Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday brought national attention to an environmental awareness campaign against forest fires undertaken by the ‘Radhakrishna Sankirtan Mandali’, a group of devotional singers from Odisha’s Keonjhar district who are spreading the message of conservation through traditional songs and music.
The Prime Minister highlighted the group’s unique initiative during the 124th episode of his monthly radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’.
“The most beautiful glimpse of India’s diversity is found in our folk songs and traditions, and our bhajans and kirtans are a part of this. But have you ever heard of people being made aware of forest fires through kirtans? You may not believe it, but something amazing is happening in Keonjhar district of Odisha. There is a group named Radhakrishna Sankirtan Mandali,” PM Modi said.
He also praised the leadership of Pramila Pradhan, who spearheaded this unique and creative effort to combat forest fires in her locality.
“Along with devotion, today, this group is also chanting the mantra of environmental protection. The inspiration behind this initiative is Pramila Pradhan ji. To protect the forest and the environment, she has added new lyrics and new messages to traditional songs. Her troupe went from village to village. Through songs, people were made to understand how much damage forest fires cause,” the PM added.
During his address, PM Modi also spoke about National Handloom Day, observed every year on August 7 to commemorate the Swadeshi Movement, which began on August 7, 1905. He noted that this year marks 10 years of observing National Handloom Day.
While highlighting various efforts across the country to revive traditional handlooms and the revolution in the textile sector over the last decade, the Prime Minister praised tribal women from Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district for reviving the traditional Santhali saree.
“There is a similar success story in Mayurbhanj, Odisha. Here, more than 650 tribal women have revived the Santhali saree. Now these women are earning thousands of rupees every month. They are not just making cloth, but also carving their own identity,” he said.
PM Modi also cited the inspiring example of Naveen Kumar from Nalanda, Bihar, whose family has been involved in handloom weaving for generations.
—IANS