NEW DELHI: Close on the heels of his two-day tour of the North-East last week, PM Narendra Modi appears to be preparing for another tour of the region. He is likely to visit Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh later this month, his back-to-back trips, which hardly featured on the travel plans of his predecessors, being another instance that demonstrates his relentless travel zeal, which he has shown since his days as an RSS pracharak, has not dimmed with age or changes in role.These excursions have provided opportunities for him to disseminate his messages, expedite the implementation of schemes, and gather feedback.On Wednesday, he will mark his 75th birthday in MP, launching welfare schemes, in keeping with his plank of inclusive development.Modi’s journeys have been an integral part of his politics. In 1990, he helped organise the Somnath-Ayodhya Rath Yatra, igniting pride amongst Hindus that laid the foundations for BJP to emerge at the national level.The Ekta Yatra (1991-92), which he led along with former BJP chief MM Joshi, and which culminated in hoisting the national flag at Srinagar’s Lal Chowk, symbolised defiance of terrorism.As Gujarat CM, Modi’s Gujarat Gaurav Yatra (2002) restored hope after a devastating earthquake, while the Swarnim Gujarat Yatra (2010) celebrated the state’s progress. “Each journey was a bridge to the people, rooted in their aspirations,” said BJP national media head Anil Baluni. “From his days as an RSS pracharak to his role as India’s PM, Modi’s travels have always been about more than speeches. They are about meeting people where they are, listening to their dreams, and turning their stories into national pride,” the BJP functionary said.The effort has been supplemented by his monthly radio address, ‘Mann Ki Baat’, an innovation that he has skillfully used to weave individual feats into his larger message of Viksit Bharat.Whether celebrating a tribal woman reviving Santhali handlooms in Odisha or cheering at Pulwama’s first night cricket match, the PM has been actively involved in celebrating such achievements.The Covid pandemic saw him utilise addresses and app-based outreach to transform a public health crisis into a mass movement, fostering unity.His words during security crises, like “ghar mein ghus ke marenge”, have been the vehicles of signaling collective resolve and rally spirits during crises. He stood in solidarity with K Sivan and other Isro scientists when the Chandrayaan-2 mission failed, and has been playing the understanding patriarch-cum-counsellor to anxiety-filled students during his ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’. Go to Source
