Bhubaneswar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday drew the attention of the country towards the environmental awareness campaign against forest fires undertaken by ‘Radhakrishna Sankirtan Mandali’, a group of devotional singers from Keonjhar district, who are spreading the message of conservation through traditional songs and music.

The Prime Minister highlighted the group’s unique initiative during his address on the 124th episode of the monthly ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme. “The most beautiful glimpse of India’s diversity is found in our folk songs and traditions, and our bhajans and kirtans are a part of this. But have you ever heard that people are made aware of forest fires through kirtans? You may not believe it, but amazing work is happening in Keonjhar district of Odisha. Here, there is a group named Radhakrishna Sankirtan Mandali,” said Modi.

The Prime Minister also praised the leader Pramila Pradhan, who spearheaded the unique and novel effort against forest fire in her locality. “Along with devotion, today, this group is also chanting the mantra of environmental protection. The inspiration behind this initiative is Pramila Pradhan ji. To protect the forest and the environment, she has added new lyrics and new messages to traditional songs. Her troupe went from village to village. Through songs, people were made to understand how much damage forest fires cause,” he added.

The example of Pramila and her troupe of devotional singers, the ‘Radhakrishna Sankirtan Mandali’, reminds one that folk traditions are not relics of the past, but they still have the power to give direction to society.

During his ‘Mann ki Baat’ address, Modi also mentioned the ‘National Handloom Day’ observed on August 7 every year to commemorate Swadeshi Movement, which began on August 7, 1905. He said this year, August 7 marks the completion of 10 years of ‘National Handloom Day’.

While highlighting numerous efforts by people across the country to revive traditional handlooms and the revolution in the textile sector that took place during the last 10 years, Modi praised the efforts by tribal women in Mayurbhanj district to revive the traditional Santhali saree.

“There is a similar success story in Mayurbhanj. Here, more than 650 tribal women have revived the Santhali saree. Now these women are earning thousands of rupees every month. They are not just making cloth, but also carving their own identity. The achievement of Naveen Kumar from Nalanda, Bihar, is also inspiring. His family has been associated with this work for generations,” added Modi.