'Buy a Khadi item on Gandhi Jayanti and share it on social media': PM Modi’s ‘swadeshi’ push

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made yet another strong push for ‘Swadeshi’ as he urged people to buy one Khadi item on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti on October 2.

Addressing the 126th episode of 'Mann Ki Baat' on Sunday, Modi noted that though the charm of Khadi was fading away after independence, in the last 11 years, the country's attraction towards Khadi has increased significantly.

"I urge all of you to buy one Khadi product or the other on October 2. Say it with pride, these are Swadeshi. Share it on social media with the hashtag 'Vocal for Local'," he said.

"Just like Khadi, our handloom and handicraft sector is also witnessing significant changes," the prime minister said as he cited the example of Yaazh Naturals in Tamil Nadu.

"There, Ashok Jagdishan ji and Prem Selvaraj ji left their corporate jobs and took up a new initiative. They made yoga mats from grass and banana fibre, dyed clothes with herbal dyes, and provided employment to 200 families by training them," he said.

Modi also cited the example of Sweety Kumari, a resident of Madhubani district of Bihar, who started Sankalp Creations

.

"She has transformed Mithila painting into a means of livelihood for women. Today, over 500 rural women have joined her and are on the path to self-reliance. All these success stories teach us that our traditions hold innumerable sources of income. If our resolve is strong, success cannot elude us," Modi said.

Modi’s renewed push for ‘Swadeshi’ came two days after the Bharatiya Janata Party launched a three-month-long nationwide campaign to promote the use of swadeshi products.

Under the campaign, which has started on the birth anniversary of Deen Dayal Upadhyay and will end on the birth anniversary of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, BJP members will approach households to use swadeshi products and organise several programmes to promote the cause.