Published By : Admin |
December 25, 2011 | 15:43 IST
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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.
This ‘Kankaria Carnival’… Poor children of this city, children living in slums, studying in Municipal Primary Schools… they have the same capability as we have. The God has given them the same strength as what we have. But, they never got a chance to show their talent. Whether it’s ‘Patangotsav’ or ‘Kankaria Carnival’, we have always given opportunities to these children of poor families. When they show their creativity, express their ability in front of the enlightened citizens of this city, the exposure that they get, the confidence level which is built up from it at that time, adds up in the strength of this city and for that endless efforts are made by this city.
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.
Just as the Netherlands is known for tulips, India is known for the lotus: PM Modi in The Hague
May 16, 2026
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Bharat Mata ki Jai!!!!
So much affection. Such great enthusiasm. To be honest, for a moment I almost forgot that I was in the Netherlands. It feels as though a festival is underway somewhere in India itself!
Although The Hague is known across the world as the "City of Peace and Justice,” the atmosphere here today makes it feel as though The Hague has become a living symbol of Indian friendship!
This shows that the colour of one’s passport may change, one’s address may change, even one’s time zone may change - but wherever the children of Mother India may live, this warmth, this vibrancy, and this spirit of celebrating life always remain with us.
I express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you for this warm welcome. And as I was entering here, it saw the whole of Maharashtra, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Mero Pyaro Rajasthan, and "A” for Assam…
Friends,
After meeting all of you today, I will have the opportunity to meet His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen. In addition, I will also hold detailed discussions on several matters with Prime Minister Rob Jetten.
Over the past years, whenever I have spoken with the leaders of the Netherlands, they have always spoken very highly of the Indian diaspora. They have praised all of you. Every Indian takes pride in the contribution you are making to Dutch society and to the economy here.
On this occasion today, I express my gratitude to the people of the Netherlands and to the government here. On behalf of 1.4 billion Indians, I extend my warm wishes to the people of this country.
Friends,
I have visited the Netherlands before as well. Some of my old friends are seated here today. I have also had considerable interaction with the Indian community living here. The story of many families present here is not merely a story of migration; it is a story of culture, of faith, and of progress achieved amidst countless struggles.
In those days, no one could have imagined that even after crossing two oceans, the identity of Indians would remain so vibrant and alive. Your ancestors may have left many things behind, but certain things always stayed - the fragrance of their soil, the memories of their festivals, the melodies of devotional hymns, and the values passed down by their forefathers.
Friends,
The history of humanity bears witness to the fact that, over time, many cultures have faded away. Yet India’s diverse culture continues to beat strongly in the hearts of its people even today. Generations have changed, countries have changed, and surroundings have changed - but family values have not changed. The sense of belonging has not changed. You embraced the Dutch language, yet you did not abandon the language of your ancestors.
Our community radio stations are very popular here, and through these stations, India’s music and culture are also reaching Dutch families. Whether it is the Gandhi Centre or schools across different cities, you are carrying your culture forward to future generations. This is truly commendable. All of you deserve appreciation and congratulations.
Friends,
Today is the 16th of May, and this day is special for another reason. Twelve years ago, on 16 May 2014, something remarkable happened. It was on this very day in 2014 that the results of the Lok Sabha elections were announced, making it certain that, after decades, India would have a stable government with a full majority.From that day to this day, the trust reposed in me by crores of Indians neither allows me to stop nor to tire. This journey continues relentlessly and non-stop.
Friends,
From a very young age, I became deeply immersed in the spirit of patriotism. All of you became my family. I set forth towards "स्वर्ग सच समष्टि.” I chose the path of "अहम् से वयं”
And then, your happiness became my happiness. Your welfare became my duty. With a spirit of dedication, and with the blessings of all of you, I continued striving to do whatever I could. But that I would receive such immense love from the people - this was beyond even my imagination.
When I look back, I see 13 years of service as Chief Minister, 12 years as Prime Minister, 25 in the democratic world, receiving the continuous support of crores upon crores of voters is, for me, a matter of immense good fortune.
For me, this is not merely a statistic; it is your blessing, and it is my greatest strength. The love and blessings of the nation inspires me every moment of my life to work towards fulfilling the dreams of the people of India.
Friends,
No matter which country in the world it may be, if it wishes to progress, it must dream big. Today, our India too is dreaming on a very grand scale. Today, the nation is saying - we do not seek merely transformation; we seek the best. And not only the best, we seek the fastest as well. That is why, when aspirations in India are unlimited, our efforts too are becoming limitless.
Take the example of India’s youth. Today, the youth of India aspire to touch the skies. They want to build startups, create quality products, manufacture drones, and lead India forward in the worlds of AI and semiconductors. That is why India’s startup ecosystem is continuously growing stronger. Today, we are the country with the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem.
And friends,
Today, India’s aspirations are not limited merely to its own borders. India wishes to host the Olympics, become a global manufacturing hub, emerge as a leader in green energy, and serve as an engine of growth for the world.The point remains the same, our aspirations are unlimited, and the scale of our efforts is equally vast. Record highway construction, record rail electrification, semi-high-speed trains like Vande Bharat Express, and one of the world’s largest renewable energy expansions — no matter how ambitious the goal may be, today’s India says that we will achieve it, and we are demonstrating that through our actions.
Friends,
Today’s India is passing through a phase of unprecedented transformation. You may have seen recently that India hosted the world’s largest and most successful AI Summit. Before that, India had also successfully hosted the G20 New Delhi Summit. These were not merely one-time events; this has now become the character and confidence of today’s India.
India has implemented the world’s largest unique identification programme. India has also carried out one of the world’s largest financial inclusion programmes. The scale at which India is advancing digitalisation is truly unprecedented. India is running the world’s largest government-funded health insurance scheme as well.And yes, India reached a part of the Moon where no one had reached before. India is also successfully working on one of the world’s most advanced fast breeder reactors in the field of nuclear energy.
Friends,
The scale at which India is progressing is also clearly visible in infrastructure development. The solar parks being built in India today are among the largest in the world.
Whether it is some of the tallest and longest tunnels, the highest and longest bridges, the longest expressways, the largest metro networks, the largest civil aviation networks, or the largest electrified rail networks - many of these are now being built in India.
In recent years, India has laid optical fibre stretching more than eleven times the distance between the Earth and the Moon. A decade ago, we imported mobile phones; today, India has become the world’s second-largest mobile phone manufacturer.
Friends,
Along with this speed and scale, there is yet another defining feature of today’s India. Today’s India is powered by innovation. Our digital public infrastructure is being discussed across the world today, and it stands as a major testament to the innovative capabilities of Indians.
Today, if one wishes to store money, there are digital wallets. If one needs to keep documents securely, there is DigiLocker. If one wishes to travel, there is Digi Yatra. And if one wants to avail healthcare services, there is a Digital Health ID.
Friends,
Today, more than 20 billion UPI transactions take place in India every month. In other words, more than half of all digital transactions taking place across the world are happening in India alone.
And startups have now become part of the very mindset of India’s youth. Twelve years ago, there were fewer than 500 startups in the country; today, that number has risen to more than 200,000. Likewise, in the world of startups, India had only four unicorns in 2014. Today, India has nearly 125 active unicorns. In 2025 alone, nearly 44,000 new startups were registered. Today, our startups are doing remarkable work in sectors such as AI, defence, and space.
With time, this culture of research and innovation is becoming even more expansive. In the past year alone, more than 125,000 patents were filed in India.
Friends,
India is also taking major strides in chip manufacturing and in the semiconductor sector. At present, work is underway on 12 semiconductor plants in India, and production has already begun at two of these facilities. This means that chips, too, will now be "Designed in India” and "Made in India.”
Friends,
India’s aspiration-driven journey is also strengthening our democracy. When people’s dreams are fulfilled, their faith in democracy grows stronger as well.
Friends,
Let me give you the example of the recent Assembly elections. This time, voter turnout in Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry ranged between 80 to 90 percent. Women’s participation, in particular, has increased significantly. This trend is visible across every state.
Today, voters in India are enthusiastic, and all of you are equally enthusiastic. Friends, we take pride in the fact that new voting records are being set year after year.
Friends,
More than 900 million voters are registered in India. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, 640 million people cast their votes - meaning that more Indians voted than the total population of the European Union. India values the democratic participation of every citizen, and as the Mother of Democracy, this is a matter of great pride for all of us.
Friends,
Whenever India succeeds, the entire humanity benefits from it. But today, humanity is also facing many major challenges. We are witnessing how the world is struggling with new challenges one after another.
First came the coronavirus pandemic, then wars began to erupt, and now the world is facing an energy crisis. This decade is increasingly turning into a decade of disasters for the world.
We can all see that if these conditions are not changed swiftly, the achievements of many past decades could be undone. A very large section of the world’s population could once again be pushed into the quagmire of poverty.
Friends,
In such global circumstances, the world today is speaking about resilient supply chains. And in this context, India and the Netherlands are working together to build a trusted, transparent, and future-ready supply chain.
From energy security to water security, the Netherlands and India are cooperating closely. Our collaboration in the field of green hydrogen is especially significant. Moreover, the historic trade agreement between India and the European Union will further strengthen the partnership between India and the Netherlands.
And all of you will benefit from this as well. The Netherlands will become the natural gateway for Indian businesses entering Europe. In this journey, our diaspora can serve as a trusted bridge. I say this because the diaspora understands both India’s ambitions and Europe’s standards. This will also create greater opportunities for Indians settled here to engage with high-quality products from India.
Friends,
The Netherlands is the land of tulips, and people from across the world come here to witness its beautiful tulip fields. In India too, one of the world’s largest tulip gardens is located in Jammu and Kashmir, in Srinagar.And just as the Netherlands is known for tulips, India is known for the lotus - the kamal.
Friends,
Both the tulip and the lotus teach us that whether one’s roots are in water or in the earth, with the right nourishment, both beauty and strength can flourish. This, too, is the foundation of the partnership between India and the Netherlands.
Friends,
There is another important bond of friendship between us that is not spoken about as often, and that is sports. Both our countries are working together in many ways in the field of sports.
Take cricket, for example. The Indian community has made a major contribution to cricket in the Netherlands. During the recent ICC Men's T20 World Cup held in India, the Netherlands team delivered a commendable performance. India may be the World Cup champion, but even India’s team faced very strong competition from the Netherlands side.
When we see players like Teja Nidamanuru and Vikramjit Singh wearing the Netherlands jersey, or when young players like Aryan Dutt contribute to the future of Dutch cricket, it gives all of us immense joy.
Friends,
Just as Indians have contributed significantly to cricket, the Netherlands has also made an important contribution to hockey in India. Dutch coaches have played a major role in further strengthening Indian hockey. Our women’s hockey team has been delivering outstanding performances in recent times, and Coach Sjoerd Marijne has played an important role in this journey.
And this year, the Netherlands is also hosting the Hockey World Cup. All of you must certainly go and watch India’s matches. One thing is certain - regardless of who wins the World Cup, the friendship between India and the Netherlands will surely emerge victorious.
Friends,
The true strength of the relationship between India and the Netherlands lies in all of you. You are the living bridge of this partnership. Therefore, the Government of India has extended the eligibility for the OCI Card for the Surinamese Hindustani community from the fourth generation to the sixth generation.
Friends,
The India of the 21st century is a land of opportunities. India is both technology-driven and humanity-driven. India is becoming as modern as it is ancient.
Therefore, this is also the time to reconnect with the villages of your ancestors in India, and to participate in the journey towards a developed India. I would urge all members of the Indian community in the Netherlands to deepen their engagement with India. This will strengthen India’s capabilities, and it will also bring greater returns on your investments — and this is Modi’s guarantee.
I am truly delighted that so many of you gathered here today. It has been my privilege to have the opportunity to see and interact with all of you. With these sentiments, I conclude my remarks.
Once again, my heartfelt thanks to all of you for such a warm and enthusiastic welcome!
