Mann ki Baat: PM Modi stressed on lifestyle disorders, particularly Dibetes, in his radio address
In his monthly radio address that focussed on lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in
Mann ki Baat underlined the importance of making "small regular changes" to transform habits and encourage children to play in open grounds.
PM Modi also spoke about the unbreakable bond that his monthly radio address had developed with people.
"
Mann ki Baat has been applauded; it has also attracted criticism," he said, about the radio programme that completed three years in September.
"But whenever I look at the overall outcome of
'Mann Ki Baat', it reinforces my belief, that it has developed a 100 per cent unbreakable bond with the people," PM Modi continued.
By way of example of the impact that the programme has had, PM Modi said his advocacy of the use of handloom and Khadi had led to a spike in sales of Khadi products.
One Khadi store in Delhi had made a record sale of Rs 1.2 crores on Dhanteras this year. Elsewhere, Khadi gift coupon sales had shot up by 680 per cent and total sales of Khadi and Handicrafts have gone up by nearly 90 per cent over the last year.
The opposition Congress has been a lead critic of the programme, accusing
PM Modi of only speaking his mind and not listening to people.
Campaigning in Gujarat earlier this month, for instance, Rahul Gandhi took a jibe at PM Modi's programme, telling a rally that the Congress, "will not talk about our
Mann ki Baat, we will listen to your
Mann ki Baat".
In today's programme, PM Modi responded to an audio message from a doctor that spoke about diabetes.
PM Modi shared the concern, saying diseases such as lifestyle were once considered to be age-related diseases.
"It is indeed surprising today, when we hear that children are suffering from diabetes.
"One of the main reasons for being afflicted with such diseases at a young age is the lack of physical activity in our lifestyle and the changes in our eating habits," he said, asking parents to send children out to play in open grounds and even accompany them.
Children should be made to take the stairs instead of taking the lift, he said, advising people to go for a walk with the children after dinner.
He also asked children to practise Yoga 30 minutes before school.