known for crowd sourcing of ideas, Modi also takes suggestions, reflects on them and encourages individuals with creative ideas. For example, during the 10th episode of Mann Ki Baat, the PM not only highlighted but implemented a suggestion made by Mr Akhilesh to create a separate quota for the disabled to book tickets with the IRCTC. He further underlined the issue, stating that the suggestion made is noteworthy as the disabled should not stand in the tiring process of booking tickets with the IRCTC.
Being featured in the Mann Ki Baat has come as a great recognition—and that too by no less than the PM—to some of the passionate, talented youths and others who initiate, innovate and experiment too. In this context, PM Modi underscored the pivotal role that the youth will play in the growth and development of the country. In one of the episodes, he said “the new generation is an embodiment, a reflection of a new system, new order, a new age and a new thought”. :! During one of the episodes aired on 27 December 2020, PM Modi has wholeheartedly praised the “Can Do” approach and “Will Do” spirit of Indian youths.
The uniqueness of Mann ki Baat has several dimensions. One of the most remarkable features though is PM Modi’s emphasis on India’s cultural and civilizational values. Innumerable instances of his references to ancient scriptures, Vedic texts and sholkas or mantras during his addresses. He has also talked about Hemkosh, as one of the oldest dictionaries of the Assamese language, prepared in the 19th century by linguist Hemchandra Barua. He has further said that the Braille edition of Hemkosh is around 10,000 pages long and is going to be published in more than 15 volumes. In one of the recent editions of Mann Ki Baat in January 2023, PM Modi talked about many great personalities who have worked on tribal languages like Toto, Ho, Kui, Kuvi and Manda have received Padma Awards. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while mentioning that the United Nations has declared 2019 as the “International Year of Indigenous Languages,” remembered poet Subramanya Bharati and said what he had said, which was in Tamil:
(Mother India has 30 crore faces but one body. She speaks 18 languages but thinks as one.)
Adding to the cultural literacy of fellow countrymen, PM Modi also has referred to our traditional loris, or lullabies and their importance in our culture. Appreciating the rich diversity of lullabies, PM Modi during his Mann Ki Baat address on 24 October 2021, motivated people to revive this important oral tradition during Amrit Kal. He also extended an appeal to compose new lullabies pertaining to patriotism, write poems, songs, something or other which can be easily recited by mothers in every home to their little children. His appeal also led to a kind of lullaby writing competition. The first prize went to one B.M. Manjunath of Chamrajnagar district in Karnataka, while Dinesh Gowala, from Kamrup district in Assam, won the second prize.
Apart from issues such as education, economy, Indian heritage and culture, energy, gender justice, governance, PM Modi has been making efforts to spread awareness among the general public about the importance of sustainability. He has also stressed on ensuring that development is always in confluence with the Mother Nature. Given the phenomenon of climate change and global warming, and the myriad concerns emerging from them which threaten humanity, PM Modi in Mann Ki Baat has talked about various environmental issues, ranging from water conservation, energy conservation, mass plantation campaigns to overall environmentalism. For instance, in the 99th edition of the Mann Ki Baat, PM Modi appreciated the efforts of people of the MSR-Olive Housing Society in Pune for generating electricity from the installation of solar panels. Similarly, he underlined the efforts of the people in Diu for generating solar energy, resulting in savings of around Rs 52 crore on the purchase of electricity.
Needless to say, this special programme has garnered appreciation across the globe for its innovativeness, and out-of-the-box solutions to deal with myriad challenges and problems. The main essence of Mann Ki Baat is in its simplicity, its plain, straight-forward dialogue format. Driven by people’s suggestions and PM Modi’s broad vision, India has stepped on a new path of development along with shaping a national mind. As Mann Ki Baat is nearing the completion of its first 100 episodes, PM Modi’s constant motivation and encouragement, based on his mantra “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayaas”, continues to provide a platform for common citizens to become catalysts in national development while promoting the culture of participatory democracy.
- Dr Vinay Sahasrabuddhe is President, Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) New Delhi. Email: vinays57@gmail.com