Ahmedabad
Date : 25th December, 2011
Today is Atalji’s birthday. For last many consecutive years, we organize this ‘Kankaria Carnival’ from 25th December to 31st December. Through this one programme, we are able to express our love for this city and can see the changes that are taking place in the city life. Whenever there were discussions on the cities of our country, they spinning around Delhi, Kolkata, Madras, Bangalore, Mumbai… Ahmedabad was not in the list of first ten. Today Ahmedabad has secured number one position in the whole country. I congratulate the citizens of this city, I congratulate the officers of the Corporation for enhancing the glory, fame and prestige of the same day after day.
Today this city has received many new rewards, they have been initiated. Whether it’s about swimming pool for children or very old Balwantrai Hall or a Butterfly Park that kids would like very much… Today another new thing is added to Ahmedabad city. The murals on the rock depicting the map of this city, its social-cultural journey of progress, pages of its development, memories of the prominent people of this city… in the same way, Gujarat, its development journey, great people who contributed in the economical, social, educational, cultural and in all other fields, important incidences of the State… all of these are being sculptured on the inner side of the boundary wall of Kankaria lake. Friends, No one would have ever imagined that the wall of Kankaria lake could be used in such a wonderful way. Today only a small portion has been formed, but once the murals get completed around entire Kankaria, at that time its length would be about 30,000 feet. At present, the longest sand stone mural, which is considered to be the largest in the world, is of 9000 feet. This will be of 30,000 feet. This will be the biggest world record credited to Ahmedabad. Those who want to know the history, who want to understand the ups and downs of Gujarat, want to go through the memorable incidences of Gujarat, for them these sculpted open encyclopedia, will become a means of knowledge. It is my request to the citizens of this city, to those who are historians, connected with literature, associated with arts and culture, those who are analysts, critics… they spare some time in next two three months and view our novel idea from the analytical view point and point out flaws in the mural or suggest whether it needs anything to be added… and I request such experts to come and spare their valuable couple of hours for the future of this city, for the future of children. I am giving an open invitation to all. View it minutely, give us suggestions, so that we can include it in the remaining work in the area of 30,000 feet. To make it more presentable, I am interested in public participation. So as to descend your knowledge and experience on the rocks, this city, this state is asking for your help. We are doing one of the best kinds of work. In future, a boat ride along with audio commentary would provide a crash course on heritage of the city and the state by studying the huge murals on the wall. The pedestrians can also study the tablets kept over there and those who wish to watch along with audio commentary, may prevail the benefit of it also. Those who visit Kankaria now, can experience such a nice use of it.
Friends, after the renovation of Kankaria, nearly 90 or more delegations from the world, from foreign countries, visited here and have studied the renovated Kankaria. Intellectual citizens, well-to-do citizens of this city, who seldom gave a passing glance towards Kankaria. Now they are seen visiting Kankaria in Rolls-Royce Cars along with their guests. A reputation of Kankaria has been established. Even the richest and the wealthiest people feel inferior if they have not seen Kankaria, now they feel proud to visit Kankaria.
The citizens of this city have preserved this Kankaria. Otherwise, mismanagement, littering, dirtiness, damaging… this is very common in our country, but hats-off to the citizens of Ahmedabad, to all the citizens of the State and to all the national and international tourists, who have visited Kankaria. I want to congratulate as crores of people visited here but not even a minor problem is ever created, not even a single leaf of any tree is plucked, this is a great deed, Friends..! We have preserved it and it is such a deed that we can introduce our this strength to the world. Cleanliness is maintained, waste has not been thrown anywhere and if any visitor shows even a small waste, he himself gets up and throws it in the dustbin. Kankaria has given a new culture to this city. I am confident that Kankaria will become an inspiration to establish such high standards in the whole city.
Friends, our ‘Kids City’… Many people are coming here to study it. To develop the inner strength among the kids, to awake their dreams, rather to sow the dreams, there may not be any other better source than this. Whenever a tiny tot goes to ‘Kids City’ and in the evening when he comes out, he is overwhelmed and a new dream is planted into his mind, a wish to become someone arises in his mind. Since he himself becomes a part of the experiment, he carries confidence that yes, today I can do this, when I grow up, I can become this also. A place of seeding such dreams… I want all the kids to get an opportunity to plant a dream here at ‘Kids City’. It is my invitation to all kids and their parents of Gujarat. This is for you, for our kids. To make tomorrow of Gujarat prosperous, to playfully imbibe this cultural heritage, as if Kankaria has become a new capital, a new source of inspiration, and we all must take the advantage of the same.
Ladies & Gentlemen, about 1.50 crore people visit here and this does not include those 25-30 lakhs people visit during ‘Kankaria Carnival’, because we don’t have any ticket system during that time. But those people who purchased regular tickets and enterd Kankaria from the gate, that figure comes out to be 1.50 crores. You just think, how great need it was for the poor and middle class people of this State, we have fulfilled this need. Because if a common man wants to go for outing with his family, where shall he go? Where would he find an open space? And today he has found it. In the past, ‘Bal Vatika’ and Zoo were just in the neglected condition. Because of the renovation of this Kankaria, they also have become a new centre of attraction for the people. New suggestions and schemes are coming forward for their development and extension as well.
Ladies & Gentlemen, let us take the full fledged advantage of this. Let us preserve this city, the way this Kankaria is preserved. As Kankaria has come up with a new identity of city‘s fame, glory and prestige, I am inaugurating today’s Carnival. On Atalji’s birthday, the State is ever ready to accept the message of his ‘Good Governance’ and is determined and trying to move forward in that direction and trying for the same.
Best wishes to all of you..!!
