The state government will provide gas

The state government will provide gas as fuel to ceramic industries in Morbi and Kutch around Diwali this year to take on the Chinese competition so as to bring down the cost of production on a lar ge scale, said Chief Minister Narendra Modi here today।

He was inaugurating an exclusive showroom of Oreva vitrified tiles, part of Ajanta-ORPAT Group on Sarkhej-Gandhinagar Highway in the city.

At present China dominates in ceramic production and sales around the world, including India, because of their low pricing and mass production, Mr Modi said.

He had a word of praise for the acumen of Gujarati businessmen. If any company can capture the Ahmedabad market, then they can sell their product anywhere in the world. The cluster of industries that came up in and around Morbi after the Machchu dam disaster and fast development of major industries in Kutch are standing testimony to their indomitable spirit. The flood-hit Surat which is a textile and diamond hub of the State, will also make a turnaround to the utter surprise of all, Mr Modi said.

Meanwhile Ajanta Group Managing Director Pravinbhai Patel handed over a cheque of Rs 11,11,111 to the Chief Minister for the ‘Kanya Kelavani Fund’ and the Morbi Ceramic Manufacturers Association handed over a cheque of Rs 11,11,111 towards the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.

Hindustan Times & Karan Thapar : Eliminate Narendra Modi 'Suddenly ' from the scene...!!!

Hindustan Times & Karan Thapar : Eliminate Narendra Modi 'Suddenly ' from the scene...!!!

I have usually stopped writing from sometime, but this article from Hindustan TImes provoked me so much that I decided to write ....

Our media is now becoming more and more dangerous and desperate. After Gujarat elections it was anticipated that they will show some defiance and will try to find out execuses for the results and they did that too. But, going one step further there are some prescriptions are coming to either 'defeat' Modi by any means are even removing him from the scene 'suddenly' and probably physically.

I read in utter disbelief and shock today's article in Hindustan Times by Karan Thapar. He enojoyed some what better reputation relatively than Rajdeep Sardesai's and Vir Sanghavi's but he is found out to be the worst of the lot.. Please read for yourself on this link ...>> Karan Thapar's article...

Please read the last para and you too will be shocked. The whole article is usual whining and ranting and urging journalists and his reader at large to directly endorse Sonia as national unquestionable leader against Modi. But the last paragraph recommendation is very startling.

I quote from the article (last para:)


Only the sudden removal of Narendra Modi can stop this. For he is the agent forcing this change. And whilst he’s with us, he will do just that. I have no doubt Indian politics after Sunday the 23rd is another country. We have to live with new challenges. Some of us have to accept new leaders.


The situation in journalism is indeed going over the edge now. I was of view, till today, that media will slowly find reasons to develop a face saver and start some 'responsible' journalism after Gujarat elections results, but they are going too over the board now.

What is the meaning of recommending a leader (a citizen of country) eliminating suddenly from the scene ??? SO much talk of Democracy, Secularism, Rule of Law and "Fake Encounters"??


Such a bold move by Hindustan Times in order to help its political party and Owner of NewsPaper - Sonia Gandhi??

I think these people are now showing their true colors..... Can some move be initiated to ban such News Papers, News Channels ?? Can some FIR be registered against such criminal minded Journalists??

Any unsubstantiated criticism of Gujarat can never be tolerated, come what may

,

Yesterday I had written in my blog about the new ‘Talibans of untouchability.’ I firmly believe that in society, there should be no place for untouchability.

From what I wrote in my blog it can be seen that I had not referred to any party or individual. Yet parties like the Congress have taken it personally and felt offended. Why has the Congress reacted in such a way as it did!!! People have to understand the reasons behind it.

I would not like to waste my time in reacting to the friends of Congress who have angrily reacted yesterday.

The Congress has asked Shri Amitabh Bachchanji whether he opposes Gujarat riots or not?

Friends, Modi himself has opposed the riots and still does. Every citizen must oppose riots.

Whether it is 1984 Delhi riots, 1992 Mumbai riots, 1985 Gujarat riots or atrocities committed in Kashmir or Godhra-related riots. There cannot be different standards to judge riots.

Friends, after the Gujarat 2002 riots I had made a statement in Vidhan Sabha in March 2002 and I wish to quote one para as sufficient evidence for those who are spreading lies day and night: “Are we not supposed to soul-search ourselves? Whether it is Godhra incident or post-Godhra it does not enhance the prestige of any decent society. These riots are a stigma on humanity and do not help anyone to hold his head high. Then why is there a difference of opinion?”

My 2002 March statement in Gujarat Assembly is enough for the world community to understand the truth.

Friends,

The condemnable incident had occurred on 27 February 2002 at Godhra and in the afternoon of 28 February 2002 I had appealed publicly through Doordarshan to maintain peace. This appeal in Gujarati is now available through a video and I am placing it before you

"Another book on climate change!",

"Another book on climate change!", surely many of us would lament.
Understandably, this might be the feeling of ardent audience surfeited by the flooding of literary circles by books on global warming, climate change, pollution, deforestation and a never ending list of issues related to environment. While the situation is a positive indication of how serious the problem is for all humanity, with majority of the books on the subject speaking almost same language readers are bound to lose interest.
“Convenient Action: Gujarat's Response to Challenges of Climate Change” talks about how the resolve of people of a state, to reverse and rectify environmental problems, when supported by visionary leadership can deliver unprecedented results. This book by Narendra Modi, a path-breaking leader, is a compilation of what has been done to reverse impact of climate change.
The book is a pleasant change for all those who were reading & re-reading same story again and again including environmental issues & problems, causes & effects and what needs to be done. Another very evident fact, which has made this book an excellent read, is that the book is more of a master class from a practitioner rather than a passive discussion and commentary by those who don’t need to execute their own suggestions and walk their own talk.
Narendra Modi, who is Chief Minister of Gujarat by designation and Chief Executive Officer of Gujarat by actions, offers something entirely new to the audience, presented in an easily readable manner and creates immediate connect with the reader. Although Modi does address some questions raised and dealt with elsewhere, he adds the most significant topic of all - best practices, actions which had already benefited millions in Gujarat and can be easily replicated across the world.
The book is a compendium of actions undertaken in Gujarat during the last decade which have positively contributed to environment and sustainability. He has elaborated on how the state has kept a constant emphasis on mitigation initiatives, exploiting the clean and green energy potential through promotion of wind and solar energy and state-wide gas grid. As a policy maker, Modi has extensive experience of identifying successful policies which can have long term beneficial outcome, by creating this book he has created a reference work which can guide those who are genuinely concerned by Climate Change issues and are serious about resolving them.
Modi has once again displayed his keenness to break conventional mindset by first providing an exemplary leadership to make Gujarat a carbon-neutral state through sustainable development and saving wastage of energy at different levels and then authoring a book which provides excellent insights of how he achieved such feet. As Modi is the second political leader in the world after Al Gore, who authored Inconvenient Truth, to have written a complete book on climate change but as far as the knowledge mass is concerned Convenient Action easily outclasses Inconvenient Truth.
Although this is not the first book by Modi, who is a well published author with substantial fan following, Convenient Action is his first book in English. While many of his previous books are available in translated versions, with his first English book Narendra Modi has impressed a sizable number of English reading audiences. I, myself being an author with environmentalist inclination would surely recommend everyone to read this book, which is a “Convenient Action” which they should take if they want to see a prosperous future for mankind.
This review is written by Social Technopreneur, Deepak Pareek. Deepak is an author, columnist, speaker and environmentalist. He can be reached at deepak@deepakpareek.com

Why the accidental PM is becoming irreplaceable

Why the accidental PM is becoming irreplaceable

Posted on: 26 Feb 2011

By Amulya Ganguli

A curious feature of the scams affecting the government is that they haven't undermined Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's position as much as may have been expected.

Instead, there have been words of praise for him from political adversaries like Nitish Kumar and Subramanian Swamy and a neutral admirer like Nobel laureate Amartya Sen. The Congress, too, has stood by him although it is no secret that Arjun Singh's virtual retirement does not mean that Manmohan Singh no longer has any critics in his own party.

A major reason why the prime minister has managed to survive is because of the TINA (there is no alternative) factor in the Congress where he is concerned. Neither Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee nor Home Minister P. Chidambaram has the image or stature to step into his shoes although their competence as administrators cannot be doubted.

Even if there have been calls from within the party for Rahul Gandhi to take charge, the heir-apparent himself seems unwilling to shoulder such an onerous responsibility at this stage. Besides, it will obviously be unfair to saddle him with the task of steering the government out of its present difficulties, whose complexity and impact on the composition of the ruling alliance can unnerve even a seasoned politician.

Sonia Gandhi herself might have taken charge. But, having renounced the prime minister's office in 2004 and handpicked Manmohan Singh, it would look odd if she decided to replace him even if the Congress and its allies supported the transition. Moreover, she must be aware that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will lose no time to rake up the issue of her foreign origin again, thereby adding another controversy to the present ones faced by the government.

Apart from the TINA factor, there is another reason why Manmohan Singh still remains the Congress's best bet in spite of being battered and bruised by the allegations of having turned a blind eye to the various scams. It is his personal integrity to which even his opponents have testified. It is also an attribute which is not shared by anyone else in the party, except Defence Minister A.K. Antony.

But the latter is too low key a person and lacks the charisma and personality to be a prime minister. His power base, too, is far away in Kerala. Besides, the BJP is bound to raise the issue of his Christianity to claim that Sonia Gandhi is extending the grip of her 'Rome raj', a phrase used by Narendra Modi and others, over the entire country. It is worth recalling that Modi had seen a similar religion-based link between the former chief election commissioner, James Michael Lyngdoh, and the Congress chief at the time of the 2002 Gujarat elections.

For all practical purposes, therefore, the 'accidental' prime minister, which is how Manmohan Singh described himself after taking charge in 2004, has virtually become irreplaceable - at least for the time being. However, some of the implications of the turn of events, which the Congress and its president could not have anticipated in 2004, may not be welcomed by everyone in the organization.

For one, it can no longer be said with certainty that Rahul will automatically replace Manmohan Singh in 2014, as was earlier expected, since a great deal may happen in the next three years, especially if the prime minister pushes his reforms agenda with greater vigour. Besides, considering that there is no question of Rahul taking charge at present, it may be asked - certainly by the party's opponents - whether someone who showed no interest in the post at a time of crisis deserved it after the situation had stabilised.

For another, Manmohan Singh may recover some of his lost political standing if the cases against the guilty in the various scandals lead to exemplary punishment. Considering that he has promised that political influence will not save anyone, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) can at last be expected to act like a truly autonomous and professional outfit. Besides, the Supreme Court's supervision will compel it to ignore political interference.

For a third, after all the criticism that the prime minister has faced for caving in to coalitional pressure, the only way he can refurbish his reputation is to pursue the one issue - after the nuclear deal - which is close to his heart, viz. economic reforms. This pro-market policy is bound to face opposition from the socialists within the Congress, but Manmohan Singh knows that if he is again seen to be temporizing, BJP leader L.K. Advani's jibes against him about being weak will gain credence.

There are signs already that he wants to follow the so-called neo-liberal line from the way the Prime Minister's Office has been diluting some of the left-of-centre initiatives of the Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council, such as the food security bill.

The prime minister's position will also stabilise if the Congress makes the expected gains in the forthcoming assembly elections. While the party's success is reasonably assured in West Bengal along with its partner, the Trinamool Congress, and in Kerala and Assam, it is uncertain in Tamil Nadu, where its ally, the DMK is mired in the scandal involving its party member, Andimuthu Raja, the former telecom minister at the centre. But three out of four is not a bad score.