NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday appealed to fight the plastic menace and said the country was preparing for a mega festival on October 2, the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
The PM said the government will launch the ‘Fit India’ movement to keep the country fit.
In his monthly radio address “Mann ki Baat”, the PM said, “When we celebrate Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th anniversary we’ll not only be dedicating open defecation free India to him, but also kick-starting a mass movement for making India plastic-free… Let birth anniversary of Gandhi ji serve as an inspiration for all of us to curb single-use plastic.”
He also said its time India moved beyond conservation and thought about compassion to create an environment where nature and wildlife can flourish.
Referring to tiger conservation in his monthly radio address, the PM said, “Whenever we talk about nature and wildlife, we only talk about conservation. But now we have to move beyond conservation and think about compassion. Our scriptures guide us on the issue.”
PM Modi also spoke about his recent ManvsWild appearance, a widely-popular show on Discovery Channel.
“A lot of people wanted to know how Bear Grylls understood Hindi. People asked whether it was edited or shot multiple times. Technology acted as a bridge between me and him. A cordless device attached to his ear translated Hindi into English simultaneously,” he said adding that people should always visit places associated with nature and wildlife.
The Prime Minister also appealed to fight malnutrition in the country.