MahaKumbh's message is unity, banishment of hate from society: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday described the upcoming 'Maha Kumbh' as the "mahakumbh of unity" as he asked people to return from the grand religious congregation with the resolve to banish hate and division from the society. Speaking in his monthly Mann ki Baat broadcast, Modi said, "Mahakumbh ka sandesh ek ho pura desh (Message from the Maha Kumbh should be that the entire country must be united)." Noting the variety of people who visit the congregation, which will be held in Prayagraj from January 13, he said there is no other example of such a scene of unity in diversity. Modi urged people to embrace the spirit of unity while participating in the Maha Kumbh. He also called upon them to pledge to annihilate the feelings of division and hatred in the society.
He said that Constitution is the guiding light of the nation and stated that it is a matter of great honour that the Indian Constitution is completing 75 years on 26th January next year. Modi said the Constitution has stood the test of time in every sense of the term. Modi highlighted two big achievements of India in the field of health. He said the first achievement has been in the fight against malaria. Prime Minister expressed satisfaction that the World Health Organization report mentions that there has been an 80 percent reduction in India in the number of malaria cases and deaths due to it between 2015 & 2023. He said that this is no mean achievement. He termed it heartening that this success has been achieved through everyone’s participation. Mr Modi mentioned that in the tea gardens of Jorhat in Assam, malaria used to be a major cause of concern for people until four years ago. But when the tea garden dwellers united to eradicate it, they started getting success to a great extent. Prime Minister also praised Kurukshetra district of Haryana for presenting a very good model for controlling malaria. In Kurukshetra, public participation for monitoring Malaria has been quite successful and street plays and radio helped in spreading awareness towards reducing the breeding of mosquitoes.
The Prime Minister also shared a study of the world-renowned Medical Journal Lancet, which found that the chances of starting cancer treatment on time in India have increased a lot. He elaborated that timely treatment means starting the treatment of a cancer patient within 30 days and the ‘Ayushman Bharat Yojana’ has played a big role in this. Because of this scheme, 90 percent of cancer patients have been able to start their treatment on time. 
Modi shared that a unique Olympic has started in Bastar called Bastar Olympics.  He expressed happiness that this is taking place in the region which was once a witness to Maoist violence. The mascot of the Bastar Olympics is – ‘Wild Water Buffalo’ and ‘Hill Myna’. Prime Minister said this reflects the rich culture of Bastar. In the first edition of Bastar Olympics, one lakh 65 thousand players from 7 districts participated. Modi said that the youth of Bastar displayed their talent in every sport, be it Athletics, Archery, Badminton, Football, Hockey, Weightlifting, Karate, Kabaddi, Kho-Kho and Volleyball. Kari Kashyap, who won a silver medal in archery, shared that Bastar Olympics has given them an opportunity to move ahead in life. Payal Kawasi from Sukma, won a gold medal in Javelin Throw. Prime Minister Modi said that 2025 is knocking at the door, and extended best wishes to everyone. He exuded pride that India will touch new heights in the coming year.