This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. It may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Tagged since March 2008. Its tone or style may not reflect the formal tone used on Wikipedia. Tagged since November 2009.

Maninagar
—  suburb  —
Maninagar Location of Maninagar in Ahmedabad
Coordinates	22°59′58″N 72°36′01″E / 22.9995°N 72.6003°E / 22.9995; 72.6003Coordinates: 22°59′58″N 72°36′01″E / 22.9995°N 72.6003°E / 22.9995; 72.6003
Country	India
State	Gujarat
Civic agency	Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
Area • Elevation	• 53 metres (174 ft)
Codes • Pincode • 380 008 • Vehicle • GJ-1-XX-XXXX (former), GJ-27-XX-XXXX (current)

Maninagar is an area of Ahmedabad city, Gujarat, India. It is located in the southern part of the city. It can be divided into two regions - Maninagar East and Maninagar West, separated by the Maninagar Railway Station. Its pincode is 380008.

History[link]

Maninagar was originally a Land that belonged to Seth Maneklal Manilal, a powerful banker. He doneted a big piece of this land to develope the first organized settlement outside the walled city. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel created the first town planning scheme for Manipur, now called Maninagar.^[1][2]

Location[link]

The Kankaria lake and Nagina Wadi are situated in this area. This area also hosts a train station on the Ahmedabad-Mumbai line where most of the major trains stop. Maninagar is divided by the Railway Station into East and West Maninagar, most Hindus live on the west side whereas the east side has a majority of Christian & some other Population. And so around 25 churches are located in this area and many temples as well.

Another such instance of refugee settlement is found in Dakshini society, a predominantly Marathi community, which itself hails from Maharashtra; gave space and shelter to Sindhis uprooted in the Partition of 1947. Dakshini society is also a place where some of the biggest Ganesh idols from Ahmedabad are worshipped prior to the popular festival Ganesh Chaturthi.

Temples[link]

Temples are in proficience, all around Maninagar. Starting from Mani Karnikeshwar Mahadev, which gave the name to this area "Mani" Nagar.

A very famous "Bhairavnath Temple" is situated in Maninagar, it is more than 200 years old. The area and road are named for the temple.(e.g. Bhairavnath Road)

A very famous and religious "Sai Baba" temple is situated near Daxini Society.

Swami Narayan temples are also profuse in number, & campus size.

Swami Narayan cult has also sponsored a "SwamiNarayan Hall" & "SwamiNarayan School" nr. the Railway Crossing, for Art & recreation at a reasonable token rates. Many jain temples are also located in maninagar. Music & Dance Hobby classes are found almost at every corner of Maninagar. Guitar & Sitar classes have started along with violin.

Dance from Bollywood to Kathak to Bharat Natyam, & free-style Garba & Raas.

Seniya Gharana parampara has been all set here, with the traditional heritage from Ustad Abeed Hussein Khan Saheb of Seniya Gharana (Dhrupad - Tansen Era 16th century).

Disciples are also varied in nature. Most of the music lovers & music renderors have been raised in this locality at 13, Dhanlakshmi society, Maninagar. Fineries of such music rendering have their glipmses at peak on Lord Krishna's birth date celebrations i.e. Janmashtami.

Shivaratri, Navratri, Dassera & Diwali are also equally celebrated by the Maninagar community. The people of maninagar hold a special quality of being urban as well as believing in the essence of joint family which is a unique quality unseen in varied area of ahmedabad. It has developed tremendously over a decade and is still continuing.The real estates have shook up over this part of area considerably compared to other part of city. The schools of maninagar like

Education[link]

There are many schools, both English and Gujarati medium in Maninagar, these schools include Diwan-Ballubhai School, Shree Saraswati Mandir High School, Durga Vidhyalaya, Sardar Patel High School, J L High School, Doon International School (Ahmedabad), Pragati High School (Ahmedabad), Best High School (Ahmedabad), Maninagar Seventh Day Adventist High school. Colleges include Government Science college and Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation Medical College.

Diversity[link]

• Maninagar is home to the Swaminarayan community. One of the biggest Swaminarayan temple is located in Maninagar West.
• A small but very popular Sai-Baba temple is located in Maninagar West.
• Maninagar also has a sizeable population of Rabaris.
• In Maninagar East alone there are eight churches of various denominations. During Christmas almost half of Maninagar east is decorated with Lights and Stars and Christmas trees by the contributions of the local Christians.
• At least 3 schools are run by Jews in Maninagar West / Kankaria area.
• A small community of Kohja / Bohra Muslims is located in the Kankaria area.
• A big south Indian temple is located in the Maninagar East.
• A Gurudwara is located in the Maninagar West.
• A big Parsi Agiyari / Zoarastrian fire temple is located in the Maninagar / Kankaria area.
• Three Jain temples are located in Maninagar as many jains reside here.

Despite of such a religious diversity, a curfew in Maninagar was not declared for many years after the Indian independence.

Currently this suburb is not part of the loop. Many of the local retailers, franchises, restaurants and other business' have observed the significant development that has taken place in the last decade. The general consensus being that to restore the branch in Maninagar would be a benefit for all. You will find shopping malls and all big brands showrooms here. Maninagar also boasts of many hospitals and health clubs/ gymnasiums. A big market named Sindhi Market is located near Maninagar Railway Station.

There is an open air theatre / amphitheatre in Kankaria area.

This is the constituency from where the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi is elected.

Just like rest of Ahmedabad, Maninagar too has significant levels of atmospheric pollution, and is in urgent need of attention from authorities. But now the gradual decrease in the pollution can be seen because of the auto-rickshaws and buses running on Compressed Natural Gas.

This is also one of the fastest-developing areas of the city. It is host to a zoo named as Kamla Nehru Zoo and Balvatika (children's playground). Balvatika is a playground for children with many activities.It also hosts a museum named after Rubin David. It also houses the famous Jal-Dhara Waterpark. This is the only waterpark within city. There is also an Aquarium near the Kankaria lake. Maninagar has many local, state and national banks. Maninagar also has a water-park. Maninagar hosts a large school and university student population. There is a big AMTS bus station in the Maninagar West. A prominent fire station is also located in Maninagar west.

Maninagar itself does not have any boundaries and can be extended up to surrounding areas such as Kokhra-Mehmdavad, Ghodasar, Dakshini, Shah Alam,Gor no Kuvo, Kankaria, Raipur etc. Maninagar can also be divided according to the same areas mentioned above.

References[link]

Narendra Modi નરેન્દ્ર મોદી
Chief Minister of Gujarat
Incumbent
Assumed office 7 October 2001
Governor	Dr. Kamla Beniwal
Preceded by	Keshubhai Patel
Constituency	Maninagar
Personal details
Born	(1950-09-17) 17 September 1950 (age 61) Vadnagar, Gujarat, India
Political party	Bharatiya Janata Party
Residence	Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
Alma mater	Gujarat University[1]
Religion	Hinduism
Website	Narendra Modi
As of 9 March, 2009 Source: Government of Gujarat

Narendra Damodardas Modi (Gujarati: નરેન્દ્ર મોદી; born 17 September 1950^[1]) is the current Chief Minister of the Indian state of Gujarat. Born in a middle class family in Vadnagar, he was the third of six children born to Damodardas Mulchand Modi and his wife Heeraben.^[2] He has been a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) since childhood also having interest in politics since adolescence. He holds a master's degree in political science. In 1998, he was chosen by L. K. Advani, the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), to direct the election campaign in Gujarat as well as Himachal Pradesh.

He became Chief Minister of Gujarat in October 2001, promoted to the office at a time when his predecessor Keshubhai Patel had resigned, following the defeat of BJP in the by-elections. His tenure as chief minister of Gujarat began on 7 October 2001, and he is the longest serving Chief Minister of the state of Gujarat.^[3] In July 2007 he became the longest serving Chief Minister in Gujarat's history when he had been in power for 2063 days continuously.^[4] He was elected again for a third term^[5] on 23 December 2007 in the state elections, which he had cast as a "referendum on his rule".^[6][7]

Personal life[link]

Modi was born in a middle class family in Vadnagar in Mehsana district of what was then Bombay State, India.^[8] During the Indo-Pak war in the mid sixties, even as a young boy, he volunteered to serve the soldiers in transit at railway stations.^[9] As a young man, he joined the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, a student organisation and was involved in the anti-corruption Nav Nirmāṇ ("Reconstruction") Movement. After working as a full time organiser for the organisation, he was later nominated as its representative in the Bharatiya Janata Party.^[10] As a teenager Modi used to run a tea stall with his brother.^[11] Modi completed his schooling in Vadnagar. He earned a masters degree in political science from Gujarat University.^[12]

Early activism and politics[link]

Modi was a pracharak (campaigner) in the RSS during his university years.^[12][13] He took up the challenging task of energising the party cadres in right earnest. In partnership with Shankersinh Vaghela, Modi set about creating a strong cadre base in Gujarat. In the initial period, Vaghela was seen as a mass leader, while Modi was recognised as a master strategist.

The party started gaining political mileage and formed a coalition government at the centre in April 1990. This partnership fell apart within a few months, but the BJP came to power with a two-thirds majority on its own in Gujarat in 1995. During this period, Modi was entrusted with the responsibility of organising two crucial national events, the Somnath to Ayodhya Rath Yatra (a political rally through India on a converted Toyota van) of L.K. Advani and a similar march from Kanyakumari (the southernmost part of India) to Kashmir in the North. After the exit of Shankarsingh Vaghela from the BJP, Keshubhai Patel was made Chief Minister while Narendra Modi was sent to New Delhi as a General Secretary of the Party.

In 1995, Modi was appointed the National Secretary of the party and given the charge of five major states in India. In 1998, he was promoted as the General Secretary (Organization), a post he held until October 2001. In 2001, Narendra Modi was chosen by the party to be the Chief Minister of Gujarat after the removal of chief minister Keshubhai Patel.

Tenure as Chief Minister of Gujarat[link]

Personality[link]

Modi is known for leading a frugal lifestyle. He has a personal staff of just three. He is known to be a workaholic Chief Minister and an introvert.^[14] He ordered the demolition of many Hindu temples that were built without proper government sanction which earned him the ire of VHP^[11] He is a crowd puller as a speaker. Modi has also tried to turn his image from an Hindu Nationalist politician to an image of able administrator. He wears business suits and is improving his command over the English language.^[15]

Awards and recognitions[link]

Modi was awarded Gujarat Ratna by Shri Poona Gujarati Bandhu Samaj at Ganesh Kala Krida Manch on celebration of centenary year.^[16]

Development of Gujarat[link]

As a Chief Minister, Modi started various 'yojanas' or plans. This includes:

• Panchamrut Yojana,^[17][18][19] a five-pronged strategy for an integrated development of the state,
• Sujalam Sufalam, a scheme to create a grid of water resources in Gujarat in an innovative step towards water conservation and its appropriate utilisation.
• Krishi Mahotsav – agricultural research labs for the land
• Chiranjeevi Yojana – To reduce infant mortality rate
• Matru Vandana – Providing preventive and curative services under the Reproductive and Child Health Programme
• Beti Bachao – Campaign against female infanticide to improve sex ratio
• Jyotigram Yojana – Provide electricity to every village
• Karmayogi Abhiyan – To educate and train government employees
• Kanya Kelavani Yojana – To encourage female literacy and education
• Balbhog Yojana – Midday meal scheme for students to encourage school attendance from poor backgrounds.^[20]

Vibrant Gujarat[link]

Vibrant Gujarat is a biennial Global Investors' Summit held by the Government of Gujarat in Gujarat, India. The event is aimed at bringing together business leaders, investors, corporations, thought leaders, policy and opinion makers; the summit is advertised as a platform to understand and explore business opportunities in the State of Gujarat. the event has been held continuously since 2003.

Gujarat earthquake[link]

The biggest challenge which he had to face when he took over as the Chief Minister, was the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the areas affected by the massive Gujarat Earthquake of January 2001.

Gujarat violence[link]

On 27 February 2002, a train was burned by a Muslim mob in the town of Godhra leading to 59 deaths, most of them Hindu pilgrims and activists returning from the holy city of Ayodhya.^[21] Riots broke out in the state after it was suspected to be caused by Muslims, leading to 1180 deaths, many of them Muslims. Modi administration was accused of inaction over the riots and for encouraging them.^[15] As an aftermath of the riots, there were calls for Modi to resign from his position as chief minister of Gujarat. The opposition parties stalled the national parliament over the issue. Even Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and Telugu Desam Party (TDP), allies of the BJP, asked for Modi's resignation.^[22][23] Modi submitted his resignation to the Governor and recommended the dissolution of the 10th Gujarat Legislative Assembly.^[24][25] In the following state re-elections the BJP, led by Modi, won 127 seats in the 182-member assembly.

In April 2009, the Supreme Court of India appointed a special team of investigators to look into the role Modi had played in the alleged anti-Muslim conspiracy.^[15] The team was appointed in response to the complaint of zakia Jafri, the widow of ex-Congress MP Ehsan Jafri, who was murdered in the riots.^[26] In December 2010, a Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) in its report to the Supreme Court seeking answers pertaining to the Ehsan Jafri case, submitted that they had found no evidence against Narendra Modi.^[27]

However in February 2011, the Times of India reported that a confidential report from the SIT indicted Modi on several counts of alleged complicity in the Gujarat riots of 2002.^[28] Most other sources have noted that the SIT report does not indict Modi for the riots due to lack of evidence.^[29][30] The Indian Express too said the report did not find any Modi involvement in the violence, though it did accuse him of watering down the seriousness of the situation.^[31] According to the Hindu, the report not only found that Modi tried to water down the seriousness of the situation, but Modi also implicitly justified the killings of Muslims, and failed to condemn the attacks on them.^[32] The Bharatiya Janata Party demanded an investigation into the publication of the report, claiming the leak was politically motivated.^[33]

The apex court refused to pass any order on the case and referred it to the Ahmedabad magistrate for a decision.^[34] In April 2012, a Special Investigation Team found absolved Modi of any involvement in the Gulberg massacre, arguably the worst episode of the riots.^[35]. On 7 May 2012, a Supreme Court-appointed amicus curiae, Raju Ramachandran observed that Modi can be prosecuted under sections 153 A (1) (a) & (b), 153 B (1), 166 and 505 (2) of the Indian Penal Code for promoting enmity among different groups during the 2002 Gujarat riots.^[36]. However the amicus report has been criticised by the Special Investigation Team for relying heavily on the testimony of a perjurer^[37].

2007 elections[link]

Modi made a speech at Mangrol in which he justified the alleged fake encounter of Sohrabuddin Sheikh, During the election campaign In response to Sonia Gandhi's speech calling him a "merchant of death",^[38] and referred to Sohrabuddin's killing. For this speech the Election Commission of India, a constitutional body governing election proceedings in India, cautioned Modi as it considered it as indulging in an activity which may aggravate existing differences between different communities.^[39] Modi won the election and continued his post as the Chief Minister Of Gujarat, he won with majority of votes of 122 seats out of 182 total assembly seats.^[40]

Conflicts with Governor Kamla Beniwal[link]

On 25 August 2011 Gujarat Governor Kamla Beniwal appointed Justice R A Mehta to the post of Lokyukta of Gujarat, a critical anti-corruption post that had been lying vacant since 2003. Justice R A Mehta was recommended for the post by the Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court in June. Since Governor Beniwal had made this decision without consulting and getting the approval of the chief minister and his council of ministers, the action angered Narendra Modi and his BJP party.^[41]

This marked the beginning of a strained relationship between Modi and the Governor. On 25 September 2011, Narendra Modi accused the Governor of running a parallel government in the state supported by the Congress. He demanded that she be recalled back.^[42] He also later accused her of delaying the progress of bills by not passing them.

The decision of the governor in the appointment of R A Mehta was challenged in the high court by the Modi government. The two member high court bench gave a split verdict on 10 October 2011. Later, a third member upheld the governor's decision in January 2012.^[43]

Foreign visits[link]

As the Chief Minister of the Gujarat State, to attract foreign investment in the state, Narendra Modi has made visits to foreign countries, including China and Singapore.

Narendra Modi made his first China visit in 2007 to invite investors Vibrant Gujarat Global Investor Summit,^[44] and second visit in November 2011. One month after the second visit to China, the Chinese Government released 13 Diamond traders from India jailed by the Shenzhen Customs, which the Chief Minister described as the consequece of his diplomatic efforts and statesmanship.^[45]

In 2005 Narendra Modi was denied of diplomatic visa to the United States, in addition to this visa denial, he was also revoked from his already granted B-1/B-2 visa.^[46]

Sadbhavna Mission[link]

In the late 2011-early 2012 Narandra Modi practised a series of fasts in the name of Sadbhavna Mission. The mission started on 17 September 2011 in Ahmedabad with 3 day fast with a view to strengthen the atmosphere of peace, unity and harmony in the state. He observed total 36 fasts in 26 districts, 8 cities including Ahmedabad.^[47]

Views and opinions[link]

Modi's position on terrorism[link]

On 18 July 2006 Modi delivered a speech criticising Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh "for his reluctance to revive anti-terror legislations" like the Prevention of Terrorism Act. He asked the Centre to empower states to invoke tougher laws in the wake of the blasts in Mumbai.^[48] Quoting Modi:

Narendra Modi has frequently commented that if the BJP came to power at the Centre, they will honour the 2004 Supreme Court judgement to hang Afzal Guru.^[49] Afzal was convicted of terrorism in the 2001 Indian Parliament attack in 2004 by the Supreme Court of India and is in Tihar Jail.^[50]

On account of the November 2008 Mumbai attacks, on Thursday 27 November, Narendra Modi held a meeting to discuss waterfront security along the coastline.^[51] The meeting decided to ask the Central government to urgently sanction the following:

• Increase the number of police stations along the coast to 50 (from 10)
• Increase the number of police to 1500 from 250
• 30 modern high-speed surveillance boats.

The 30 coastal boats, under construction at Goa's shipbuilding yard, will have the capacity to run at the speed of 25 nautical miles per hour. These are being manufactured under the Centre's Rs 58-crore grant for coastal security.^[51]

Views on criticism of Modi's governance[link]

In 2003, when Narendra Modi was asked about the conflict of his dreams for Gujarat's future with international criticism of his past activities, Modi said,^[52]

Modi's decision to link Gujarat's violence with the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the US drew criticism from some observers, who contrasted it with the then Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani's unpleasant apology for Gujarat in London a year ago.^[52] Modi responded to this criticism by The Guardian,^[52]

See also[link]

• Chief Minister
• Gujarat
• Bhartiya Janata Party

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Narendra Modi

Official

• @narendramodi Official & verified Twitter Account
• Narendra Modi Official website
• Narendra Modi Personal blog

Other

• Profile at BBC News

v t e Current Chief Ministers of Indian states (list)     Andhra Pradesh: Nallari Kiran Kumar Reddy Arunachal Pradesh: Nabam Tuki Assam: Tarun Gogoi Bihar: Nitish Kumar Chhattisgarh: Raman Singh Goa: Manohar Parrikar Gujarat: Narendra Modi Haryana: Bhupinder Singh Hooda Himachal Pradesh: Prem Kumar Dhumal Jammu and Kashmir: Omar Abdullah Jharkhand: Arjun Munda Karnataka: D. V. Sadananda Gowda Kerala: Oommen Chandy Madhya Pradesh: Shivraj Singh Chauhan Maharashtra: Prithviraj Chavan Manipur: Okram Ibobi Singh Meghalaya: Mukul Sangma Mizoram: Pu Lalthanhawla Nagaland: Neiphiu Rio Orissa: Naveen Patnaik Punjab: Parkash Singh Badal Rajasthan: Ashok Gehlot Sikkim: Pawan Kumar Chamling Tamil Nadu: Jayalalithaa Tripura: Manik Sarkar Uttar Pradesh: Akhilesh Yadav Uttarakhand: Vijay Bahuguna West Bengal: Mamata Banerjee Delhi: Sheila Dikshit Pondicherry: N. Rangaswamy

Anurag Thakur(full name Anurag Singh Thakur) is member^[1] of Lok Sabha from Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh in India. He was elected to Lok Sabha in May 2008 in a by poll as a candidate of Bharatiya Janata Party. He is the currently Joint Secretary of BCCI.^[2]

Early life and education[link]

Born on 24 October 1974 at Hamirpur, Anurag Thakur is the elder son of Prem Kumar Dhumal the present Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh and Sheela Devi.

He studied at Dayanand Model School, Jalandhar, Punjab. He was a good crickter in his school. and later did his B.A. from Doaba College, Jalandhar, .

Career[link]

Anurag became the youngest President of Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association at the Age of 25 years. In May 2008, he succeeded his father when he was elected as member of parliament of India from Hamirpur Constituency. He is credited of making Himachal Pradesh capable of hosting international standard cricket at HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala. Anurag Thakur has become a promising political leader and is poised to play a leading role in the politics of state in subsequent times.

Anurag was given a new responsibility. BJP president Nitin Gadkari appointed him the president of the All India Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha.^[3][4]

• Member of Parliament from Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh
• President of BJYM .
• President Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association.
• Became youngest President of Himachal Pradesh

State Cricket Association at the age of 25.

• Became youngest national selector at the age of 26 years in the year 2001 to select Indian Junior Cricket teams.
• President of State Rifle Association, Himachal Pradesh.
• General Secretary, Himachal Pradesh Olympic Association.
• General Secretary, Hockey Himachal Pradesh.
• Executive Member, India Olympic Association.
• Joint secretary, BCCI

Personal life[link]

He married to Sheffali Thakur, daughter of Gulab Singh Thakur, present P.W.D Minister of Himachal Pradesh government, on 27 November 2002

References[link]

• [1]
• [2]
• [3]

External links[link]

• Anurag Singh Thakur at Government of India website

This article about a Bharatiya Janata Party politician is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e