Mann Ki Baat gave Chandrapur its drive for development, says MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar

A large event was held at the Priyadarshini Indira Gandhi Cultural Hall in Chandrapur to mark 12 years of 'Mann Ki Baat'. MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar said the inspiration he drew from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Mann Ki Baat' did not stay confined to ideas. It gave him the energy to do something concrete for every kind of development in Chandrapur district. According to him, the programme gave the assurance that society can change in a big way through its own efforts.

Mungantiwar said this inspiration gave him the chance to work for Chandrapur's progress in areas such as education, health, skill development, environmental conservation, bamboo research and employment. He called it a matter of satisfaction and happiness. At the event, a book carrying a QR code for the 138 episodes of 'Mann Ki Baat' was released. He said the real message of the initiative is to take inspiration from the extraordinary work of ordinary people across the country, turn it into work for the good of society and help build a developed India.

Those present included Padma Shri Dr Parshuram Khune, MLA Devrao Bhongle, MLA Karan Deotale, Mayor Sangeeta Khandekar, Sapnaji Mungantiwar, district sanghchalak Tusharji Devpujari, senior BJP leader Chandansingh Chandel, BJP district president Harish Sharma, former MLAs Atul Deshkar and Vasudev Gadegone, Gita translator Fatima Behen, Pandurang Ambatkar and Kisanlal Chaddha. BJP office-bearers, workers, farmers, members of the Gayatri Parivar, women and students also came in large numbers.

Mungantiwar said 'Mann Ki Baat' is not merely a talk programme. It gives society positive energy and links ideas to action. The initiative began on Vijayadashami, 3 October 2014. Through it, the country was introduced to work in environmental conservation, farming, social change and the extraordinary deeds of ordinary people. When an ordinary person sets an example through their work, many others are inspired by it. In his words, that is its real strength.

He said this thinking gave momentum in the district to works such as a Sainik School, a forest academy, a botanical garden, modernisation of anganwadis, smart study rooms, libraries, a state-of-the-art cancer hospital, water conservation, a Krishi Vigyan Kendra and a local employment project. He said development does not mean only putting up buildings. It means improving people's lives through education, health, employment, research and social progress.

Speaking about the book, he said it is an effort to connect students and young people with inspiring ideas. He asked students to listen to the episodes regularly, understand their important themes and use them in developing their personalities. He said personality is built by gathering ideas, understanding them and putting them into practice in real life.

Mungantiwar also said that mutual respect, understanding and a sense of humanity should be strengthened in society. He praised Gita translator Fatima Behen, who has taken the ideas of the Bhagavad Gita to people through the Urdu language. He said the message of duty, action and peace in the Bhagavad Gita should reach everyone. Whatever the religion, the welfare of humanity and respect for one another are the values that bind society, he said. The participation of representatives of different religions, young people, students and many sections of society conveyed a message of social unity, and he thanked them for it.

Mungantiwar announced that a large youth conference will be held in the new Chandrapur area between 9 and 12 January 2027. The aim is to bring about 25,000 young people together in one place on 12 January. The purpose is for young people to prove their ability in literature, industry, farming, education, research and other fields, and raise the district's standing nationally. He appealed that the energy of the youth be directed the right way to make Chandrapur district free of drugs, healthy, rich in knowledge and economically strong. He said mobiles should be used not as an addiction but as a means to knowledge, skills and progress.

He said several initiatives are under way in the district in education, health, farming and employment. These include university-level facilities for women's education, skill development centres for female students, expansion of modern medical facilities, new experiments in farming and agricultural haats to give farmers a direct market. The idea of the agricultural haat and food court is being taken forward so that the chain of middlemen between farmer and customer is reduced, farmers' organic produce gets a direct market and nutritious food is promoted. Emphasis is also being laid on using the district's natural wealth for people's welfare and for expanding health facilities.

At the end of the event, farmers of the Ballarpur assembly constituency were honoured for their outstanding work. Of the 13 farmers who received Maharashtra government state-level awards, 7 are from Pombhurna tehsil. This is a matter of pride for the district. Mungantiwar congratulated the award-winning farmers.

Of the 15 tehsils in Chandrapur district, Ballarpur, Jiwati and Brahmapuri were initially not included in the list of drought-hit tehsils. So that farmers in these tehsils would not face injustice and would also get drought relief, Mungantiwar made continued efforts, writing to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The three tehsils were then added to the drought-hit list. All 15 tehsils of the district are now classed as drought-hit. Farmers honoured Mungantiwar for this effort and expressed their gratitude.