Ahmedabad, 8 February 2012

And here is a set of interesting reading in newspapers published from Amdavad.

Gujarat Samachar writes about Congress party’s successfully organized Satkarma fast at Bavla in detail. GS says though Congress got a place to hold Satkarma fast just three days back, the event was successful with full audience that gathered on its own. While in Chief Minister’s fast, one and half lakh people were brought, on the other side in Congress’s fast people came on their own even facing diversions. GS further writes that for Chief Minister’s fast, Uttam dairy was allotted the target of 30,000 people, Thakor community 10,000 people, Koli community 10,000 people. They were allotted tokens. Those with tokens were only able to enter into the Sadbhavana fast venue. The most disappointed people were small businessmen of Bavla. GS writes that police, mamlatdar, power company, engineers, local leaders altogether collected Rs 9.5 lakh for Sadbhavana fast fund. Leave was declared in the schools of Sanand, Bavla, Dholka belt to bring the students to Sadbhavana fast. Due to pouches of buttermilk and water and food packets of hotel, the amount of garbage soon after the event was great. Divya Bhaskar has published a photograph of traffic jam due to diversion of roads in connection with Chief Minister’s Sadbhavana fast in Bavla.

There is no doubt that while Gujarat government’s Sadbhavana fast was successful partially due to government machinery involved in it, on the other side Congress’s Satkarma fast had full house without using government machinery.

The Times of India has published a front page story on central government asking Gujarat government to cancel the proposed visit of high-level Chinese delegation which is scheduled to come to Gujarat in middle of March. A 7-person delegation backed by China’s top foreign affairs policy-making body, International Department of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party is to be led by China’s Zhejiang province Governor, same province where couple of Indian businessmen were not allowed to leave hotel and Indian mission in China had to face tough time to ensure their release. ToI has also published a report on Gujagat government planning its own 911 service like America.

And The Indian Express has an eye-catching story on former Gujarat minister of state for Home Shri Amit Shah. The IE story indicates that Shah could be suspended as MLA in the Budget season starting February 23 as he has not attended any assembly session since his arrest in Sohrabuddin encounter case in July 2010. According to rules, MLA not attending the house continuously for 60 days is automatically considered as suspended. It is the house that can decide on this. Shah has been directed by Supreme Court to stay away from Gujarat.

Sandesh has highlighted Kolaveri Di fame Dhanush’s IIM Ahmedabad visit in great prominence. Sandesh has rightly placed the cold wave story prominently. It’s cold wave here in Ahmedabad for two days, Sandesh story says which is true.