Need to strengthen culture of healthy debates and open discussion: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said we need to “strengthen” the culture of healthy debates and open discussion that has been a hallmark of India.

Speaking at an event to mark the 200th anniversary of the Gujarati daily “Mumbai Samachar” here, Modi said that over the last thousands of years, Indians have spoken openly about the most difficult of the topics, and made correct logic an integral part of society.

“Debates and discussion” have helped the country over the years and we need to “strengthen” this culture, he said at the event held at the Bandra Kurla Complex ground here. He also said that every institution has a particular role to play for the betterment of society, be it the media or legislature.

“In a democracy, a people’s representative, a political party, parliament or the judiciary - everybody has a role to play. One should do one’s work, be it politics, media or any other field,” the prime minister said.

Indian media has both criticised the policies and also stood up for national interest in a constructive manner, he said, expressing hope that the media will continue to play its role in the next 25 years which his government has called the “Azadi Ka Amrut Kaal” (golden era of Independence).

He appreciated the media's role in taking flagship programmes of his government like the Swachh Bharat mission or digital payments to the masses, and added that India now accounts for 40 per cent of the overall digital payments landscape of the world.

The prime minister was particularly appreciative of the constructive role played by the media during the coronavirus pandemic, terming media persons as “karmayogis” who worked with national interest in mind.

It was the media’s constructive role during the pandemic that helped India deal with the calamity, he added.

The PM was also all praise for the Mumbai Samachar, saying the daily has reported on Mahatma Gandhi, Swami Vivekananda as well as the ups and downs in Indian economy.

Modi requested the paper’s managing director Hormusji Cama to make the best use of the paper’s rich archive by collating thoughts of various personalities through its time and make the collection available in a book form in multiple regional languages.

“It’s a treasure which can inspire coming generations,” Modi said to Cama.

India has also been very welcoming through the ages and there is no community that represents it better than the Parsis who landed in India from other lands, Modi said.

The Parsis are at the forefront across various fields including media, sports, defence forces and industry, and have left a lasting imprint everywhere, he added.

The prime minister also said that regional languages will play an important role in the 25 years of Azadi Ka Amrut Kal.

It is with this perspective that the government has shown openness to teach professional courses including medicine in regional languages, Modi said, exhorting all to make sure that the best content is available in Indian languages.

Regional newspapers played an important role in the freedom struggle, he said, adding that Mumbai Samachar was the voice of the freedom struggle and it also inspired the setting up of other newspapers in other parts of the country.

Leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel used to refer to Mumbai Samachar in their speeches, Modi said, adding that Gujarati journalism was a strong medium for the freedom struggle.

The prime minister, who delivered the speech mostly in Hindi, also switched to Gujarati, his mother tongue, at times.

Mumbai Samachar’s editor Nilesh Dave called the PM “Bharat Bhagya Vidhata”. The prime minister, in his speech, corrected the editor, saying in Gujarati that the term is appropriate for the country’s 130 crore people, and he himself was only a “sevak” (humble worker).

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who also spoke at the event, said Marathis and Gujaratis have had a long history of good relations which is evident from the fact that a Gujarati newspaper thrived in the city for two centuries. He urged everybody to make this bond stronger.

Prime minister Modi on this occasion also released a special postal stamp commemorating the 200 years of the newspaper.

The newspaper’s managing director M Cama noted that it is the oldest newspaper in India and ''third oldest in the Commonwealth.'' PTI AA VT KRK KRK