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While addressing a gathering of farmers and textile workers, he said that he was greeted by farmers who were waving their gamchas, which reminded him of celebrations in Bihar.
PM Modi addressing a gathering in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the sight of farmers waving their gamcha (towel) made him feel as though “Bihar winds had arrived in Tamil Nadu before me.”
While addressing a gathering of farmers and textile workers, he said that he was greeted by farmers who were waving their gamchas, which reminded him of celebrations in Bihar.
“When I came on the stage here, I saw several farmers waving their ‘gamchha’ in the air. I felt as if Bihar’s breeze reached here even before I could,” he said.
#WATCH | Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu: Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, “When I came on the stage here, I saw several farmers waving their ‘gamchha’ in the air. I felt as if Bihar’s breeze reached here even before I could.”(Video: ANI/DD News) pic.twitter.com/H3Yi2yN3Ei
— ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2025
The Prime Minister’s remark assumes significance as Tamil Nadu will go to assembly polls next year. The BJP, which is in alliance with the AIADMK, is trying to make inroads in the southern state. The BJP failed to win a single Lok Sabha seat in Tamil Nadu in 2024.
He said that had he known Tamil, he would have had the honour of fully understanding the earlier speeches at the summit.
Highlighting the region’s economic strength, PM Modi said Coimbatore’s textile sector had long been a major contributor to the country’s economy. He added that with CP Radhakrishnan, who hails from the region, now serving as Vice President of India, Coimbatore’s contribution to the nation was “only increasing.”
Calling natural farming a subject “very close to my heart,” the Prime Minister asserted that India was on the path to becoming a global hub for organic and natural agriculture. At the summit, he felicitated individuals promoting organic, natural and sustainable farming practices.
“I was watching the exhibition. I received the opportunity to speak to several farmers,” he said. “Someone had pursued Mechanical Engineering, a PhD and was then doing farming; someone left NASA to return to agriculture. They are preparing and training several youth. I accept this publicly—had I not come here, I would have missed a lot in my life.”
PM Modi added that the visit had been a learning experience, noting, “I salute the courage of farmers of Tamil Nadu, I salute their strength to accept change.”
He further highlighted India’s accelerating shift towards natural farming, saying it is emerging as a “modern, scalable opportunity” for the nation’s youth. “In the coming years, I can see major changes in Indian farming. India is on its way to becoming a global hub of natural farming,” he said. “This will boost the rural economy.”
He also emphasised that natural farming is a Swadeshi, native and traditional idea, with practices like Panchakavya and Jeevamrutam now being widely adopted by South Indian farmers.
Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben…Read More
Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben… Read More
Coimbatore, India, India
November 19, 2025, 15:54 IST
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