Tripura Chief Minister Prof Dr Manik Saha on Sunday said that the common people have warmly welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Mann Ki Baat programme and now eagerly wait to listen to it.
He said that in Sunday’s programme, the Prime Minister specially mentioned the unique initiative of Suraj Kumar Debbarma in preserving and promoting Tripura's traditional musical instrument, the Chongpreng.
Dr Saha said this while participating in the 136th episode of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Mann Ki Baat programme, organised at Booth No. 51 of 13 Pratapgarh Mandal on Thursday .
Dr Saha said that in this episode, the Prime Minister highlighted inspiring initiatives from different parts of the country, India's multiple achievements in the fields of sports and Olympiads, and the extraordinary contribution of common people to traditional crafts.
The Chief Minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has once again mentioned Tripura in his Mann Ki Baat programme, which is a matter of great joy and pride for the people of the state.
"He made special mention of Suraj Kumar Debbarma's unique initiative in preserving and promoting Tripura's traditional musical instrument, the 'Chongpreng'. A few days ago, I was also delighted to see his musical instrument and honoured him with a garland with my own hands. I could not have imagined that the PM would present this issue in the Mann Ki Baat programme. Today, Debbarma received recognition from the Prime Minister. It feels as though he did not receive this honour alone; people from all sections, castes, tribes and communities of Tripura have received this honour," he said.
The Chief Minister expressed his sincere thanks and gratitude, on behalf of the people of the state, to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for showcasing this glorious cultural heritage of Tripura on the national stage.
The Chief Minister also said, "We eagerly wait for the last Sunday of every month to listen to the Prime Minister's Mann Ki Baat. Earlier, people used to wait to watch Ramayana and Mahabharata. Now, everyone eagerly waits to listen to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Mann Ki Baat programme because it is not a party programme. People from all sections of society across the country listen to it. However, when the Mann Ki Baat programme was first launched, many opposition leaders ridiculed it. But the common people have accepted this programme with great enthusiasm. People now understand what is good and what is bad."
The Chief Minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has immense faith in the youth.
"In the future, these young people will take the country forward. Therefore, the Prime Minister always places great hope and confidence in them. There is no precedent anywhere in the world where a head of government establishes such a direct connection with the people through a programme like Mann Ki Baat, as our respected Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done. He also conducts the Pariksha Pe Charcha programme to help students remain stress-free during examinations. However, the opposition is now trying to provoke those students. The Prime Minister also raised the issue of eliminating single-use plastic in today's programme. We are also working in that direction. A few days ago, I directed officials to take strict action on this issue because plastic causes various environmental and health-related problems. Our government is also working with special emphasis on the development of the tea industry," he added.