Need to strengthen culture of healthy debates and open discussion: PM

Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said we need to strengthen the culture of healthy debates and open discussion that has been a hallmark of India. Speaking at an event to mark the 200th anniversary of the Gujarati daily Mumbai Samachar here, Modi said that over the last thousands of years, Indians have spoken openly about the most difficult of the topics, and made correct logic an integral part of society.

Debates and discussion have helped the country over the years and we need to strengthen this culture, he said at the event held at the Bandra Kurla Complex ground here. He also said that every institution has a particular role to play for the betterment of society, be it the media or legislature.

In a democracy, a people's representative, a political party, parliament or the judiciary - everybody has a role to play. One should do one's work, be it politics, media or any other field, the prime minister said.

Indian media has both criticised the policies and also stood up for national interest in a constructive manner, he said, expressing hope that the media will continue to play its role in the next 25 years which his government has called the Azadi Ka Amrut Kaal (golden era of Independence).

He appreciated the media's role in taking flagship programmes of his government like the Swachh Bharat mission or digital payments to the masses, and added that India now accounts for 40 per cent of the overall digital payments landscape of the world. The prime minister was particularly appreciative of the constructive role played by the media during the coronavirus pandemic, terming media persons as karmayogis who worked with national interest in mind.

It was the media's constructive role during the pandemic that helped India deal with the calamity, he added.

The PM was also all praise for the Mumbai Samachar, saying the daily has reported on Mahatma Gandhi, Swami Vivekananda as well as the ups and downs in Indian economy.

Prime minister Modi on this occasion also released a special postal stamp commemorating the 200 years of the

newspaper.