PM Modi hails progress of Gujarat, says state should set vision for next 10 years

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hailed Gujarat's progress, saying that there were apprehensions about how it would grow when it was formed in 1960 after splitting Bombay state. He also said that Gujarat should set goals to be achieved when it completes 75 years of its formation in 2035, with India keen to host the Olympics in 2036.

Addressing the celebrations of 20 years of Gujarat Urban Growth Story in Gandhinagar, PM Modi said people's support for Operation Sindoor should translate into efforts to achieve Viksit Bharat.
Referring to Gujarat's progress, he said the state was largely known as a producer of salt when it was formed, and now it is known worldwide for its diamond work.

"Wahi Gujarat jiske paas ek zamaane mein namak se upar kuch nahi tha, aaj duniya mein heera (diamond) ke liya jaana jata hai. When Gujarat completes 75 years in 2035, I believe we must start planning now for the next 10 years. We need to set a vision for where Gujarat should be by then in industry, agriculture, education, and sports. When Gujarat turns 75, just one year later, the Olympics will be held. The country wishes that the Olympics be hosted in India," PM Modi said.

The Prime Minister said every citizen should become a partner in the nation's development and urged people to use Made in India products.

"On the night of May 6, Operation Sindoor began with the strength of our armed forces. But now, this Operation Sindoor will move forward with the strength of the people. When I speak of the strength of our armed forces and the people's strength, I mean that every citizen should become a partner in the nation's development. If we all contribute to building a Viksit Bharat by 2047 and to take our economy from the 4th to the 3rd position globally, we will not rely on foreign products," he said.

"We must encourage village traders to pledge that no matter how much profit they make, they will not sell foreign goods. But unfortunately, even Ganesh idols come from abroad, small-eyed Ganesh idols whose eyes don't even open properly. For Operation Sindoor, as a citizen, I have a task for you: go home and make a list of how many foreign products you use in 24 hours," he added.

India carried out Operation Sindoor, in which terror infrastructure in Pakistan was targeted through precision strikes in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.

India also effectively repelled the subsequent Pakistan aggression and pounded its airbases.

PM Modi called for demolishing silos for faster progress and suggested a change in attitudes.

"Around 40 years ago, a Congress leader was asked how to solve the country's problems in just two sentences. I still find his answer interesting. He said - two things should happen in a country, politicians must learn to say 'no,' and bureaucrats must learn to say 'yes'...A politician never says 'No' to anyone and a bureaucrat never says 'yes' to anyone," PM Modi said.

Recalling his years as Gujarat Chief Minister, PM Modi said the state started devoting a year to a specific issue such as urban development or girls' education to bring extra focus and there was a 'whole of government' approach.

"In our country, discussions revolves around model of governance and the biggest challenge is that of government silos, departments don't talk to each other, colleagues at different desks don't coordinate. To some extent, this might be true. But is there a solution to this? Let me give you a background. This issue of urban development wasn't tackled in isolation. Back then, we dedicated each year to a specific theme. 2005 was declared the Year of Urban Development. One year was dedicated to girls' education, another to tourism...There was a whole government approach," PM Modi said.

He also referred to Gujarat's progress in tourism.

"Gujarat has set an excellent example. Who would have imagined that a place like Kutch -- where once nobody wanted to go -- is now so popular that you can't even get a booking there," he said.

PM Modi said that over the past two days during his visit to Vadodara, Dahod, Bhuj, Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, he has been experiencing the fervour of patriotism with the roar of success of Operation Sindoor.

He added that it was a sight to behold and this feeling was not just in Gujarat, but across every nook and corner of India and in the heart of every Indian. "India had made up its mind to weed out the thorn of terrorism and did it with utmost conviction," he said.