Recently the prime of India expressed his ideas and opinions in Mann ki baat. The times are tough and it is even tougher for the elders of the family who are more vulnerable to the virus, therefore in the latest episode of Mann Ki Baat, he urged the younger generation to talk to their grandparents listen to them, an empathetic ear can help the elders to cope with the coronavirus pandemic.

 Let’s make the past now

He talked about how nostalgic he felt by thinking about the traditional games that he used to play. Games like “Pallanguli” fromTamil Nadu,which is called “Ali Guli Mane” in Karnataka and is known as “VamanGuntlu” in Andhra Pradesh, the game involves a board  with many pits and requires players to employ a strategy in order  to catch hold of the pellet or seed. It originated from southeast asia and was played all around the country.

He urged the grandparents to tell about these games to their grandchildren because these games are like a legacy which should be passed on to the next generation. The pandemic has given us the opportunity to experience these indoor traditional games with our loved ones, playing these games would not only bring the family together but it will also destress us in these hard times.

He believes that a new and improved version of these traditional games would have manifolds of benefits, not only would it bring the two generations closer but it will also distract the children from playing online games and will also lead in improvement of startups. The new and attractive version of these traditional games can help in promotion of local games along with local companies which would benefit both the adults and the kids.

A special request for a special conversation

Prime minister modi also made a special request to the young generation of the country, he urged them to talk to their grandparents and ask them about their life. Many elders feel left out and lose the connection with their grandchildren as they grow older.  The generation gap too leads to distance between them, therefore the young members of the family should make an effort to make their grandparents feel relaxed and happy in these trying times. They should ask them about the movies they’d watch, the games they’d play and the music they’d listen to. Talking about the times when the elders were the young generation can help them cope with the coronavirus pandemic and close the generation gap.

This could be a great learning opportunity for the young ones of the family.

All these activities can become a lasting memory and as Haruki Murakami has rightly said,  people’s memories are maybe the fuel they burn to stay alive and no one knows this better than the older generation.

Fighting water scarcity one pond at a time

He also talked about an 80 year old  Kamegowda from karnataka who has built 16 ponds in his village to overcome water scarcity. The impact of these ponds is bigger than their actual size. Building a pond single handedly in this age only proves that the elders of this country are way more stronger than they look and they deserve our respect.

Written by Srishti Sinha

Edited by Shiksha Dev