Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that the rule of Lord Ram was a source of inspiration for the makers of the Indian Constitution.

The consecration ceremony of Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22 has brought crores of people of the country together, Modi said in the 109th episode of his monthly programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’ broadcast on All India Radio (AIR).

“In part three of the original copy of this very Constitution, the fundamental rights of the citizens of India have been described and it is noteworthy that at the beginning of Part three, the makers of our Constitution had allotted due space to the pictures of Bhagwan Ram, Mata Sita and Lakshman ji,” the prime minister said.

“The rule of Prabhu Ram was also a source of inspiration for the makers of our Constitution and that is why on January 22 in Ayodhya, I had talked about ‘Dev se Desh’… I’d referred to ‘Ram se Rashtra’,” he added.

The prime minister further said, “The occasion of Pran Pratishtha in Ayodhya seems to have bound together crores of people of the country with a common thread. There is unanimity in everyone’s feelings; everyone’s devotion is in unison… Ram is in everyone’s words, Ram is in everyone’s heart.”

Modi recounted how many people of the country sang Ram Bhajans dedicating themselves to Lord Ram during the period. On the evening of January 22, the entire country lit ‘Ram Jyoti’ and celebrated Diwali, the prime minister said.

“During this time, the country saw the power of togetherness, which is also a major basis for our resolves of a developed India,” he said.

In his address, Modi also talked about the Padma awards announced recently. “I am very happy that the system of Padma awards has completely changed in the last decade. Now, it has become the People’s Padma. There have been many changes in the system of conferring the Padma awards. People even have a chance to nominate themselves now. This is the reason why this time 28 times more nominations have been received compared to 2014. This shows that the prestige of The Padma Award, its credibility and respect for it is rising every year. I once again extend my best wishes to all those receiving the Padma Awards,” the prime minister said.

He said the contribution of each one of the Padma Awardees is an inspiration for the countrymen. “This time, a large number of people receiving the honours are those who are bringing glory to the country in the world of classical dance, classical music, folk dance, theater, and bhajans. This honour has also been conferred upon those who have done excellent work in Prakrit, Malvi and Lambadi languages. Many people from abroad have also been honored with the Padma Award, whose work is lending new heights to Indian culture and heritage. These also include citizens of France, Taiwan, Mexico and Bangladesh,” the prime minister said.

In the broadcast, Modi also talked about organ donation. “We have seen that some people perform their duties through social service, some by joining the army, some by teaching the next generation, but friends, there are some among us who even after the end of life, fulfill their responsibilities towards society and life and their medium for that is organ donation,” the prime minister observed.

He said in recent years, there have been more than a thousand people in the country who donated their organs after their death. “This decision is not easy, but this decision is a saver of multiple lives. I would also appreciate those families who respected the last wishes of their near and dear ones,” Modi said.

“Today, many organisations in the country are also making very inspiring efforts in this direction. Some organizations are making people aware of organ donation, some organisations are helping to register the people willing to donate organs. Due to such efforts, a positive environment is being created in the country towards organ donation and people’s lives are also being saved,” the prime minister said.