Surat (Gujarat) [India], August 31 (ANI): Jitendra Singh Rathore, a security guard from Bharatpur, Rajasthan, has spent the last 26 years compiling records of soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty -- an effort that won him special mention from Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Mann Ki Baat address on Sunday.

PM Modi, in his 125th episode of 'Mann Ki Baat' on Sunday, lauded the efforts of Jitendra Singh Rathore.

Rathore has meticulously documented the names and details of thousands of soldiers who have sacrificed their lives in the line of duty. He has compiled detailed records of thousands of soldiers who have lost their lives in the line of duty, from the First World War to the present day.

Speaking after the Prime Minister's reference, Rathore said that he feels happy to have reached out to the PM, and in the future, he wants to build a 'Shaheed Hall' where he can keep all his compilations. 'I hail from Bharatpur, Rajasthan...I am happy to have been working on the path of patriotism for the last 26 years...My voice has reached the PM of the country. I am happy...I want to build a 'Shaheed Hall' where I can keep my compilation...' he said.

In his radio address, PM Modi said Rathore's work was a 'living example of deep love and attachment towards the armed forces' and a source of inspiration for every citizen.

'My dear countrymen, you will feel very happy to know about Jitendra Singh Rathore, who lives in Surat. Your heart will swell with pride. Jitendra Singh Rathore is a security guard who has undertaken a wonderful initiative that serves as a great inspiration for every patriot. For the last few years, he has been collecting information about all those soldiers who have sacrificed their lives in defending Mother India,' the Prime Minister said.

'Today, he has information about thousands of brave soldiers who have been martyred since the First World War. He also has thousands of photographs of the martyrs. Once, the words of a martyr's father touched his heart. The martyr's father had said, 'So what if my son is gone, the country is safe, isn't it?,' he said.

'This one statement filled Jitendra Singh's heart with such a wonderful passion for patriotism. Today, he is in touch with the families of many martyrs. He has also collected soil from beneath the feet of the parents of about two and a half thousand martyrs. This is a living example of his deep love and attachment towards the armed forces. Jitendra Ji's life teaches us the true lesson of patriotism,' he added. (ANI)