A country is not made of land; a country is made of its people.

Addressing the nation at the start of the nationwide Covid-19 vaccination drive, Prime Minister Narendra Modi quoted from Desamunu Preminchumanna, the famous Telugu playwright Gurujada Appa Rao’s extremely popular poem, to drive home the message of the importance of putting the interests of others ahead of one’s own. 

Modi put paid to even the remotest of hopes that many political leaders harboured of breaking the queue, by declaring that the first priority was and would be vaccinating healthcare workers who were the frontline defence against Covid-19.

“Swantha laabhamu kontha manuko, poruguvaaniki thodupadavoi, 

desamantay matti kadoi, desamantay manushuloi.” 

“...hum doosron kay kaam aayen, yeh niswardh bhaav hamaaray bheetar rahna chahiyay.”

Other practical suggestions in the poem -

"Jaldukoni Kalalella Nercchuku Desisarukula Nimpavoyi"

Learn skills and fill the Nation with indigenous goods

"Annidesaal Krammavalenoyi Desisarukulu Nimpavalenoyi"

"Dabbutelenatti Narulaku Keerthi Sampadalabbavoyi"

Fill all the nations of the world,

With the finished goods of our Country,

Prosperity will not dawn on those who cannot make money.

The poem Desamunu Preminchumanna is from Mutyala Saralu (Telugu: ముత్యాల సరాలు), compilation of Telugu poems written by Gurazada Apparao in 1910. He wrote the play Kanyasulkam in 1892, which is often considered the greatest play in the Telugu language.