Place : Ahmedabad Speech Date :19-09-2011
- The fast may have ended today but the Sadbhavana Mission has just begun and we will spread it all over with remarkable speed.
- Above Rajneeti is something called Rashtraniti- this fast and mission is Rashtraniti not Rajneeti.
- My mantra is 6 crore Gujaratis! Well-being and development of all is my motto.
- Now development has become implicit with reference to Gujarat.
- Just the way I fasted here, I will go to each district and fast there, sitting among people!
Respected Sushma ji, respected Venkaiah ji, respected Bhaiyyuji Maharaj ji, respected religious leaders from various faiths, esteemed guests on the dais, brothers and sisters.
A few days ago, I wrote a letter that was published in the print media where I had stated that I would be commencing a fast on 17th September 2011 and conclude it on 19th September 2011. The fast may have ended today but the Sadbhavana Mission has just begun and will spread all over with remarkable speed. This is an endeavor to move towards completeness and we wish to take this forward in every possible way. Brothers and sister, few would have imagined that this Sadbhavana Mission, the work, the thought would galvanize not only Gujarat but also the rest of the world. Nobody would have imagined this. The entire nation was wondering what Modi and Gujarat wish to do with the Sadbhavana Mission. It wondered why this feeling of intimacy, affection, and oneness was spread all over. Why? Friends, we know the answers to these questions. A few days ago, the anti-corruption crusade by Shri Anna Hazare gained strength, why did this happen? From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, the entire nation stirred up. Why? We know the answer. Today, the common man is deeply disturbed with what is going on around him. He has begun to feel detached. Everybody is full of pain and suffering but lacks the opportunity to express it or find support. And when he finds an opportunity or a ray of hope, the feeling that something could happen he joins such opportunities. This is not happening for the first time. Once very ten years such opportunities do come by and the masses join it in their quest for truth. I do not seek to make you count these occasions but I do wish to state that I am a worshipper of the mind and body of humanity. I have devoted my entire life, surrendered it at your feet and in your service. I did not leave my house because I wanted to occupy any throne of power but with a dream in my eyes to work for the needy, because this body and soul could serve the nation, because this life can be devoted to all of you not only for myself! All this cannot happen through politics but through
bhakti of Mother India. When one has a chance to see the pain of others, it becomes your own by feeling it and becoming one with it. That is why, my friends there is no need to see everything from the lens of politics or measure it the same way. Above
rajneeti is something called
rashtraniti
my brothers and sisters! This fast, this mission is inspired by
rashtraniti
and not
rajneeti!
Friends, if we listen carefully to what the world says about us, there is one blame put on us which we need to take seriously. Achievers from all over the world who have reached the top believe that for reasons best known to us, we Indians have stopped dreaming big. This is the root cause of all our problems. The Chinese feel they must do this while the Europeans feel they must do that and the Americans feel this is what they want to do. But what is the reason that we have shrunk ourselves? Have you heard from our countrymen on what they want to decisively do? And if nobody is interested in doing so then can you imagine the direction in which our country will go? If there are no dreams then how will there be a determination to achieve them and if there is no determination to achieve them there will be no desire to integrate people and promote harmony. Friends, it is essential for the country to nurture dreams and then sacrifice our lives in service with a clear determination to serve. This is the environment that needs to be created in our nation.
From the experience in Gujarat, I can say that we could have also run a routine government. Other governments built roads, we could have built them, other governments build hospitals, and we could have built a couple more. But we did not think like that. We were not satisfied moving on tried cliché lines. If we wished to bring about change, we would need to showcase all our strength. For that, we discovered a new path- that of integrating six crore Gujaratis. Ever since I took office my mantra has been six crore Gujaratis. For me, six crore Gujaratis are not mere words or numbers but my
mantra- six crore Gujaratis are the be all and end all in the world for me. And it is on this strength that I wish to take Gujarat ahead. We never dreamt alone- we tried to look into the dreams of Gujaratis, tried to experience them before combining them in order to create a new world. There is a dream in every eye- and every dream of yours is my dream. It is on this basis that we sketched a map of progress.
Let me narrate a previous experience of mine to you. A few years ago, the Government of India had set up a commission, the Justice Sachar Committee to look into the socio-economic conditions of the minority communities in India. When Justice Sachar and his team visited Gujarat they undertook their study surveying every department after which their meeting with the Chief Minister was fixed. During the meeting, they asked me what I do for the minorities in my state. Brothers and sisters let me tell you the answer I gave them- I said my government does not work for minorities. They were stunned. How could one speak in such a fashion? I made my self very clear that my government does not work for minorities. Then I told them to add another line- that neither does my government work for majority! My government work s for six crore Gujaratis. Well-being of all and development of all, this is the motto of my government. For me, such differences, this compartmentalization, weighing everything as majority and minority and vote bank politics are not acceptable. In my states, all my citizens are my own. Their sadness is my sadness, their pleasures my pleasures and their dreams my dreams.
My friends, it is a matter of great misfortune that for the past sixty years the focus of governments has been contesting elections every five years. In every government programme, every budget allocation, developmental work, the primary concern was whether it will pay off in the next elections. The aim is to make people happy in the sense that it can deliver a victory in the next election. This was the norm rather than the exception. Vote bank politics drove governments, policy and programmes. The consequence of this was the absence of a conducive atmosphere towards development of the nation. Minor works began to happen- somewhere a road or two was built while somewhere a hospital or two was built but nobody thought of reforming the entire health sector of the country. No body thought of overhauling the complete education sector of India. This resulted in sixty years having gone waste. Today, Gujarat has come out of this. We decided that we will not run governments simply to win elections. For this, one needs immense strength but since I am a spiritual man I am not bothered about it (only winning elections). It is only due to this that we were able to take decisions. If I have to implement agricultural reforms, I think of the development of every farmer in the 18,000 villages of Gujarat. In the months of May and June when the temperatures are as high as 44C, more than a lakh employees of the state government go to the villages of Gujarat, the fields of Gujarat talking to the farmers. We started this might mission and the result is for all to see- an earlier drought prone Gujarat is number 1 in agricultural development today. You must have heard about the World Bank report that came out last week. The report called for not only India but also the world to see the case of Gujarat as a model state in agricultural growth and development. Had we only thought in narrow political terms none of this would have happened, nothing would have changed.
Agriculture is the bread and butter of most of the people and considering the scarcity of water in Gujarat this became a big challenge. But how was the development in the industrial sector? We created a mission- if you go where will you go? You will have to come back here only. We will create such an environment that you will have no choice but to come here, we will make sure you do. We shall make transparent policies, transform the work culture and modify fundamental things. We worked towards this direction and we added one dimension to it that is different from every government in this country. People are wondering why such a sea of transformation in Gujarat in the last ten years. But there is no difficult science to explain this- it is very simple. If there is to be development it can’t only come through government but through integration with the larger public. We did no work that put government on one side and people on the other. Whatever we do we will do with the help support and cooperation of the people. This is exactly why the strength of the people joined us. A prime example of participative governance, this explains the speed and nature of Gujarat’s progress.
We often say that we are a young nation but the question remains- is the youth able to contribute to the nation? Have we been able to devise adequate mechanisms wherein they could be of use to us? If we had the answer and had done so before the closing of the 20th century then the youth could have taken the country to new heights. But this did not happen. We introduced participative governance and I remember whenever our team goes for Planning Commission meetings I am always asked one question- Modi ji if there is a new initiative on participative governance please inform us too. I cannot remember even one meeting where I was not asked this question. Friends, when I talk of participatory governance, six crore Gujaratis take the form of God for me. And I, like a worshipper am busy serving them.
Many people are left wondering how come this Sadbhavana Mission has attracted crowds from all communities? How and why is this happening? People were amazed! Specially because they had not bothered to find out the truth in the past 10 years! Today when the truth is starring at their faces they now wonder how this happened? Brothers and sisters, these people from all communities who have gathered here did not trust us overnight- we have worked hard for 10 years to win their trust. With six crore Gujaratis as our
mantra we worked hard and it is only then that each one of the people developed faith that Modi does not speak the cliché things heard all over the nation, does not make empty promises, does not play vote-bank politics but he worries about us which makes us have faith in him. The common man wants peace. There is no question of talking about majority peace only. Infact, it is the poor that needs peace the most. Whenever there is any sort of disturbance their daily bread is threatened and their children go starving. They have seen such days in the past but since the past few years there is a life of peace and security for everyone in Gujarat and this is how this faith has developed. A person no less than the Chief Minister of the state personally knocks on every door in the villages asking people if they are making the girl child study- here he does not bother what community the family belongs to. This happens one hundred percent and one hundred percent does not exclude anybody- all are included. Our motto of
sabka sath, sab ka vikas is not mere sloganeering but what we have practiced religiously for ten years. This is what the Sadbhavana Mission is all about.
Many asked why this was needed today? Brothers and sister we have been practicing it for years now and seeing the success of the same we decided that it was needed to showcase this model. Everybody is talking about the development model of Gujarat. Five years back people would raise question but now that has stopped. Now development has become implicit with reference to Gujarat. Earlier, questions also arose on good governance but that no longer happens now. But what is the secret behind this? We tend to appreciate good food but never ask who was in the kitchen. We want Sadbhavana Mission to be the medium through which we can showcase the strength that drives Gujarat behind the scenes.
This Sadbhavana Mission is for what we have achieved by working in the past to march ahead on the journey of development, trying to help each and everyone in sorting out problems progressing by uniting everybody. After fasting for three days with a clear heart I politely invite all those who are interested in working for the nation.
Sab ka sath, sab ka vikas
is what we have practiced for the past ten years. We have shown by our performance how it is possible to move ahead by uniting people. As Sushma ji was saying how the opposition party is the state was praising a lot by giving examples of Muslims. Welfare for all should be a natural course. I request the people all over the country and the world that while looking at Gujarat they must look at it form the angles of the Sadbhavana Mission too. This is a model through which we move ahead by joining people. Sometimes it so happens that in spite of our tremendous efforts we make, until the manifestation of the Infinite showers, cannot be easily digested by the rest of the world. Therefore, this fast for three days is just a small step to give a glimpse of the huge results. If I had not done this; if I had not united my shamanic strength, I would not have got the blessings of lakhs of people. Nobody would have noticed it even if I had addressed fifty press conferences. Friends, it is an action that speaks and I do believe in action. The test of leadership depends on action, my friends! Today we have shown the world that this is the path to join together and the path to be united. Until we rise up of vote bank politics to adopt the politics of development, India would not be able to dream afresh. If we do not adopt the path of all-inclusive growth by uniting everyone, we will ruin our country just as we have been doing for the past sixty years. Brothers and sisters, I undergo a sense of lot of pain in my heart.
Even I had no idea at all until I was in the government. I also used to think as others do. This is how our country is like this only; forget it, nothing can be done about it. I have also grown up in the same environment. But after the governance of ten years of mine, I can say from my own experience, if we join the public power to the same governments; the same employees; the same files; the same procedures; we can surpass the new heights of development. Gujarat has done it. We have to move further on this path. These days a word is very popular: ‘Game Changer.’ It is being used very widely. Friends, I want to make every citizen of the 18000 villages a ‘Game Changer.’ Everybody has got potential. I have dreamt of initiating this Sadbhavana Mission. Whatever experience I have got in the past ten years; I have put it in front of the world philosophically and morally while fasting.
As I told you in the outset, this Sadbhavna Mission will go a long way. Therefore, with a great responsibility, I would definitely love to announce something today. Just the way I fasted here for three days, I will go to each district of the state. I will spend one day there for each district from morning to evening. I will sit among the people. The emotions that I have seen in these three days, the same I will make stronger in each district. That also while fasting for the whole day because I have seen the good results of it. I have experienced the strength of unity, peace, brotherhood and harmony. My dream is to boost up this energy. I want to strengthen this emotion by uniting you all, by visiting all the districts. I would take care to let you know as I plan for the programme.
Friends, the foremost strength in my life is my own commitment. Therefore, I want to proceed on it and want to improve on new avenues of development. Friends, many people think that a lot has been done in Gujarat. I’m not just satisfied with all this, I want to take Gujarat still further; want to make it touch new heights; want to dream afresh; want to bring together new strength. Depending on all these, we have to march ahead. Friends, the environment of despair that is there in the nation, Gujarat has changed it. What people all over India thought impossible, Gujarat has proved it possible. This is democracy. Everybody has an independent view. Everybody is independent to express himself. Things happen in democracy. But we will never let our goal disappear. We will always keep our goal in front of our eyes. We have to make Gujarat grow in progress ahead and ahead. As I told you in the outset that whatever we exert our
Mantra will be “Development of Gujarat for the development of India.” If our industrial sector grows, lakhs of youngsters all over India will get job opportunities. Though the industries are developing in Gujarat, we are trying to provide jobs to people all over India. If crops grow here; if my farmers grow cotton here; it goes to Coimbatore for process and gives jobs to people over there. For the welfare of India; welfare of the states, the development of the states is equally important. To serve mother India we have to develop Gujarat. We have started a pious and true mission to worship our mother India. I want blessings of the people; I want blessings of the saints, sages and gurus so that we can take this Sadbhavana Mission further. As I have announced; I will take it to every district and I myself will go. I desire to take this matter profoundly. I want to tell people over the world who talk about development; Come, study the model of development; how we have united the people power above good governance. Come and see how Gujarat is working with a united force of strength. Friends, we have to march ahead with a positive thinking. We need not waste our time thinking about negative things. We have to look at the future. We are destined to move about in that direction only.
I am profoundly thankful to all the senior members of my party. Friends, we never had thought a huge mass of people from all over the country would get together here; never before had we thought so! The whole nation got united. An environment of positive movement is being created. I believe that development should become a public movement. When development becomes a public movement, no power of the world can stop our nation. Friends, we cannot wait any more. We have to march ahead; we have to take our state farther; we have to reach new heights with this harmony. Come, let us all flourish on the land of harmony; let us all march ahead in this journey of development. With this sublime anticipation, my best wishes to you all in this regard. Personally, I am personally very grateful to you all that you came here; showered blessings and affection on me. You have awakened a new energy in me. This energy will be of immense help to this state. With this prayer I conclude my message. Thank you very much.
