File picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a 'Mann ki Baat' radio address.
In his monthly radio address Mann ki Baat today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke at length of Saturday's devastating quake, which claimed over 2,400 lives in neighbouring Nepal and more than 60 lives in India.
"I did not feel like conducting the Mann ki Baat today. I felt anguished... it appears as if a series of national disasters have started," the Prime Minister said at the outset.
Last week, a cyclonic storm in Bihar killed over 50 people and in March and April, unseasonal rains have destroyed crops worth crores in India.
"India is with Nepal in this hour of crisis. Nepal's pain is India's pain," he said. "The first thing is to beef up rescue operation. Relief and rehabilitation operations will continue."
India has dispatched military aircraft and personnel to help in rescue and relief efforts. The Prime Minister himself is monitoring the operations.
"I had seen the 2001 quake in Gujarat's Kutch from close quarters... I know how devastating earthquakes can be," he said. "I can imagine what the people of Nepal must be going through."
The world will feel that India's motto is service, the PM said, mentioning in this context India's recent rescue operations in Yemen.
The half-hour address was cut down to 15 minutes, with the Prime Minister dispensing with the question-answer session, in which he addresses queries from the people.
This was the seventh time PM Modi was addressing the nation on radio.
On March 22, he had addressed farmers' concerns in light of crop losses due to unseasonal rain and protests against the government's land bill.
Earlier, the Prime Minister had addressed students ahead of the exam season, the youth regarding drug abuse, India's successful Mars Orbiter Mission, the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and other government programmes and initiatives.
On January 27, PM Modi held a joint-address with US President Barack Obama, who was visiting India at the time as the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations.