PM Modi urges self-reliant India, addresses Seva Sankalp Abhiyan Yatris
Synopsis
PM Modi used a video conference with Seva Yatra participants to push the self-reliance message at the grassroots. The Abhiyan — marking 25 years of his public life — sends young motorcyclists from Varanasi to Vadnagar through hundreds of villages, combining community service with the kind of direct people-connect that the BJP has made a signature political tool.
Key Takeaways
PM Narendra Modi addressed Seva Sankalp Abhiyan participants via video conferencing on 25 September 2026 .
The Seva Yatra runs between Varanasi and Vadnagar and is scheduled to conclude on 7 October 2026 .
The Abhiyan was launched on 17 September 2026 to mark 25 years of Modi's public life .
On-ground activities include cleanliness drives, Gram Sabha Samvad, Gau Seva, youth dialogues and tree plantation under 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' .
Modi called on Yatris to live by the mantra of 'service to the people is service to the nation' and to learn from India's grassroots diversity.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 25 September 2026 addressed participants of the Seva Yatra — a multi-state motorcycle journey under the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan — via video conferencing, calling on them to build a self-reliant India and dedicate themselves to the spirit of national service. The Yatra, running from Varanasi to Vadnagar, is part of a wider programme marking 25 years of Modi's public life.
What Modi Said
'We have to make a self-reliant India. Challenges will come. But we carry the values and mindset to challenge those challenges directly,' the Prime Minister said. He urged the Seva Yatris to make 'service to the people is service to the nation' their guiding mantra, stressing that public welfare must remain central to national development.
Modi also spoke about the learning that travel through diverse communities can offer. 'The more people's lives we connect with, the more we go among the people and learn from them — traditions, customs, new thoughts, new topics, new experiences, new sayings — even new food and new attire, what isn't there to learn?' he said. He described India's diversity as a 'grand treasure' and encouraged participants to bring more people into the fold of service.
About the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan
The Seva Sankalp Abhiyan was launched on 17 September 2026, coinciding with Modi's birthday, to commemorate a quarter-century of his public life. The two-way motorcycle Yatra links Varanasi — the Prime Minister's parliamentary constituency — with Vadnagar in Gujarat, his birthplace, traversing multiple states, districts, talukas and villages along the route.
The programme is designed around grassroots community engagement, with young participants at its core. The journey is scheduled to conclude on 7 October 2026.
On-Ground Activities
At every stop, the Seva Yatris are participating in a range of community service activities. These include cleanliness drives at ponds, temples, schools, parks, hospitals and other public spaces, as well as beneficiary interactions, youth dialogues, Gram Sabha Samvad and Gau Seva.
Participants are also undertaking tree plantation under the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' initiative and engaging with local residents to understand their experiences and local needs. The combination of social welfare, cultural engagement and community mobilisation is central to the Abhiyan's stated objectives.
Significance and Broader Context
The Seva Sankalp Abhiyan represents a structured exercise in cadre outreach and public engagement ahead of a politically significant period. Notably, the route connecting Varanasi and Vadnagar carries symbolic weight — linking Modi's electoral base in Uttar Pradesh to his roots in Gujarat. This comes amid a broader Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emphasis on party-level service programmes as a grassroots mobilisation tool. With the Yatra traversing hundreds of villages across states, it functions simultaneously as a public service initiative and a large-scale community connect exercise. All activities are expected to wrap up by 7 October 2026.
Point of View
Ahead of a politically active season, is unlikely to be coincidental. What mainstream coverage underplays is the scale of youth mobilisation embedded in the Yatra format: young motorcyclists engaging Gram Sabhas and school communities are, in effect, an on-the-ground messaging force. Whether the community service outcomes outlast the Yatra itself is the question that will separate a genuine welfare initiative from an elaborate optics exercise.
NationPress
25 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan?
The Seva Sankalp Abhiyan is a grassroots public service programme launched on 17 September 2026 to mark 25 years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's public life. It involves a two-way motorcycle Seva Yatra between Varanasi and Vadnagar, passing through multiple states, districts and villages, with participants conducting community service activities along the route.
What did PM Modi say to the Seva Yatris on 25 September?
PM Modi urged participants to work towards a self-reliant India and to embrace 'service to the people is service to the nation' as their guiding mantra. He also encouraged them to learn from India's cultural diversity encountered during their journey.
When does the Seva Yatra end?
The Seva Yatra is scheduled to conclude on 7 October 2026. It began on 17 September 2026 and covers towns, districts, talukas and villages between Varanasi and Vadnagar.
What activities are the Seva Yatris carrying out?
Participants are engaged in cleanliness drives at public spaces including ponds, temples, schools and hospitals; beneficiary interactions; youth dialogues; Gram Sabha Samvad; Gau Seva; and tree plantation under the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' initiative.
Why is the Varanasi-to-Vadnagar route significant?
The route connects Varanasi — PM Modi's parliamentary constituency in Uttar Pradesh — with Vadnagar in Gujarat, his birthplace. The journey carries symbolic weight, linking his political identity with his personal roots while traversing communities across multiple states.
