After breaking fast, Narendra Modi wants more

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi ended his three-day fast on Monday amidst cheers by thousands of people at the Gujarat University Convention Hall, even as he announced that this was just the beginning of the Sadbhavna Mission.

Modi broke his fast at 6.12 pm by having lemon juice offered by priests of different religions and sects.  Addressing the gathering later, Modi said his fast had ended but it was the beginning of the sadbhavna mission aimed at promoting communal harmony and brotherhood in the state.

“No one would have thought that Sadbhavna Mission would generate this kind of response not only in Gujarat, but the whole country. Why is India talking about it? Why is there so much curiosity about it?” he said. Modi said that the common man, fed up with what was happening around him, had joined the mission in anticipation of something good.

Modi also announced that he would fast for a day in each district of the state in the coming days. Taking a dig at his detractors, who had described the fast as a political gimmick, Modi said that there was no reason to see politics in everything.  

“Nationalism is a greater virtue than politics. This mission is inspired by nationalism, not politics,” he thundered.
He also said that not having big dreams was the cause of all the problems of the country.

The CM, who is seen as BJP’s potential prime ministerial candidate in the Lok Sabha elections in 2014, said that successive governments had resorted to vote bank politics and thought of nothing but winning elections.
Modi also said that there was no rocket science behind Gujarat’s

success in the past decade. The state had scaled new heights in development by involving the people in the process, he said.  

“This fast was a small step towards Virat Darshan of Gujarat’s success by people’s involvement,” he said.

The CM took a swipe at people who were wondering about the need of the Sadbhavna Mission, saying they didn’t realise that the state government had been practicing it for 10 years.  “We achieved success and then decided to highlight the Sadbhavna model,” he said.

Modi urged countrymen to join the mission saying it would pave the way for the country’s development. The CM said that Gujarat, with its success, had dispelled the sense of disappointment all over the country. Modi also said that Gujarat had achieved a lot of success but he was not satisfied and wanted the state to touch newer heights.

Earlier, Modi had started the third day of his fast in the presence of a host of senior political leaders including Sushma Swaraj, Venkaiah Naidu, Gopinath Munde, Arjun Munda, Hema Malini, Raj Thackeray and Smriti Irani, among others.