New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking on the second day of the Gyan Bharatam International Conference at Delhi’s Vigyan Bhawan on Friday, said that there are many animal lovers in the country who do not consider the cow to be an animal.
A clip of PM Modi saying, “Main pichhle dino kuch animal lovers se mila tha,” which roughly translates to “A few days ago, I met some animal lovers,” has been widely shared.
His remark drew some laughter from the audience. Responding with a smile, the Prime Minister said, “Kyun? Aapko hansi aa gayi?” which translates to, “Why? That made you laugh?”
“Hamare desh mein aise bahut log hain, aur visheshta yeh hai ki yeh gaay ko animal nahi maante,” which roughly translates to, “There are many such people in our country and what is unique is that they do not consider the cow to be an animal.”
Minister of Culture, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, was seen chuckling at the remarks, as the audience broke into applause. The video has gone viral on social media.
Besides, PM Modi launched the ‘Gyan Bharatam Portal’ on Friday, a dedicated digital platform for manuscript digitisation, preservation, and public access. He also visited an exhibition organised by the Union Ministry of Culture.
The initiative will include research, translation, and publication of rare manuscripts, capacity building for scholars and conservators, and collaborative programmes to involve the public.
The Gyan Bharatam initiative has been developed as a national platform to identify, document, conserve, and digitise manuscripts across the country. It's objective is to create a National Digital Repository and enhance public access through AI-driven tools and digital platforms.
It will also focus on international partnerships and integration of manuscript knowledge into education, aligning with PM Modi's vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047, according to Doordarshan.
