New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Tuesday people to work towards furthering the empowerment of women and ensuring their dignity by taking forward the spirit of Navratra, as he participated in Dussehra festivities in the national capital.
Narendra Modi also said that as a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary the people should take up the mission of not wasting food, conserving energy and water and avoiding single-use plastic. He exhorted the people to kill the demon within ‘if we really want to feel Lord Ram’, stressing that ‘defeating our weaknesses is our duty’.
Prime Minister Modi was speaking at a Dussehra event organised at Dwarka where giant effigies of demon king Ravana and those of Kumbhakarna and Meghanad were burnt, signifying the triumph of good over evil.
Greeting people on the occasion, Modi said India is a land of festivals. “Festivals are the life of our country. This Diwali we should felicitate our daughters who have achieved something or who have inspired others,” Modi told the gathering.
“Festivals connect us, fill us with enthusiasm and make us dream. Festivals are essence of social life in India. All forms of art like song, dance and drama are inseparably connected with festivals of our country,” Modi pointed out.
“That’s why the Indian tradition gives birth to human beings and not robots. Festivals around the year also keep people away from club culture. These festivals bring out the qualities of humanity and sensitivity within us,” added the Prime Minister.
Modi reiterated his call to launch a campaign to honour daughters who have made a mark in various fields for public good. He earlier made a similar appeal in his monthly ‘Mann ki Baat’ radio address.
This is the first time that Modi celebrated Dussehra at Dwarka and not at the Ramleela Maidan where top dignitaries usually participate in the festivities.
PTI
