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Character, Community and Country: CM Blogs on National Sports Day

Published By : Admin | August 29, 2013 | 13:19 IST

Character, Community and Country: The Essence of Sports

 

Dear Friends,

Greetings to my fellow countrymen on National Sports Day! On this day we remember the legendary sportsman Major Dhyan Chand, who mesmerized the world with the magic of his hockey stick and made India a force to reckon with in hockey. I also congratulate all the sportspersons and coaches who would be honoured with the various sports awards this year!

I am sure every one of us has a lot of memories attached with sports. We still remember the first time we held a cricket bat. As youngsters, how we wished that the frequency of the games period were exchanged with long classes on grammar, algebra or history! Did you not rejoice when India won a world cup or a medal?

In my view, the three Cs that wonderfully blend with sports are- Character, Community and Country.

All round character building is incomplete if sports are not a part of our lives. With reference to sports I feel, “जो खेले वो खिले!” (The person who plays, shines). Without sports, there cannot be any sportsmanship! Every sport has something or the other to offer. It is a unique opportunity both to sharpen our skills and for our personality development. No wonder Swami Vivekananda once said, “You will be nearer to heaven through football than through the study of the Gita.”

We all live in a community and there are only few better ways to strengthen community bonding than sports. It is a great leveler and a unifier- when we play in a team we are not concerned with the caste, creed or community of our teammates. Neither does their economic status bother us. What matters is the victory of our team. I have seen so many lifelong friendships that have originated from the games field.

We are blessed to see such kind of a wonderful atmosphere of oneness and social harmony during our Khel Mahakumbh.  Cutting across all age groups and districts of Gujarat, the athletes compete in various sporting events. Khel Mahakumbh 2012-2013 witnessed a record participation of lakhs of athletes. For this year’s Khel Mahakumbh we are starting a new Under-12 category that will enable us to tap young talent. The Government will also bear the various expenses of the talented youngsters, which will help them pursue their sporting dream in the years to come.

A few years ago, we integrated specially abled athletes to participate in Khel Mahakumbh. The genesis of this happened when a group of young specially abled athletes who had won in a tournament in China came to meet me. I spent two hours with them, spoke to them…this touched my heart. We decided to further our resolve to provide maximum opportunity to them so that they can shine on the field and that is when we decided to integrate them in Khel Mahakumbh. Thousands of specially abled athletes left Khel Mahakumbh 2012-13 spellbound with their stellar performance.

Winning a medal or a cup is a great gift to give to our country. Invariably, success on the games field becomes linked with national pride. Sports also blends with culture when a nation hosts an important sporting tournament like the Olympics or a World Cup that enables it to showcase its history to the entire world. Not to mention the boost to the economy and tourism due to such events.

Thus, it is very important to inculcate a spirit of sports and sportsmanship especially among our youth. Apart from the Khel Mahakumbhs I talked about, Gujarat has set up a Sports University, a unique initiative to harness sporting talent from all across the country. Furthermore, every district will have a sports school to give an impetus to sports. By integrating sports with education, a lot can be achieved. As a part of 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Swami Vivekananda, Vivekananda Yuva Kendras were set up in every corner of Gujarat with an aim to promote sports. Among the other initiatives under its auspices, sports kits were distributed to the youngsters.

Yet, despite all these efforts there is a lot we have to do. I notice that due to academic pressures, the attendance on games field in decreasing. And if children are not studying, they are playing games on their computers. This is a very big shortcoming on our part. As citizens, let us create the right atmosphere and provide the right opportunity so that every child goes out to play for some time. Is it not better to hit a six or score a goal in a park nearby rather than on the computer screen? Another good idea is to devote some time where the entire family comes together and plays a game together.

I am aware that there are several sports players who are extremely talented but they miss the bus due to financial and logistical constraints. As a Government, we are trying but I also seek your help in this. What if corporates can come together set up a corpus so that budding sportspersons can get constant world class training opportunities along with other facilities, with an aim that India emerges with many medals in the future Olympics and other sporting tournaments? This can be a part of their CSR. Likewise, our NRI friends who never shy away from helping their Motherland can contribute in the same way or even by sponsoring tournaments and helping create sporting infrastructure in their villages.

Together, let us pledge to give our youngsters a happy and play-ful childhood that prepares the foundation of a glorious future devoted to the service of our nation.

 

 

 

Narendra Modi

 

Watch : Shri Narendra Modi speaks during the opening ceremony of Khel Mahakumbh 2011 in Vadodara

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India and natural farming…the way ahead!
December 03, 2025

In August this year, a group of farmers from Tamil Nadu met me and talked about how they were practising new agricultural techniques to boost sustainability and productivity. They invited me to a Summit on natural farming to be held in Coimbatore. I accepted their invite and promised them that I would be among them during the programme. Thus, a few weeks ago, on 19th November, I was in the lovely city of Coimbatore, attending the South India Natural Farming Summit 2025. A city known as an MSME backbone was hosting a big event on natural farming.

Natural farming, as we all know, draws from India’s traditional knowledge systems and modern ecological principles to cultivate crops without synthetic chemicals. It promotes diversified fields where plants, trees and livestock coexist to support natural biodiversity. The approach relies on recycling farm residues and enhancing soil health through mulching and aeration, rather than external inputs.

This Summit in Coimbatore will forever remain a part of my memory! It indicated a shift in mindset, imagination and confidence with which India’s farmers and agri-entrepreneurs are shaping the future of agriculture.

The programme included an interaction with farmers from Tamil Nadu, in which they showcased their efforts in natural farming and I was amazed!

I was struck by the fact that people from diverse backgrounds, including scientists, FPO leaders, first-generation graduates, traditional cultivators and notably people who had left high-paying corporate careers, decided to return to their roots and pursue natural farming.

I met people whose life journeys and commitment to doing something new were noteworthy.

There was a farmer who managed nearly 10 acres of multi-layered agriculture with bananas, coconuts, papaya, pepper and turmeric. He maintains 60 desi cows, 400 goats and local poultry.

Another farmer has dedicated himself to preserving native rice varieties like Mapillai Samba and Karuppu Kavuni. He focuses on value-added products, creating health mixes, puffed rice, chocolates and protein bars.

There was a first-generation graduate who runs a 15-acre natural farm and has trained over 3,000 farmers, supplying nearly 30 tonnes of vegetables every month.

Some people who were running their own FPOs supported tapioca farmers and promoted tapioca-based products as a sustainable raw material for bioethanol and Compressed Biogas.

One of the agri-innovators was a biotechnology professional who built a seaweed-based biofertilizer enterprise employing 600 fishermen across coastal districts; another developed nutrient-enriched bioactive biochar that boosts soil health. They both showed how science and sustainability can blend seamlessly.

The people I met there belonged to different backgrounds, but there was one thing in common: a complete commitment to soil health, sustainability, community upliftment and a deep sense of enterprise.

At a larger level, India has made commendable progress in the field. Last year, the Government of India launched the National Mission on Natural Farming, which has already connected lakhs of farmers with sustainable practices. Across the nation, thousands of hectares are under natural farming. Efforts by the Government such as encouraging exports, institutional credit being expanded significantly through the Kisan Credit Card (including for livestock and fisheries) and PM-Kisan, have also helped farmers pursuing natural farming.

Natural farming is also closely linked to our efforts to promote Shri Anna or millets. What is also gladdening is the fact that women farmers are taking to natural farming in a big way.

Over the past few decades, the rising dependence on chemical fertilisers and pesticides has affected soil fertility, moisture and long-term sustainability. At the same time, farming costs have steadily increased. Natural farming directly addresses these challenges. The use of Panchagavya, Jeevamrit, Beejamrit, and mulching protects soil health, reduces chemical exposure, and lowers input costs while building strength against climate change and erratic weather patterns.

I encouraged farmers to begin with ‘one acre, one season.’ The outcomes from even a small plot can build confidence and inspire larger adoption. When traditional wisdom, scientific validation and institutional support come together, natural farming can become feasible and transformative.

I call upon all of you to think of pursuing natural farming. You can do this by being associated with FPOs, which are becoming strong platforms for collective empowerment. You can explore a StartUp relating to this area.

Seeing the convergence between farmers, science, entrepreneurship and collective action in Coimbatore was truly inspiring. And, I am sure we will together continue making our agriculture and allied sectors productive and sustainable. If you know of teams working on natural farming, do let me know too!