India faced challenges in every era but had heroes like Sardar Patel, Birsa Munda: PM Modi in 'Mann Ki Baat'

New Delhi, Oct 27 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday addressed the nation in his 115th episode of 'Mann Ki Baat', saying India faced some challenges in every era but had heroes like Sardar Patel and Bhagwan Birsa Munda, who had the courage and foresight to deal with them. 

"In today's Mann Ki Baat, I will discuss two such great heroes who had the courage and vision. The country has decided to celebrate their 150th birth anniversary. The 150th birth anniversary year of Sardar Patel will begin on 31st October. After this, on November 15, Bhagwan Birsa Munda's 150th anniversary year will begin. Both of these great men faced different challenges but their vision was the same -- the country's unity," said PM Modi.

"If you ask me what were my most memorable moments, so many incidents come to my mind. But there is one such very special moment. That moment was when last year on November 15, on the birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda, I visited his birthplace, Ulihatu village of Jharkhand. This visit has a huge impact on me," the PM mentioned in his radio talk.

PM Modi said that he was the country's first Prime Minister who had the privilege of bowing down to the soil of the land and seeking blessings.

"At that moment, I not only felt the power of the freedom struggle but also had the opportunity to connect with the power of this land. I felt how the courage to fulfil a resolution can change the fate of crores of people in the country," said the PM.

He said that India has faced challenges in every era, and in every time extraordinary Indians were born who faced these challenges.

In the past few years, the country has celebrated birth anniversaries of great men and women with new vigour giving new inspiration to a new generation.

"You may remember when we celebrated Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary, so many special events took place. From New York's Times Square to a small village in Africa, people of the world have understood India's message of truth and non-violence learned about it again and lived it. From young to old, from Indians to foreigners, everyone understood Gandhi's teachings in a new context and learned about them in the new global scenario," the Prime Minister said.

"When we celebrated Swami Vivekananda's 150 birth anniversary, the country's youth understood India's spiritual and cultural power in a new way. These plans made us realise that the great men are not lost in the past, rather, their lives show our present the way to the future," the Prime Minister added.

"The government might have decided to celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of these great men at the national level, but your participation will infuse life in this campaign and make it vibrant. I urge all of you to become a part of this campaign and share your ideas and works related to Sadar Patel and Baba Birsa Munda," the PM said.