Mann Ki Baat: PM Modi takes a dig at Congress over Emergency; reveals WHO has declared India free of Trachoma

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (Jun 29) addressed the nation during the 123rd episode of his monthly radio programme "Mann ki Baat". This month's programme had mentions of International Yoga Day (June 21), which this year saw the participation of millions across the country; the National Emergency of the 1970s, among other topics. "We saw many mesmerising images of this celebration. In Visakhapatnam, 3 lakh people performed Yoga together on the beach. Another incredible sight from Visakhapatnam was that over 2,000 tribal students performed 108 surya namaskars for 108 minutes. Imagine the discipline needed. A grand display of yoga was showcased on our naval ships," PM Modi said.

India is Trachoma-free

The Indian PM also revealed that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared India free of a serious eye disease called Trachoma. "I am delighted to share with you that WHO has declared India free of Trachoma, an eye disease. This is the success of our health workers. 'Jal Jeevan' Mission has contributed to this," he said.

Trachoma is a bacterial eye infection caused by Chlamydia trachomatis, and it's a major cause of avoidable blindness globally.

Social protection available to the majority of citizens

Modi also noted that, as per an International Labour Organisation (ILO) report, 64 per cent of India's population has access to social security. He said that this was almost a fourfold increase from the figures under the previous Congress administration. "International Labour Organization (ILO) has released a major report stating that 64 per cent population definitely has access to social security. Nearly 95 crore people are benefitting from the social security schemes. This number was lower than 25 crores till 2015," he said.

PM Modi on Emergency

Recently India observed the 50th anniversary of the National Emergency, which was imposed by then-PM Indira Gandhi for 21 months between 1975 and 1977. Taking a dig at the Congress party, Modi said that the people who imposed Emergency did not just murder democracy; they tried to make the judiciary their puppet.

Calling it a tough period for India, PM Modi said that "George Fernandes was chained up, students didn't have the freedom to express themselves. Democracy had entered a dark period during those years. Under 'MISA', anyone was arrested arbitrarily; people were tortured... Indians refused to compromise on democracy. Finally, people won, and Emergency was lifted."

Lauding the strength of Indians, the PM noted that "Thousands of people were arrested and subjected to inhuman treatment, but it is the strength of Indians that they did now bow and accept any compromise with democracy".