PM with a podcast: India’s Modi celebrates ‘unsung heroes’ in Mann Ki Baat’s 100th episode
- Modi is not a fan of media interviews or meeting voters face to face, preferring to connect with citizens on his monthly, 30-minute podcast
- On the show, he discusses matters of interest to citizens, expresses his ideals, and even dispenses avuncular advice to Indians across ages, social classes
On Mann Ki Baat (loosely translated as “Inner Thoughts”), a monthly radio broadcast that’s also available on YouTube, he discusses matters of interest to citizens, expresses his ideals, and even dispenses avuncular advice.
No issue is too small on the show, which will mark its 100th episode on Sunday. To a farmer, Modi may urge the growing of millets, a superfood that is easy to grow, requires little water, and is poised to be in demand globally.
To a young girl who has written in to express dismay at neighbours polluting a local river with rubbish, Modi may praise her civic-mindedness. “This is exactly what I want – that 1.3 billion countrymen should be angered by filth. Once there is anger … we will be compelled to act against this scourge,” he said.
To students fretting about exams, he may suggest diverting their minds to help them relax. “Exams are not everything. You, young Indians, should take up hobbies and travel to widen your horizons. Do something outside the box,” he told one student.
Apart from the day-to-day worries of Indians, Modi sometimes also highlights the achievements of a particular person – an activist, a soldier, a women’s group, or anti-pollution campaigner – and commends their work.
I listen every month because I feel as though the prime minister is talking to me directly about the country, our problems, and where we are headed
For nine years, the show has followed the same format. Ordinary Indians send in questions or suggestions. Out of the thousands received, some are selected. Then, on the national radio network All India Radio, Modi spends half an hour responding.
