Gandhinagar: President Ram Nath Kovind addressed the Gujarat Assembly on Wednesday and urged the elected representatives and common citizens to work for the country's development and bright future.
It was the first address to the state Assembly by any President, and the event was part of the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' to celebrate 75 years of India's independence.
Kovind praised the contribution of the people of the state and its leaders like Sardar Patel, India's first home minister, towards the country's development. He said for the past few years, the ''Gujarat Model of Development'' is being seen as an imitable example, which can be implemented in any region and state of the country.
''The Sabarmati Riverfront is an impressive example of urban transformation. The relationship between Sabarmati and its residents has been given a new dimension while keeping the environment safe. This can be a good example for all other cities of the country situated on river banks,'' he said.
Kovind said when the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' is being celebrated in the country, ''it is our duty to take meaningful steps for the country's bright future while remembering our freedom fighters, so that in 2047 when India will celebrate its independence centenary, the generation that time will feel proud of the country''.
He expressed confidence that the Centre, state governments and citizens would continue to move forward on the path of development together with the aim of making India's centenary year golden age.
In his address to the Gujarat Assembly, he also lauded the people of the state and its leaders for their contribution in the country's independence struggle and development.
''The people of Gujarat were pioneers in envisioning an independent India. In the last decades of the 19th century, personalities like Dadabhai Naoroji raised their voices for the rights of Indians. That struggle was then strengthened by the people of Gujarat and eventually culminated in India's independence under Mahatma Gandhi,'' the president said.
Mahatma Gandhi not only provided leadership to India's freedom struggle but also showed a new path, a new thinking and a new philosophy to the whole world, he noted. ''Today, whenever there is any kind of violence in the world, the importance of Bapu's motto - 'Ahimsa' - is remembered,'' he said.
Gujarat is the land of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel, and can be called the land of 'satyagraha', he said. ''The mantra of satyagraha was established as an unfailing weapon against colonialism all over the world. The Bardoli Satyagraha, Salt Movement and Dandi March not only gave a new shape to our freedom struggle but also a new dimension to the expression of protest and conduct of the mass movement,'' Kovind said.
Sardar Patel gave the independent India its unified form and strengthened the foundation of administration. ''His 'Statue of Unity' on the banks of the Narmada river in Gujarat, which is the tallest statue in the world, is a small gift from a grateful nation in his memory. His stature in the hearts of people of India is even higher than that,'' the president said.
He also said that Maharaja Sayajirao Gaikwad of Vadodara had helped Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar to take up higher education and ''it was here (in Gujarat) that Ambedkar took an oath to end untouchability''. Besides politics, Gujarat has also played an important role in cultural, social and economic fields, he pointed out. ''Spirituality has had a great influence on this land of (poet) Narsinh Mehta. His hymn 'vaishnav jan to tene kahiye, je peed parayi jaane re' became the song of our freedom struggle. It also spread the humanism of Indian culture,'' he said.
Kovind said the generosity of the people of Gujarat is a major feature of Indian culture, and people of all sects and communities have been growing in this region since ancient times.
While remembering scientists Dr Homi Bhabha and Dr Vikram Sarabhai, the president noted that Gujarat made remarkable contributions in the field of science in the modern era. After coming into existence in 1960, Gujarat has been leading on the path of development through enterprise and innovation, he said. Kovind said the 'White Revolution,' started on the soil of Gujarat, has made a remarkable change in the field of nutrition. ''Today, India holds the first place in the world in terms of total production and consumption of milk. The milk cooperatives of Gujarat have been the harbingers of this success,'' he said. The Centre has constituted the Union Ministry of Cooperatives with the aim of spreading benefits of the success of cooperative culture in Gujarat throughout the country, he added. The president also praised the present and previous governments of Gujarat as well as present and past members of the state Assembly for their contribution to the multi-faceted progress of the state.
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