Date : 26/12/2011
This Rajkot city holds a special place in my life. Because it is the Rajkot city, which made me MLA for the first time and thence-forward began a new journey of my political career. I could become MLA only because this Rajkot revealed ‘Sadbhav’ (good faith), I was able to learn the lesson of ‘Sadbhav’ from Rajkot. The people heer showered their blessings on me. Ladies & Gentlemen, I am the witness, beneficiary of that. And today I am sitting here with you on the soil of Rajkot as a part of my Sadbhavna Mission programme. My mission is to conduct 33 fast. My mission is to visit all the districts of the state. I have covered almost half the journey, still half is left. Ladies & Gentlemen, the blessings that Rajkot has showered today right from the morning… Rajkot has maintained its greatness. I salute Rajkot, I congratulate it and I assure to the citizens of Rajkot that the penance that is made by you for the success of the Sadbhavna Mission will not go in vain.
Ladies & Gentlemen, all the estimates of Political Pundits (experts) are going wrong, what is the reason for the crowd that is rushing in such a manner? Somewhere an old woman of 105 years is giving her blessings, a freedom fighter appreciating the glory of Gujarat, some tiny kids are telling that they too have observed the fast, the mothers and the sisters perform rituals to protect from evil eyes… What is the reason? Even after the efforts of so many days, the political pundits are tumbling, still tumbling. Friends, no matter how much salty the sea is, but if we have to explore in sea to get pearls, we can’t get pearls by exploring in the gutters. Those who have become habitual to lead their lives of gutter, will probably have to born again to recognize the capability of people power. What’s the reason for such enthusiasm? Generally, in today’s age of TV, we daily see the politicians, actors from home and there is no sort of attraction left to see them. That was a time, 15-20 years before… It is felt as if we know them very much, there is no need to go and see them personally. And the way democracy has taken shape here. Whichever Government may be there, however it is… but within 2 years it gets disliked by people and gradually it worsens. Even after so many years of the governance, if people are showing affection, giving blessings, then this becomes difficult for them to understand, Friends. There is a penance behind it, there is a sacrifice behind it. It’s not political deceit but only and only pure devotion for the national interest and so it is getting absolute love from the citizens. Ladies & Gentlemen, why this zeal, zest, enthusiasm, blessings, gusto, passion..? There is a reason for that. It is the nature of Gujaratis that as far as possible they do not tease anybody.
You do yours and I will do mine, take care of yours… they don’t interfere much in anybody but if matter goes out of control, exaggerated… than the same Gujarati who seldom teases anybody, if the situation turns then he doesn’t ever spare anybody. Friends, this atmosphere is its symbol, its reflection. For last 10 years, this race of harassment is going on without any reason… Daily new deceptions are found to annoy Gujarat. Not a single day arises when conspiracy to defame, torture, tarnish Gujarat is not formed… And Gujarat is mutely tolerating it. Many times people ask me that Sir, how long you will tolerate all this? As far as there are blessings of the masses, there will not be even a minor problem. Ladies & Gentlemen, there is an anger and indignation within the people. Gujarat seeks to respond to all those elements that have tried to defame Gujarat in the world. A common man wants to express his anguish, he wants to express his anger. A poet expresses his resentment by writing vigorous poems, a singer if he seeks to change the situation, sings gallantry songs and thus expresses his affection in front of the world, everybody tries to express the feelings in their own ways, but what an ordinary man does? He keeps looking for an opportunity and whenever gets a chance he presents it. This Sadbhavna Mission has given an opportunity to crores of people of Gujarat for expressing their fury in a democratic manner, it has given an opportunity to democratic principle and so to express their anger, the ocean of people is thronged here..! You just imagine, even if any political party wants to hold a convention, wherein they have their own workers, with their own cadre, in spite of that it becomes difficult to convene a meeting, even of one district, for the whole day. There is no such crowd, and after a couple of resolutions, after meals the programme comes to an end. Today, right from the morning, 8-8:30 am onwards people started coming and taking their places. The same conglomeration, for what reason? Friends, this is the expression of devotion towards Gujarat. It’s a reply in a democratic way to those who has tortured Gujarat , and its difficult for the political prophets to understand it. Friends, those who are sold and so are singing, I can understand their problem, but those who can understand the difference between water and milk , those who are able to understand the feelings of the people of Gujarat , those who are proficient to judge the citizens , they have no problem in understanding this matter. Friends, Ladies & Gentlemen, this Sadbhavana Mission, this masses...... and myself, all of us, wherever we go has the same scene. In the zilla similar to Dang, Friends, that is a zilla of a small taluka, but the crowd I saw there......! Friends, for the sake of state’s self respect, for the pride of the state, commitment is revealed and this Sadbhavana Mission will teach a lot to the country and the world, but I am personally experiencing a new strength . When thousands of people shake their hands, a new energy involves in me. When anyone touches me I feel as if there is heavy cascade of strength within me.....! Who gets such fortune to shake hands with thousands of brothers and sisters, it seems to be some spiritual indication so I have been so fortunate. Hardship is rendered but such from where is fortune gained, Friends. Because masses are the other form of God and when they themselves come and give blessings I experience as if there is waterfall of strength is showered on me. And this strength is not for any personal benefit. The real holder of such strength achieved by blessings are 6 crore Gujaratis and I offer my everything on their feet.
Today wherever we go we discuss about the developments of Gujarat. Wherever we go, whoever he is, “Wah ! Oh, Dear, your Gujarat....!”. Suppose if we are travelling by railway and if the passenger at your front comes to know that you are from Gujarat, then immediately he reacts,”O...ho!, brother Gujarat cannot be expressed in words...!” Everyone hears this, its a prideful for Gujarat. Today I have arrived in Rajkot so I would share one incidence. Once Kiritbhai Ganatra from ATIRA gave me a call. In the world of journalism Kiritbhai is a different character, a very different person. It’s not in his nature to make a call. He is such a person who has nothing to do with the government or non-government . So when I got a call ....from Kiritbhai I was surprised!!! So I gave me a call back after some time. The phone was early in the morning, “Yes Kiritbhai, what was the matter for making a phone call ?” He said that,” He is speaking from Pathankot”. So with a shock I asked,”Brother, are you in any trouble? You are speaking from Pathankot. What happened ?” Then he said that, “ No...No.. Narendrabhai, there’s no trouble. We had a family tour to get auspicious presence of Vaishnoi Devi and while returning towards Himachal we have taken a halt at a stall in Pathankot to drink tea and it happened such that I have to make a call to you “.I said, “What happened?” He said,”The tea seller is not ready to take money from us for tea”. I asked, “Why?” He said, “Since our car number is of Gujarat, and that we are from Gujarat so he is not taking money from us”.
Kiritbhai phoned me such from Pathankot. I asked,”Kiritbhai are you still on that tea-stall or have left?” He told, “I am still there” I said,”Let the owner talk to me...”. You can imagine how much that man must have got impressed and he must have realised the power of Kiritbhai for connecting the telephone line with the Chief Minister within five minutes. Friends !such incidences must be happening in your life day by day. Gujarat is admired from all the four directions, the development of Gujarat is discussed and each and every Gujarati is its beneficiary. Here whatever wrong deeds a person must be doing, but when he goes out of Gujarat, he gets benefitted for being a staunch Gujarati .He accepts the compliments given if any, “Yes, Yes!!... our Gujarat is excellent......”he says so. All are getting advantage of it. Somewhere if any one says ’Development’ immediately ‘Gujarat ‘ is remembered and if anyone says ‘Gujarat ‘ then ‘Development’ is seen this has become a sequence, an order.
This development is because of what ? What is the reason for this development? Different people are evaluating it in different ways. Some quote it is because of the Chief Minister that we have got, some give credit to the government, some consider development is due to the political stability , some says the government has become active so development is achieved. All are giving different reasons. But are you aware of the real fact ? Ladies & Gentlemen, the hard work of 6 crore Gujaratis is the real reason for the development of Gujarat . The power of it goes to the citizens of Gujarat. The penance, hard work, courage is responsible for the development of Gujarat. Credit goes to you, you are authorized for it, you have conquered and so today Gujarat is able to cross new heights. Ladies & Gentlemen, What is that power of these 6 crore Gujaratis , that have changed the whole situation. Otherwise these Gujaratis were there before 2001, but why has it happened now ? It has happened now because Gujarat has accepted the path of unity, peace, and brotherhood, because of that reason it has been possible. Otherwise what was there in the past ? Remember the days of 1985, game was played in the name of KHAM , remember..... there were clashes day and night, there were violence, the poison of communal differences were being imposed. Our farmer would work hard to grow grains in the field, but at the time of harvesting, heavy elements would arrive, rumble bubble everything and would flee away. In the midnight they would take away even the grain that the farmer might have stocked for himself. Such waywardness in the villages were not new. To harass sisters and daughters had become a regular practice, this days we have seen. Those in power would demeanour Criminality, Torturing on others ......such tendencies were going on. Why ? Because it was essential for the government of that time. To make people fight, quarrel with each other so that people would always have to depand on the government. Today such conspiracy is not happening. Communal poison are not being dissolved among the people. Now onwards the social life has become quarrel free. How much clashes were going on ? If one wished to go Ahmedabad from Rajkot then they had to enquire if any curfew is not there, so that they may depart.. If a date for wedding has to be fixed then they had to first see if there are no date nearing to Rathyatra, curfew was been imposed for a month. This was it.....! If there was procession of Moharram then it created tension, if curfew is imposed the ? If there was Id then it created tension, riots would conduct then? If there was Ganesh Chaturthi then it created tension of riots.... Not a single festival was celebrated without law violation. Weapons would ooze, Weapons!! The youngsters may fell to death , burning of rickshaws, stalls all such programmes were going on.
Gujarat was totally put to destruction. Caste toxic, Communal toxic.......it was made to destroy. Now ten years are passed, but what is called as ‘Curfew’, Gujarat has forgotten it. Else there was a time when the child would learn to utter the word ‘Curfew’ before learning to say Mummy-Papa, he was able to speak ‘Curfew’. Because in Gujarat the word ‘Curfew’ had become like.........................The child may not recognize his parental uncle, maternal uncle but would recognize the police uncle .Because they always stood on duty out of there houses. Everything of this is now moved out. Friends! Because of the Unity, Peace, Brotherhood a new form of Gujarat is established. And for that it is essential for all of us to join in the development of Gujarat. We should accept the ideology of development, become the beneficiary of development, actively should we participate in the development and this is the atmosphere prevailing in Gujarat and the world should be aware of it. At the top of my voice I have to tell to the other states of India those who believe to develop that the herbal medicine of Gujarat is such that it will be useful to you also. The herbal medicine is made of unity, peace, brotherhood. If Indian states come out of the poisonous communal disputes, if they come out of the conspiracy of communal debates then I can tell you with confidence that like Gujarat, they too can start their golden period , this is my challenge, Friends! To make this statement the strength of my word I have observed this ‘yagnya’, fast. Friends ! Fast has its potential, this is my conviction and by the potential of fast the ordinary man is able to carry his statement to its root.
You just imagine brothers! The way Gujarat is developing today.....!Dairy business, dairy. Our cattle rearer, farmers.....they have cows and cattle, for eight months they depend on cattle rearing only.....You just think, from today 10 years before the milk production of Saurashtra was just 70,000 litres, only 70,000 litres. Today, Today it has reached up to 20,00,000 litres. Within just 10 years..... Government had decided not to run dairies, not to run dairies in Kathiawad was illegal decision. Brothers ! When I came I was shocked for what these people must have done ? I worked differently. I asked them to run diaries and those who ran diaries were provided finance also and now diaries are established and are run in Kathiawad. That peasant who sold milk for hardly 10 Rupees, now he earns 25, 27 or even 30 Rupees, his household income is increased , Brother!! The milk of cattle rearing which was neglected earlier, today income from that milk is raised. Poor man ! He would make dairy products, burn wood and coal still he would not get the cost as expected, we have seen such days. Now due to the onset of diary the earnings from it has also been increased, the income has got guarantee. Not only this, Brothers! in whole Gujarat wherever the dairies are established what was the condition of the milk production? Before 2001 , the availability of milk was 40-42 lakh litre, at present 120 lakh is filled in the diaries of Gujarat. Try to understand the process by which peasant’s earning can be increased. We have started a mission to make peasants of Gujarat self reliant. In many areas of Saurashtra cotton is produced. Before 2001 23 lakh raw cotton was produced, now 1 crore 23 lakh raw cotton is produced on the lands of Gujarat by our farmers. This is known as ‘Development’. This is the example of how the changes are brought.
In 2001 I was conducting a meeting in an urban sector. I was surprised to know that even after to and fro of many governments , many budgets that were formed, but nothing was thought on the urban poverty and health , will you think...! This government is such that Friends, arrangement regarding the health of urban poorer is made and then Indian government also felt that something has to be done for urban poverty.
We thought on the skills that are possessed by an ordinary man. In the past how was it ? There was no value if anybody get ITI education. Let it be, he is from ITI.....We gave me prestige. I told the student who passes out ITI, by finishing one year course he should be considered as 10th pass, and one who have finished two years course, he should be considered as 12th pass, thereafter if he wishes to go for diploma or degree open the doors for it. This is done in Gujarat and a new enthusiasm is established among those boys of Gujarat who are technically skilled. He could change his life. After learning till 5th or 7th std poor child must have given up his learning, leading his life in slums, without much earning as through hardship he could hardly earn his daily wages of 5 – 50 Rupees .....we decided to develop his skill, teach him some techniques. In major cities and towns we started a scheme named ‘Umeed’, wherein every year more than one lakh youngsters who studied till just 5th or 7th std were given technical education and now they are able to earn 10 thousand, 12 thousand, 15 thousand with guarantee. Who cares for this ? Mission is carried out to bring changes in the life of an ordinary man.
Ladies & Gentlemen, If we want to develop, if we want to cross new heights then 50 kinds of strength of the society should also be included in the journey of development. Our slogan is “Together we all, Develop we all” All should assist, if all are ready to give their assistance and help, then all will develop. To strengthen the skills of women we have started ‘Mission Mangalam’. In last 3 to 4 years we have started 2.50 lakh Sakhi Mandal. For the women living below poverty line who saves 1 rupee, 2 Rupee, start mandal, the government assist them, help them to get them loans from the banks, through this are able to run their business, make production on small scale basis. Today I met sisters of Sakhi Mandal in an exhibition, I came to know that each woman of Sakhi Mandal now has become capable of earning more than 1500-2000. At present there are more than 2500 lakh Sakhi Mandals in Gujarat. Trading worth Rs 1500 crore is given in hands of sisters living their life below poverty line.1500 crore Rupees , brother. In coming days I want to increase this amount till 5000 crore Rupees . You just think ! The turnover worth Rs 5000 crore handled by women living below poverty line, it means a major financial trading. You can’t imagine the strength that will be achieved. This is an example to know how to make developments. These people can’t imagine, friends. They do not understand what is the order. Ladies and Gentlmen, We want to take Gujarat at new height. We want to achieve new heights in every sector.
Whether it business, agriculture, tourism....The entire Kathiawad has a large potential for tourism. If we concentrate on the tourism of Kutch and Kathiawad then it is so powerful that the tourism business of entire India can be covered and turned into it. Dwarka, Somnath, Lions of Gir, the desert of Kutch, 1500 km long coastal area.......what we do not have ? All this appeared after me, brother ? Lions of Gir followed me ?I could see them, but they could not and so nowadays there is a long queue to see lions. In the tourist centre of Kathiawad 40 new hotels are constructed, just within 2 years....Amitabh Bachhan has just started publicity on it. 40 new hotels are constructed, more than 1000 beds are made. Not only this, in Gir forest people have started constructing new rooms with western style toilet facility outside their houses and these rooms are used as paying guest and are given on rent .They have started earning 2-2000 rupees per night, Brother!. Now ‘Home Lease’ is started, paying guest system is now becoming common,now ‘Home-Stay’ facility is coming up. Visit the desert of Kutch. Now in the old....... last village on the border of Pakistan numerous resorts are being constructed. Maximum benefit of tourism will be availed by Kutch and Kathiawad. This all is done to attract tourists from all over India. If tourism develops, even the most poor man will get job. When Tourism develops rickshawala earns, Taxi man earns, chocolate seller earns, on the bus-stand that Bhajiya-Papad seller also earns, man having Tea-stall earns, one who makes Dolls and sells them, thus doll seller also earns each and every man earns, Friends, Such is the Tourism .Its does not required any big investment. Only thing is to form a nature to approach and welcome warmly the guests from outside. If we try to loot or deceive them then no one will come. But we do as per their wish gradually then we can also earn, people also tend to approach. Today in Gujarat tourism is developing in full swing. Its maximum benefit will go to Kutch and Kathiawad, Friends. They have become its beneficiary because The God has given them many things. Our ancestors also have left many things over here, take its advantage, brother! There was a time, this coastal area of Saurashtra was considered as burden by us. Salty air, salty area, all parents were banging their heads that after taking birth over here, where would they send their children to live a better life and so to polish pearls whole Kathiawad became vacant. Alas ! They saw a very struggled life in Surat and Mumbai .Why? Because they considered this coastal area as burden. The coastal area which was considered as burden till tomorrow, today it has given us a break, Friends. The 1500 km long coastal area has opened the doors of development for India, it has become as entrance for the prosperity of our country and the days are not far Friends, within 20 years you will see..... you remember my this words, just within 20 years you will see that an entire brand new Gujarat living around this coastal area. Whole coastal area will prosper and Kutch and Kathiawad will be benefited by it directly. This opportunity will not be missed, and through Sadbhavana Mission the strength of Gujarat will be increased. We have to add to the powers of Unity, Peace, and brotherhood...... The elements that have tried to defame Gujarat, with the ideology of Sadbhavana by introducing its strength, by accelerating the speed of development, the power to shut the mouths of people in the world exists with the 6 crore citizens of Gujarat, on that base we have to move ahead.
Ladies & Gentlemen! When I have arrived on the lands of Rajkot, for that coming days for the development of Rajkot we have thought of investing 1100 crore Rupees which includes strengthening of roads, recarpating, widening of roads ......river front, we have to give shape to the project of river front in Rajkot, Brother! And we have to change the face and colour of Rajkot. There are many such projects but I am not detailing you today but through about 21different projects, with huge amount of 1100 crore Rupees the Development journey of Rajkot is moving forward to great speed, and from today we have started mission to fasten this speed of development .
Ladies & Gentlemen! How can we develop ? There was a time whenever a zilla got 1 crore Rupees from Gandhinagar it took wasted one month in celebrating the same. If they got 1 crore Rupees then they wasted time in celebrating it and distributing sweets. Ladies and Gentlmen ! Today we are distributing money. Develop Gujarat, Develop, Develop, Develop—we move a head with this one and the only one ideology and we have come forward. I am very very much thankful for the huge response and presence shown by Rajkot and all my Friends who have come here I request them that once again all of them should go from the lower side. I wish them all Ram.. Ram.......
