CM Blogs on the start of Van Mahotsav 2012

Published By : Admin | July 29, 2012 | 16:32 IST
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Roots of progress: Planting trees for Gujarat’s holistic development

Dear Friends,

Tomorrow on the auspicious occasion of Pavitra Baras in the holy month of Shravan, I will inaugurate this year’s Van Mahotsav. In the last few years, the annual Van Mahotsav campaigns in Gujarat have added a totally new meaning to concepts of social forestry. It also brings out our determination and commitment to ensure that our future generations inherit a greener planter from us.

To inaugurate this year’s Van Mahotsav I will travel to Mangadh, a beautiful hill village located in Panchmahal’s Santrampur Taluka. It is the soil of Mangadh that produced some extremely brave Adivasi heroes who sounded the bugle of revolt against the unjust colonial imperialism. Back in 1913 the British mercilessly killed 1507 Adivasis when they had assembled to protest endless exploitation, reminding us of the brutal Jallianwala Bagh Massacre. It was for the first time since the First War of Independence in 1857 that the spark of patriotism was ignited among the people of Gujarat with so much intensity, dedication and idealism.

The Adivasis were led by Govind Guru, a beacon of bravery and inspiring leadership. Through his spiritual teachings, he worked for the cause of freedom, rights and self-respect of Adivasi communities. He tirelessly worked towards creating awakening among his people so that his community can develop at par with the rest of the society. 

Govind Guru was a man truly ahead of his time. The contribution of individuals such as Govind Guru remains edged in the memories of time and is something that simply cannot be erased from the annals of history. The people of Gujarat will never forget the mammoth contribution of its proud sons such as Govind Guru in taking the nation on the path towards freedom.

Today when we commence the Van Mahotsav 2012 from Mangadh, we are paying our wholehearted tributes to these brave individuals who sacrificed themselves at the altars of truth and justice. A Govind Guru Smriti Van with 1507 trees along with various exhibits will be set up as a tribute to these heroes. The oneness that our Adivasi friends have with nature is very well known and I am certain this step will enable many others to get inspired not only by the likes of Govind Guru but also the importance one must give to conserving our forests.

It is our firm belief that every initiative of the Gujarat Government must be a full-fledged mass movement! There is nothing more sacrosanct than the complete and active involvement of people power. In this regard, we ensured that all major Government initiatives are held not from the confines of the state capital but out there among the people. The Van Mahotsav is no exception- you would be interested to know that since 2005, the Mahotsav has been organized in different parts of Gujarat that is blessed with a distinct cultural and historical significance. There we strive to leave behind a permanent memory in the form of a ‘Van’ that serves as a cultural and tourist spot in its own right be it ‘Punit Van’ in Gandhinagar (2004), ‘Mangalya Van’ in Ambaji (2005), ‘Tirthankar Van’ in Taranga (2006), ‘Harihar Van’ in Somnath (2007), ‘Bhakti Van’ in Chotila (2008), ‘Shyamal Van’ in Shamlaji (2009), ‘Pavak Van’ in Palitana (2010) and ‘Virasat Van’ in Pavgadh (2011). This truly becomes a unique opportunity to explore our culture and strengthen our roots with history.

Gujarat is leaving no stone unturned to enhance the green cover across the state. Just a week ago, I was extremely pleased to read a newspaper report that said that Gandhinagar is India’s tree capital. Latest figures show that 53.9% of Gujarat’s capital is covered with trees which means there are 416 trees for every 100 people in the city. In our country geographical area under tree cover is 2.82%, while for Gujarat the number stands at 4%. In 2003, we had 25.1 crore trees outside the forest cover and by 2009 the number went up to 26.9 crore; in the next ten years we are working towards taking it to 35 crore. Infact, I am delighted to share that Gandhinagar, Vadodara and Bhavnagar are cities that are greener than most green cities of the country.

Friends, worshipping Mother Nature is an integral part of our rich culture. In our culture we believe that God resides in the trees! I am sure that this effort of Van Mahotsav will go a long way in creating a greener and more beautiful Gujarat. We must plant as many trees as possible- Infact very often I tell parents to plant 2 trees on the birth of a girl child.

I am attaching a copy of a book on Govind Guru and a report “Status of Tree Cover in the Urban Areas in Gujarat”. I congratulate the Forest Department in bringing out such an important report on tree cover in our cities. I am sure you will enjoy reading these fine pieces of work.

 

Yours

Narendra Modi

 

E Book- Mangadh Kranti na Nayak- Shri Govind Guru

E Book - Status of Tree Cover in the Urban Areas in Gujarat 

 

 

Govind Guru Smriti Van - Watch

Vave Gujarat Campaign – Watch

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India’s G-20 Presidency
December 01, 2022
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Today, India commences its G20 Presidency.

The previous 17 Presidencies of the G20 delivered significant results - for ensuring macro-economic stability, rationalising international taxation, relieving debt-burden on countries, among many other outcomes. We will benefit from these achievements, and build further upon them.


However, as India assumes this important mantle, I ask myself - can the G20 go further still? Can we catalyse a fundamental mindset shift, to benefit humanity as a whole?

I believe we can.

Our mindsets are shaped by our circumstances. Through all of history, humanity lived in scarcity. We fought for limited resources, because our survival depended on denying them to others. Confrontation and competition - between ideas, ideologies and identities - became the norm.

Unfortunately, we remain trapped in the same zero-sum mindset even today. We see it when countries fight over territory or resources. We see it when supplies of essential goods are weaponised. We see it when vaccines are hoarded by a few, even as billions remain vulnerable.

Some may argue that confrontation and greed are just human nature. I disagree. If humans were inherently selfish, what would explain the lasting appeal of so many spiritual traditions that advocate the fundamental one-ness of us all?

One such tradition, popular in India, sees all living beings, and even inanimate things, as composed of the same five basic elements – the panch tatva of earth, water, fire, air and space. Harmony among these elements - within us and between us - is essential for our physical, social and environmental well-being.


India's G20 Presidency will work to promote this universal sense of one-ness. Hence our theme - 'One Earth, One Family, One Future'.


This is not just a slogan. It takes into account recent changes in human circumstances, which we have collectively failed to appreciate.


Today, we have the means to produce enough to meet the basic needs of all people in the world.


Today, we do not need to fight for our survival - our era need not be one of war. Indeed, it must not be one!

 


Today, the greatest challenges we face - climate change, terrorism, and pandemics - can be solved not by fighting each other, but only by acting together.

Fortunately, today's technology also gives us the means to address problems on a humanity-wide scale. The massive virtual worlds that we inhabit today demonstrate the scalability of digital technologies.


Housing one-sixth of humanity, and with its immense diversity of languages, religions, customs and beliefs, India is a microcosm of the world.


With the oldest-known traditions of collective decision-making, India contributes to the foundational DNA of democracy. As the mother of democracy, India's national consensus is forged not by diktat, but by blending millions of free voices into one harmonious melody.

Today, India is the fastest growing large economy. Our citizen-centric governance model takes care of even our most marginalised citizens, while nurturing the creative genius of our talented youth.


We have tried to make national development not an exercise in top-down governance, but rather a citizen-led 'people's movement'.


We have leveraged technology to create digital public goods that are open, inclusive and inter-operable. These have delivered revolutionary progress in fields as varied as social protection, financial inclusion, and electronic payments.

For all these reasons, India's experiences can provide insights for possible global solutions.

During our G20 Presidency, we shall present India's experiences, learnings and models as possible templates for others, particularly the developing world.

Our G20 priorities will be shaped in consultation with not just our G20 partners, but also our fellow-travellers in the global South, whose voice often goes unheard.


Our priorities will focus on healing our 'One Earth', creating harmony within our 'One Family' and giving hope for our 'One Future'.

For healing our planet, we will encourage sustainable and environment-friendly lifestyles, based on India's tradition of trusteeship towards nature.

For promoting harmony within the human family, we will seek to depoliticise the global supply of food, fertilizers and medical products, so that geo-political tensions do not lead to humanitarian crises. As in our own families, those whose needs are the greatest must always be our first concern.

For imbuing hope in our future generations, we will encourage an honest conversation among the most powerful countries - on mitigating risks posed by weapons of mass destruction and enhancing global security.

 


India’s G20 agenda will be inclusive, ambitious, action-oriented, and decisive.

 


Let us join together to make India's G20 Presidency a Presidency of healing, harmony and hope.

Let us work together to shape a new paradigm - of human-centric globalisation.