Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday released the 21st instalment of the PM-KISAN scheme — amounting to over ₹18,000 crore — during an event in Coimbatore, benefiting more than 9 crore farmers across the country. He also felicitated individuals promoting organic, natural and sustainable farming at the South India Natural Farming Summit.
‘Bihar Breeze Reaching TN’: PM Modi
Addressing the gathering, Modi remarked on the enthusiastic welcome from farmers waving their gamchas.
“When I came on the stage, I saw several farmers waving their ‘gamchha’ in the air. I felt as if Bihar’s breeze reached here even before I could,” he said, drawing applause from the audience.
PM Appreciates Tamil, Coimbatore’s Contribution To Textile
The Prime Minister also praised a speech delivered earlier at the summit, saying he wished he had learnt Tamil in childhood. “While listening to Pandian ji, I felt it would have been wonderful if someone had taught me Tamil so I could enjoy the speech even more. I did not have that fortune, but whatever I could understand, I deeply appreciated, especially about Jallikattu and the difficulties faced during the Covid period that he was discussing,” he said.
Modi also highlighted Coimbatore’s contribution to India’s economy through its robust textile sector, noting that with C.P. Radhakrishnan now serving as Vice President, the region’s contribution is set to grow further.
Natural Farming ‘Close to My Heart’
Calling natural farming a subject close to his heart, Modi lauded Tamil Nadu’s farmers for embracing innovation and resilience. He said interacting with farmers at the exhibition had been eye-opening: “Someone left NASA to take up farming, someone pursued Mechanical Engineering and a PhD before turning to farming. Had I not come here today, I would have missed a lot in my life. I salute the courage of Tamil Nadu’s farmers and their strength to accept change.”
