Gandhinagar, 30 April 2012

Greeting the people of Gujarat on the 52nd Foundation Day of the State, Chief Minister Narendra Modi resolved to take the State to such a height that every Gujarati would feel proud to be a Gujarati.

In his message to the people, he paid his salutations to Mahagujarat Movement’s leaders Induchacha and others. We should ensure their martyrdom do not go waste. The message:

My dear all citizens of Gujarat,

Fifty-one years have passed since Gujarat was founded this day in 1960. On this auspicious occasion, we remember all the martyrs of Mahagujarat Movement. It is the occasion to pay our tributes to all, including Induchacha.

Gujarat cannot forget that many students braved bullets to uphold the pride of Gujarat then. Bullets were rained on students from the Congress Bhawan in Bhadra locality in Ahmedabad. Several youth in their tender age shed their blood that would not go waste. Gujarat saw many governments, many movements, many events for good or bad during this period, but always marched ahead.

If we look behind, the first decade of the 21st Century became a decade of development, even though it began with many calamities like unforgettable earthquake, upheavals in cooperative banks and drought in 2001. Adversaries wished Gujarat should never rise, but were proved wrong. Gujarat virtually rose from the debris, converted obstacles into opportunities. We could see the results of our relentless efforts paying dividends. Any discussion on development anywhere in the world would remain incomplete without a mention of Gujarat’s development.

The reasons or the forces behind this success story are the six-crore people of Gujarat, their unity, brotherhood and accepting the path to peace. This I realized when I undertook fast at different places across the state during Sadbhavna Mission. The state has scaled many heights, completed many projects and even made its mark on Nature. Human efforts have overcome frequent droughts and emerged as one united Gujarat. However, we have still many miles to go, to reach a stage from where the state could serve the nation better. If one looks at Gujarat’s growth rate now would be compelled to recall long periods of droughts, when sons of toil used to dig nothing in relief camps. Today experts identify Gujarat for initiating agricultural revolution of sorts in India, achieving a growth of 11 per cent during the decade. Agricultural scientists are now coming to Gujarat to study the unbelievable phenomenon achieved by the farmers of the state.

It was made possible due to state-wide movement for water conservation and management, but for some unsavoury policies being drafted now to harm the farmers. The issue has to be tackled on another platform, on another occasion.

We have achieved all round progress, including milk production which rose by 66 per cent, thanks to commitment of the cattle owners and the government’s concern for improving the breed.

While Gujarat has already made its mark in industrialization, the government issued notices to open dairies in so far unrepresented Kutch and Kathiawar regions with a view to checking the exploitation of small and marginal cattle owners.

Earlier, Gujarat’s progress was concentrated along the Golden Corridor between Ankleshwar and Vapi, unmindful of the damage done to the most fertile land in the rain- fed south Gujarat region. Now, we have decided to correct the blunders of the past by setting up new industries in barren and wastelands, along the saline seacoasts and the Rann.

The state has also diversified its portfolio from chemicals and pharmaceuticals to engineering industry and automobile, invited companies like Bombardier to build Metro trains, thereby creating job opportunities and changing the very profile of industries in the state. The chemical industry had its flip side too, which were gradually capped. We now look up to water, land and sky to explore new avenues. It did not strike earlier that we could go ahead from ship-breaking industry, identified with Gujarat, to shipbuilding industry. With growing maritime trade, Gujarat has already developed modern seaports.

In case a state has to develop, it cannot neglect human resource development. In a strategic move, we have lately focused on Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) to train youth in various technical trades to be gainfully employed. We have started super specialty course in it is. It is now being discussed all over the country. It has become a boon from school dropouts, poor students who flunked or could not afford fees for higher education. Just last month, appointment letters were issued to 65,000 youth for direct employment.

No sooner than the Budget session was over in March, we held a series of Garib Kalyan Melas in April to distribute assistance worth Rs.1,600-crore directly to the poor beneficiaries. They have been involved in some scheme or the other. In a novel government-sponsored project for economic empowerment of women, over 29-lakh poor women saved and invested Rs.400-crore in 2.37-lakh Sakhi Mandals, doing a business of Rs.1,400-crore now. They are now engaged in sewing, making incense sticks, papad, khakhra, herding cattle or selling milk, running computer classes or canteens, cooking or providing Tiffin service. It is being carried forward under Mission Mangalam.

The government has introduced an insurance scheme of up to Rs.30,000 to take care of the poor, living on the edge, constantly worried about their health and children’s education. The government has allocated Rs.200-crore under the Chief Minister’s Amritam Yojna in this year’s budget for treatment of unexpected expenditure on account of terminal diseases like cancer, kidney failure and heart attack of the poor.

I desire to bring my tribal and dalit brothers on the forefront of development. People who are into studying tribal related issues, come to Gujarat to personally see how Gujarat has managed to do miracle through its Rs.40,000 crore Van Bandhu scheme. We have allocated Rs.22,000 crore for the urban poor. We have given them UMMID scheme; imparted vocational training to them and helped them for self-employment with a view to infuse them with strength, so that these youths become self-reliant and earn their livelihood.

This is the 150th birth anniversary year of Swami Vivekanada and the Gujarat has decided to celebrate it as ‘Yuva Shakti Varsh’. The state has embarked on a movement to ensure employment to every youth by helping them in developing skills through various skill development initiatives. The State has spent billions of rupees to empower the youths and making them self-reliant.

Not a single sector has remained untouched from the momentum of development. Not single person has been left in getting the fruits of development. We are endeavoring with an approach that all the six crore Gujaratis move ahead with a new hope and zeal.

We achieved high goals during the celebration of Gujarat’s golden jubilee last year. There was a time when we used to see only around four villages becoming ‘Nirmal Village’ or clean village. During the Golden Jubilee all the villages of Gujarat undertook a movement. This resulted into 4600 villages becoming Nirmal. Even the government of India lauded their work and gave prizes to them.

Come, let us take a pledge; let us resolve to accelerate our growth even more. Let us expand the scope of our development and reach to every village, every farmer and every hut. Let the development benefits reaches to all and let everyone feel Gujarat his own and everyone feel proud of being a Gujarati. We are endeavoring to create an image of Gujarat that the Gujaratis, in whichever part of the world they go, they are dealt by the people over there with awestruck eyes. We are working hard for the good of six crore Gujaratis and for our future generation

How great work we have done in the field of solar energy? The total solar power generation in the rest of the India is 120 MW, while Gujarat alone has dedicated 600 MW solar power generation capacity to the nation. Besides, we have installed solar panels on Narmada canals. This will produce solar power and will also stop water from evaporating. So, the farmers would get enough water. With one move we served many objectives. These all will benefit the future generations in Gujarat. Growth is our only mantra. Growth is our only dream. We don’t talk and do anything but development. We want to march ahead on the path of development and all the Gujaratis should come forward and partake in this development process.

I convey my good wishes to all the Gujaratis living in different parts of the world. Let us give respect to Gujarati language and feel proud of being Gujaratis. Let us create our distinct image in the world. Let the world see the inherent bonhomie of Gujarati people and their approach of taking all along. Today, on May 1st, Gujarat has completed 51 years of journey as a State. My heartfelt wishes to all of you!

Jay Jay Garvi Gujarat…
Bharat Mati Ki Jay…

~ Narendra Modi
Chief Minister, Gujarat