Author: Editorial
Publication: Pudhari
Date: August 12, 2006
(Free translation from Marathi)
If there is a most censured and condemned
Chief Minister during the last four and half years, he is Narendra Modi of
Gujarat. If there is a most denounced state, it is Gujarat. If we trust intellectuals,
politicians and media, then Gujarat would be the most unsafe and bankrupt
state. But is it the reality? If the news we hear, the discussions on news
channels that we listen and also the accusations and counter arguments reach
our ears are true, then we should have witnessed Gujarat as a most devastated
state. Whenever a culture, society, nation or locality or town starts getting
wrecked, it is the traders and industrialists who are the first to run away,
because they suffer highest losses by riots, violence and destruction. Therefore,
if the propaganda or information or rather disinformation were true, by this
time, traders there should have started running away. Industries and companies
should have gone for asylum to other states. But the reality is exactly opposite.
A number of traders and industrialists from other states are storming Gujarat
with their capital. The Gujarat, which was continuously denigrated, the same
is now considered to be a most reliable and safe state. One and half year
back, Rajeev Gandhi foundation had guaranteed it after a direct survey.
Now a study of Share Bazaar and investment
is provided evidence for it. In economic transactions, Gujarat has become
so much a word of prestige that many industrialists are running a race of
joining the word Gujarat to their names. Or rather, in this race, there is
highest demand to word 'Gujarat'. In comparison, Maharashtra, Tamilnadu, Andhra
and Karnatak have fallen behind like anything. In Mumbai Share Bazaar, among
those companies which are considered to be prestigious, the number of companies
which have Gujarat in their name, is 70. Those who have Punjab in their name
are 10 while those having Maharashtra are 8 only. Those, which use word Bharat,
are 17 and those, which use India, are 50 only. Comparatively, Gujarat is
far ahead.
Of course, the companies with Gujarat in their
name do not stand first. The total capital of those companies using word India
is Rs.90,000 crores. According to the statistics as of 4th August 2006 that
was the situation. The capital of companies with the Bharat in their name,
is Rs.82,000 crores. And then is the number of Gujarat which has Rs.30,000
crores capital. All other states are far behind. If figures are to be quoted,
Punjab has 13,000 crores, Maharashtra 2,500 crores and Tamilnadu 850 crores.
In short, Gujarat has become a prestigious state and name too. Now there is
a possibility of cropping up of a question here, "Where is the connection
of the so much condemned Narendra Modi in this?"
Particularly, Maharashtra must ask this question.
The financial capital of the country is the capital of Maharashtra. Four continuous
decades after independence Maharashtra has been the most industrialized and
economically advanced state. Then why the state bearing the name Maharashtra
should not have such prestige and credit in the industrial and commercial
world? Shri Atul Tandon, director of Mudra communications, which is engaged
in continuous study of these subjects, explains this phenomenon saying that
"On some occasions, some companies adopt regional names for legal reasons.
But mainly, it is because through those names, the meritorious excellence,
reliability and industriousness of the people around is attributed to the
company."
And it is here that Narendra Modi proves to
be of importance. During the last four years, Narendra Modi as a chief minister,
has taken clear-cut decisions and improved the economic structure of Gujarat
and pulled all Government undertakings and Corporations out of losses and
made them profitable. On one side when Government companies were being privatized
because of bankruptcy, Modi brought State undertakings/companies in profit
and this has given prestige and credit in the market to the name Gujarat.
But who will print such news? And Modi has not only given fillip to the trade,
but has made Gujarat the safest state in the entire country.
Gujarat is the safest state of all:
The name of the person who ended terrorism
and violence in Punjab and established peace again is K. P. S. Gill. He convinced
the then PM Rajeev Gandhi that terrorism can be finished not by discussion
but by harsh measures. Rajeev Gandhi gave full powers to Gill and in 3 years
he brought the Punjab train on rails again. Without taking steps like investigation,
filing cases or giving Red Alert, he met the terrorists face to face. That
made terrorists retreat. Where they surrendered, they were given chances to
improve. Where they were adamant, there terrorism was shot through encounters.
The same Gill was invited by Chief Minister Modi as Security Adviser after
the riots of 2002. He suggested measures and Gujarat was pacified in 2 months.
Now he is engaged as a security adviser to the Chhatisgarh Government also.
There was a great ruckus over the visit of
Modi to Mumbai after the bomb blasts. Modi's speech about ending terrorism
was highly disputed. But during the last four years there has never been any
terrorist incident in Gujarat. There, the terrorists are shot dead first and
afterwards search of his supporters starts. Mr Gill has opined that if Maharashtra
Government had followed Gujarat government, the incident of Mumbai blasts
would not have taken place. After finding explosives from Aurangabad it should
have taken the assistance of Gujarat. Instead of running after the Dance Bars,
Maharashtra Government should have spent their power on concentrating their
strength on hunting the Jihadi terrorists. Gujarat (meaning the most denigrated
Narendra Modi) does not wait for any terrorist incident to take place. Always
on alert it hunts for Jihadis, terrorists and shoots them. Hence only Gujarat
has become the safest state of all in the country. People there are not afraid
to live. But Jihadis are scared to go in Gujarat. "That is called security,"
says Gill.
