Golden jubilee ends, golden era begins: Narendra Modi

On the 51st foundation day of Gujarat on Sunday, chief minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to the martyrs of the Maha-Gujarat Movement and said that May 1, 2011 marks the beginning of a golden era of development. He also lashed out at the Congress for having fired at the people who had participated in the movement for a separate state.

He assured the people of Gujarat about his government's commitment to making development's march much faster and taking it to the poorest of the poor in the remotest village of the state. Modi said the golden jubilee year had come to end on Sunday but the golden era of Gujarat had just begun.

After paying homage to the martyrs of the Maha-Gujarat Movement at Shahid Smarak near Lal Darwaja on Sunday, the chief minister said: "Today is May 1, Gujarat's foundation day. In 1960, after a long struggle and sacrifices of many people, the journey for development of Gujarat as an independent state began."

He said the people of Gujarat had faced several challenges on the way to statehood. "This is the place where people participating in the Maha-Gujarat movement were shot at from the Congress office. Those demanding a separate Gujarat were jailed," he said.

He further said that the people had to fight even to build the 'Shahid Smarak' at this place because the then Congress government had to give the proposal its consent. Modi called on Gujaratis across the world to serve the country by serving Gujarat.