New Delhi| Sept, 23 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday called upon young participants of the ongoing Seva Yatra to make public service a defining principle of their conduct, asserting that the message of “seva” should be demonstrated through action rather than merely preached.
Interacting with the Seva Yatris through video conferencing, Modi said those in public life should ensure that their conduct reflects a commitment to service irrespective of the political power or position they may attain. “Service should be our primary duty, and while serving, we should convey the message of service. We should not preach about service; we should convey its message through our actions,” he said.
“Through our own conduct, people should see that no matter how powerful we become in politics, or how high a position we attain, our path will always remain the path of service,” the Prime Minister added. Invoking the principle of “Seva Parmo Dharma”, Modi said the path of service should not be abandoned regardless of the position or stature attained by an individual. He also linked the ongoing initiative to his broader journey from “Jan Seva” to “Desh Seva”, describing public service as a means of contributing to nation-building.
The Seva Yatra is part of the month-long Seva Sankalp Abhiyan being organised to mark 25 years of Modi’s public life. The twin motorcycle journeys, connecting his birthplace Vadnagar in Gujarat with his parliamentary constituency Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, began on September 17, his 76th birthday, and are scheduled to conclude on October 7. Ten groups of young Seva Yatris are undertaking the motorcycle expedition, travelling through towns, talukas and villages while engaging with local communities and participating in social welfare and community-oriented activities.
The participants told Modi about their experiences during the journey, including cleanliness drives and visits to schools, hospitals and nursing homes. They also spoke about their interactions with beneficiaries of central government schemes, including the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, and efforts to encourage citizens to join the NaMo App. Modi praised the participants for continuing their journey despite unpredictable weather and the demands of constant travel, saying their efforts were helping strengthen youth participation and social mobilisation at the grassroots.
The initiative seeks to take the idea of public service beyond ceremonial programmes by combining the motorcycle journey with direct community engagement. The participants are travelling as volunteers and carrying out activities intended to spread awareness about social welfare and encourage greater public participation. The Seva Sankalp Abhiyan was launched from Vadnagar on September 17 by union Home Minister Amit Shah and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. The Vadnagar-Varanasi motorcycle expedition is among the programmes being held as part of the commemoration of Modi’s 25 years in public life.
The two destinations also carry a personal significance for the Prime Minister. Vadnagar is his birthplace and is associated with his early life, while Varanasi has been his Lok Sabha constituency since 2014. The two-way journey consequently seeks to symbolically connect his early years with the constituency from which he has represented Parliament for more than a decade. During the interaction, Modi emphasised that the credibility of the message of service would depend on how it was reflected in the conduct of those undertaking it.
He urged the participants to demonstrate through their actions that public service remains central to their approach even as their political responsibilities and positions change. In a lighter moment, Modi referred to an old saying about the spiritual merit associated with undertaking a journey. He told the participants that when someone returns from a journey and is welcomed by others, the person offering the welcome is also believed to share in its merit. “I am also stealing half the merit of your journey,” he said while greeting the Seva Yatris.
The Seva Yatra will continue until October 7, with the participating teams combining their motorcycle expedition with cleanliness campaigns, community interactions and other service-oriented activities as they travel between Vadnagar and Varanasi.
