PM Modi calls for self-reliant India, urges Seva Yatris to embrace spirit of national service

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while interacting via video conferencing with participants of the Seva Yatra travelling from Varanasi to Vadnagar under the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan on Friday, said that India must work towards becoming self-reliant and face challenges with determination and a spirit of service.

PM Modi said, "We have to make a self-reliant India. Challenges will come. But we carry the values and mindset to challenge those challenges directly. That is why, every day, with new energy and a spirit of service, we must carry out the work of national welfare and national service. We have to live by the mantra of 'service to the people is service to the nation'."

He further said that public service should remain at the centre of efforts towards national development and urged the Seva Yatris to learn from their interactions with people across the country.

"Therefore, every day, with new energy and a spirit of service, we must carry out the work of national welfare and national service. We have to live by the mantra of 'national service through public service'," the Prime Minister said.

He said the journey provided participants with an opportunity to connect with people from different communities and learn about their traditions, customs and experiences.

"In this journey, the more people's lives we connect with, the more we go among the people and learn from them, the more traditions, customs, new thoughts, new topics, new experiences, new sayings we learn, whatever it may be, even new food and new attire, what isn't there to learn?" PM Modi said.

"Diversity, vastness, comprehensiveness, what a grand treasure it is! The more people we involve in this work of service, the more successful this journey will be," he added.

The Seva Yatra began on September 17 as part of the wider Seva Sankalp Abhiyan, which has been organised to highlight PM Modi's 25 years of public life. The participants are travelling through towns, districts, talukas and villages, with the programme focusing on community service and public engagement at the grassroots level.

The two-way motorcycle yatras between Varanasi and Vadnagar involve young participants travelling through multiple states, districts and villages. During the journey, the Seva Yatris have been engaging with local communities and participating in various service-oriented activities.

These activities include cleanliness drives, interactions with beneficiaries and residents, and programmes at schools, hospitals, nursing homes and other community locations. The journey is scheduled to continue until October 7.

The Seva Yatris are stopping at different communities and participating in activities based on local needs. These include cleanliness drives at ponds, temples, schools, parks, hospitals and other public places, along with beneficiary interactions, youth dialogues, Gram Sabha Samvad and Gau Seva.

They are also participating in tree plantation activities under the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' initiative, while using the journey to interact with local residents and understand their experiences.

The Seva Sankalp Abhiyan, through these activities, aims to combine service, communication, youth participation, social welfare, cultural engagement and community mobilisation.

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