Shri Narendra Modi’s Address On The Occasion of Leuva Patidar Girl’s Hotel Inauguration

Bharat Mata ki Jai..!

Seated on the stage Mr. Madhvabhai Vaviya, Shri Ganeshbhai Chaudhari, Mr. Bhanjibhai Ravalia, Shari Manjitbhai, Shri Ambanibhai, Shri Narayanbhai, Shri Laxmanbhai, BJP President Shri Jayantibhai Bhanushali, APMC chairman Shri Vaghjibhai, Bhai Pankaj Mehta, Mr. Gajendra Singh, Gangaben and all loved ones present in a huge number in this scorching heat dear Ladies & Gentlemen of Vagad…!

Today I have come here to celebrate Kutchi New Year and on this occasion of New Year of Kutch, I wish you all Kutchi Brothers & Sisters and all the citizens of Vagad a very Happy New Year from the bottom of my heart. Let’s all pray to God that this New Year will make Kutch shine in the whole world. It was said that just by uttering mother Narmada’s name, one could earn virtue. Maa Narmada is going to reach every home by God’s grace. All those who have come from Mumbai and other cities, please look around, development works going on everywhere in full swing.

Ladies & Gentlemen, today on this Kutchi New Year my first program was to pay respect to Lord Jagganathji, I attended the function to flag off the Rathyatra procession. During this function a traditional ritual is performed, which is to sweep the temple and Rathyatra premises with a golden broom in order to clean the area and thereafter the chariots move. And I am lucky. I am the first Chief Minister of Gujarat who has got this opportunity of sweeping for the 11th time. Thus, even God has trust in me that this person has the ability to clean. And now with your blessings all of us have become expert in cleaning the litter. Today I got the honor of unveiling Sardar Saheb’s statue in Kutch. Till date, I must have got the honor of unveiling more than 100 statues of Sardar Saheb.

Ladies & Gentlemen, I want to thank as well as congratulate all those who are working for ‘Kelavani Mandal’ of Leuva Patel community as you are rendering fundamental service to the society. Although you are settled in Mumbai, extremely busy in business, yet you are working so hard to help bring education on the land of Vagad, and I offer lakhs of congratulations to you all for this. Ladies & Gentlemen, it was easy-going in the past - if parents were aware, if there was a good teacher in the village who taught the children with interest, and if that child went to school, he could study, otherwise his life would be wasted. I am talking about the time prior to 21st century, after the independence. The situation was such that in a village, if there were 100 children in the school-going age group, only 40 actually went to school and remaining 60 would sit at home. Because the Governments of that time never bothered for this. Their attitude was that if 60 remained uneducated, they would work as labourers in future… and 40 who reached schools would go wherever their fate took them… Gentlemen, society can’t be left to its destiny. It should be a combined effort, a joint responsibility of the society, Government, political leaders and educationists to change the situation. We took up this initiative. Since 2001 when I came, I have taken this responsibility that girls should study. And I knew that when I start with this initiative to educate girls, boys would automatically follow. And the outcome is that we are now successful in getting 100% enrollment in the schools. Previously 40 used to come and now all of a sudden 100 started coming, so naturally there’s been a huge burden on the State.. there was shortage of classrooms, shortage of teachers and even the B.Ed. colleges were not sufficient enough. There’s been a continuous workload. In this just one decade, 1.75 lakh teachers were recruited, yes 1.75 lakh..! Reason, we had a dream to educate Gujarat’s children especially girls, so that they do not lag behind. As there was shortage of rooms, we had to build about 65,000 new class-rooms. If I and my Government had not taken all this pain and burden, no one would have asked us for an explanation, because in the past no explanation was asked from any other Government..! Whether it was asked from others or not, whether they were bothered or not, but Brothers, this Chief Minister is such, this Government is such that it can’t sleep peacefully, it becomes restless..! We took up this initiative and children who were enrolled in 2001, ‘02, ‘03 or ‘05... they have now passed 5th standard and want 6th standard school, those who have passed 7th std. want 8th std. school, 8th passed want the school up to 10th and 10th passed now want a 12th standard school…! Ladies & Gentlemen, it is a pleasure to see the demand for education come from every nook and corner of Gujarat. It is really a good sign. The demand for new schools and new classes is a sign of bright future, and an auspicious sign for a strong foundation. And this trend appears good in Kutch, Gentlemen. And the State has also decided that there should be no hurdles in children’s higher studies, they should get all the facilities generously, and every family, even the poorest one, should flourish with education. Ladies & Gentlemen, it is a matter of great pleasure for us that in our State social organizations and social leaders work in unison with the Government for education, without any selfish political interest. Thanks to such donors and people working for the society, the State has been able to march ahead proudly in this direction. They have made this huge complex, such an outstanding complex it is, Sir..! We wish if we were students, it would be so much fun..! Looking at this beautiful complex we feel like studying again, Brother..! Such nice greenery in Vagad, you can’t take your eyes off it, Sir..! I congratulate you, lots of congratulations..! In this effort of society, the Government is with you at every step, and I want to assure you that the Government will always give support and co-operation in this journey of progress. It is Gujarat’s fortune that such noble people, such donors are with us, and people dedicated to society and who work without any self-interest are with us.

Ladies & Gentlemen, I have come to Vagad more often than the Chief Ministers of past. And I’d told you last time too, now forget the old days of Vagad, as there is only one Mantra, ‘Vagad Vadhe Aagad’…! And I have decided to prove it, friends. Once the work of my mother Narmada is over, you will see that there will be accolades all around…! We now have to cross newer heights of development. And the country as well as the world has accepted this. Today, the Delhi Govt. is being criticized from everywhere. Everyday new reviews, survey reports and analysis are coming in from international agencies as to how Delhi Govt. has ruined the country. Gujarat is the only exception, Gentlemen, from where only good news come - news of new developments, new progress come daily…! But our bad luck. I told Central Government to stop envying, bothering and obstructing us. If you don’t wish to help us, don’t help, but at least let us do something…! And you have so much of power, if you don’t want to help us, doesn’t matter, come and compete with us…! We do good work, you too do good work, whoever will do better work, people will welcome them. But they do not want to compete, see… they start drifting away..! I said, come let’s compete for progress, a healthy competition for progress. You do your job and we do ours. And let the people see to whose credit goes the good work, people will exactly come to know who is using every single penny appropriately and who’s getting ready to go to Tihar jail. Ladies & Gentlemen, it is people’s money, people should know how it has been accounted for, every single penny should be utilized properly. Today you may go anywhere in Gujarat Sir, travel 25 km in any direction… you will for sure find some development work going on. Either canal’s being dug, or pipeline being laid, or check dam’s getting constructed, or a classroom is getting built, or a clinic’s being set up… Some or the other work is going on for sure. All across Gujarat go 25 km in any direction and you definitely get to see some or the other work going on. These elderly people in the village during their daily hookah talk, are saying, “Wherefrom does this Modi bring money..?” They discuss this. Because previously all were gluttonous..! This is neither Modi’s money, nor Modi brings money, it is all yours..! But previously it was going elsewhere and as I stopped all that, now it comes back to you. It is your money only, the public money, this property is of public and the money is rightfully yours but previously all sorts of claws used to snatch it away and I am just a watchman struggling to safeguard your vault from such claws. And therefore, money is now used for progress, for the benefit of Gujarat and to change the life of the poor in Gujarat. And in this too, our priority is education, villages, the poor and farmers. Just think, had anyone imagined that there would be such farming in Kutch? Mother Narmada is about to set her foot in and look at the work which is going on prior to that. Did anybody think about this? Now Kutch’s name is becoming popular in agriculture, Friends. What is the reason? The management and vision of the Government due to which this revolution has come.

Milk is being produced at a great speed, dairies are in full swing, and the milk producer has started getting cash money every evening… and due to this people have begun trusting development policies and an atmosphere of partnership has been created. Today, ‘Sakhi Mandals’ of women have been formed in most of the villages. There are 2.5 lakh ‘Sakhi Mandals’ in all over Gujarat, yes 2.5 lakh..! 10, 12 or 15 women jointly run these Sakhi Mandals and do some economic activity. This Govt. has given them Rs. 1600 crore so that they can do some or the other economic activity in their homes. And my aim is to hand over a huge amount of Rs. 5000 crore to these women in coming days. Just imagine how electrifying will be the coming days…!

Ladies & Gentlemen, there is no other way but development. Development is our only Mantra. This Government has embraced development work for 11 consistent years and there is everyone’s welfare in it. And so together with the whole of the society accomplishing the mantra of peace, unity and goodwill, the Mantra ‘Sauno Saath, Sauno Vikaas’, Gujarat is progressing and moving ahead with your blessings. I once again from the bottom of my heart wish you all with a hope may this New Year too become an occasion to energize further new achievements.

Jai Jai Garvi Gujarat..!!