Ahmedabad, 11 May 2012

“These seven days have changed the identity of Amdavad. We have presented a new Ahmedabad to the world,” IAS officer and poet Bhagyesh Jha said in his speech in concluding literary session of Amdavad national book fair.

“This is fifth breakthrough event in the history of Ahmedabad. The first was when Dadhichi muni donated his bones on the bank of river Sabarmati, the second event was when Gandhiji set up his ashram on the bank of this river, the third event was when Ravishankar Maharaj inaugurated the state of Gujarat on the bank of this river, the fourth breakthrough event was when an idea to construct the Sabarmati river front saw light. And the fifth breakthrough Sabarmati river witnessed on its bank was this book fair,” Shri Jha said.

“Footfalls of two lakh visitors, sale of books worth one crore Rupees, these are the miracles that the bank of river Sabarmati witnessed,” he further said adding that the book fair will have long term benefits as the youths were seen in larger number in the fair, taking interest in Gujarati books.

Shri Jha said he was proud to be associated with this book fair and congratulated the Municipal Commissioner and his team for successfully organizing the first national book fair of Amdavad.

Congratulating the AMC Commissioner and his team, Shri Jha quoting a famous verse said “Ahithi javay rann taraf, ahithi nadi sudhi, ahithi javay kshan taraf, ahithi sadi sudhi(from here we can go in direction of desert, from here we can go to a river, from here we can move towards a moment, from here we can move to a century)” adding that the next century belongs to Gujarat.

Shri Jha’s speech is presented in the video above.