Valsad
—  district  —
Valsad Location of Valsad in Gujarat and India
Coordinates	20°36′36″N 72°55′33″E / 20.61005°N 72.925873°E / 20.61005; 72.925873Coordinates: 20°36′36″N 72°55′33″E / 20.61005°N 72.925873°E / 20.61005; 72.925873
Country	India
State	Gujarat
District(s)	Valsad
Sex ratio	920 Females per 1000 Males ♂/♀
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
Codes • Pincode • 396 001 • Telephone • +912632 • Vehicle • GJ-15

Districts of South Gujarat

Valsad district (Gujarati: વલસાડ જિલ્લો) is one of the 26 districts in the Western Indian state of Gujarat. It is bound by Navsari district to the north, Dang district to the east and the State of Maharashtra to the south. The Arabian Sea lies west of the district.^[1] The district's administrative capital is Valsad.The district's largest city is Vapi

The district covers 5,244 square kilometres and is divided into five talukas: Valsad, Pardi, Umargam,Kaparada and Dharampur. According to the 2001 India census,"Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2004-06-16. http://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999. Retrieved 2008-11-01.  the total population of the district was 1,410,553, with 27.02% of its residents living in urban areas.^[1] Valsad is well known for its production of mangoes, sapodilla, and teak, and for its chemical industry based on Atul.

History[link]

Looking to the history of the district, valsad is the first place where Parsis entered at the Sanjan Port first time in India and marched to different places of India.^[2] There is a mount Parnera which is a fort of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.^[2]

Geography[link]

Average rainfall – 2000 mm
Seismic Zone – Zone III
Major rivers – Damanganga, Paar, Auranga, Kolak, Taan and Maan
Tithal Beach is very important tourist attraction of Valsad.^[2] Wilson Hill in Dharampur is also a tourist attraction.

It is also contiguos with the Union Territories of Daman and Silvassa (tourism landmarks of Gujarat). This city's longitude and latitude are 72.98 and 20.54 respectively.

Economy[link]

Agriculture[link]

Total production of food crops in Valsad in 2006-07 was 3.6 lakhs MT.
Major horticulture crops being produced in the district are mango, cucurbits, chikoo, banana and sugarcane. In 2006-07, Valsad had the highest production of mango in the State, accounting for 2,03,112 MT. The district was the 2nd highest producer of Cucurbits with a production of 47,960 MT during 2006-07.

Industry[link]

Valsad is an industrial base for sectors such as chemicals, textiles, and paper & pulp industries. Since the 1980s, textile and chemicals have been the major sectors of investments and employment in the district. Valsad is emerging as a horticulture hub of the State, witnessing significant production in food grains and crops.

With over 300 medium and large scale industries, Vapi is a major industrial center in Valsad. One of the Asia’s largest Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) is present in Vapi^{[citation needed]}, owned by Vapi Waste & Effluent Management Company and promoted by Vapi Industrial Association. Over 10,716 units of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), involved in different sectors, such as chemicals, textiles, engineering, and paper industry etc., are present in the district. Several private conglomerates are present in Valsad, including Alok Industries ltd, Wyeth, Welspun India Ltd., Aarti Industries, Atul Limited, Gujarat Heavy Chemicals Ltd. (GHCL), Raymond, Sun Pharmaceuticals, United Phosphorus, Pidilite,Polyols & Polymers and Vadilal,Unique Polymers.

Valsad district contains areas such as Vapi (the Chemical Hub of Gujarat)^{[citation needed]}, Umbergaon and Sarigam (the Industrial Estates).

Major industries[link]

Chemical products such as, diamino sulphone, acetic acids and esters, different types of dyes etc. Valsad Atul Limited Pharmaceutical products Valsad Wyeth Lederle Ltd. Cotton yarns, madeups of cotton terry towel and fabrics Alok Indutries ltd, Welspun Polyesters India Ltd. Semi processed & Instant foods, Tomato ketchup, canned and frozen foods Dharampur Vadilal Industries Ltd. Electronic equipments for environmental and air pollution control, Phosphorus Peentasulphide, Benzoate etc. vapi United Phosphorus Ltd. Pharmaceutical products, vapi Sun Pharmaceuticals Iron pipes, seamless pipes and stainless steels etc. Umbergaon Sarigam Steel Ltd. Uncoated craft paper, newsprint and poster paper etc. Pardi Ruby Mascot Ltd. synthetic resins, adhesives, colour pigments and lubricating chemicals etc.vapi Pidilite Industries ltd. Chemical products such as, chloroaniline, calcium phosphate, sulphuric acid, single super phosphate etc. vapi Aarti Industries Ltd. Weaving and processing of artificial and synthetic textile fibres etc. Pardi Raymond Ltd. Printing inks, synthetic resins, prepared glues and adhesives etc. vapi Hindustan Inks Ltd, vapi bilag, Madeups of curtains and bed covers etc. bhilad GHCL Ltd.^[1]

Small scale industries (SSI)[link]

In 5 talukas of the district, there are 10,716 units generating 58,641 jobs, with investments to the tune of INR 84,912 lakh (USD 207 million).

Dye stuff & opticals, cotton textiles, chemicals and lathes & machine tools are the major small scale industry sectors present in Valsad district. Pardi taluka houses maximum number of SSI units with a healthy investment of over INR 39,340 lakhs (USD 100 million), providing jobs to 25,776 people. About 7 km from Valsad City in Dhamdachi Village there is Company known as Advance Agrisearch Ltd. is engaged in manufacturing of Herbal Based Anti-Termite products in Termi Guard Brand for Wood Preservation and also for soil treatment, which are available in Domestic Market as well as exporting to various countries in the world. The said Company is the 1st in company the world who have developed Anti-termite Wood Adhesive known as Termicol Brand. The Company is also suppling their Anti-Termite Products to Pidilite Industries known as Terminator Wood Preservative and Structure Preservative.

Divisions[link]

Talukas – 5 (Valsad, Pardi, Dharampur, Kaprada, Umbergaon)
Major cities – 2 (Vapi, Valsad)

Transport[link]

Railways[link]

Valsad Station was established in 1925. City has a Control Tower for better railway operation. The basic training center for the Western Railway cadets of RPF (Railway Protection Force) is in Valsad. Valsad has one of the biggest Railway yards and full repair loco shed for electric locomotive in Western Railway along with the basic repair workshop for wagons and coaches. Many trains originate from Valsad for Mumbai,Ahmadabad,Kanpur,Patna.

Main Stations on Mumbai - Surat route are Umergaon Road, Sanjan, Bhilad, Vapi, Udwada, Pardi, Valsad, and Dungari.

Demographics[link]

According to the 2011 census Valsad district has a population of 1,703,068,^[3] roughly equal to the nation of The Gambia^[4] or the US state of Nebraska.^[5] This gives it a ranking of 287th in India (out of a total of 640).^[3] The district has a population density of 561 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,450 /sq mi) .^[3] Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 20.74 %.^[3] Valsad has a sex ratio of 926 females for every 1000 males,^[3] and a literacy rate of 80.94 %.^[3]

Culture[link]

Notable personalities[link]

• Dayaram (1777–1853) Poet. Born in Chanod.
• Morarji Desai - former Prime Minister of India.
• Nirupa Roy - actress.
• Bhulabhai Desai - freedom fighter and acclaimed lawyer.

Education[link]

The Government Polytechnic, established in 1965 is one of the prominent institutions in Valsad.^[6]
The district also has a Government Engineering College since 2004. Recently from last few years Computer Application stream had also been started successfully.^[7]

There are other colleges offering various courses in Science, Commerce and Arts.^[8] A new law college will be opened soon.^[9]

See also[link]

• Gujarat
• Vapi
• Valsad
• Bhilad

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Valsad district

• Official district government website
• Official Website of the Valsad Collectorate (in Gujarati).
• Photographs of the district.

	Arabian Sea	Navsari district
	Daman district, Daman and Diu		Nashik district, Maharashtra
		Valsad district    East
	Arabian Sea Thane district, Maharashtra	Dadra and Nagar Haveli district, Dadra and Nagar Haveli	Thane district, Maharashtra

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Valsad
—  city  —
Valsad Location of Valsad in Gujarat and India
Coordinates	20°38′N 72°56′E / 20.63°N 72.93°E / 20.63; 72.93Coordinates: 20°38′N 72°56′E / 20.63°N 72.93°E / 20.63; 72.93
Country	India
State	Gujarat
District(s)	Valsad
Population	68,825 (2001[update])
Sex ratio	920/1000 ♂/♀
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
Area • Elevation	• 13 metres (43 ft)
Codes • Pincode • 396001 • Telephone • +912632 • Vehicle • GJ-15

Valsad (Gujarati: વલસાડ), formerly known as Bulsar, is a city and a municipality in the Valsad district of the Indian state of Gujarat. The city has a collectorate, a district court, and a police headquarters with a historic prison. The municipality is governed by the city mayor.

Origin of name[link]

The name 'Valsad' derives from vad-saal, a Gujarati language compound meaning "hampered (saal) by banyan trees (vad)" (the area was naturally rich in banyan trees).

Geography[link]

Tithal Beach

A street in Valsad, South Gujarat.

Swaminarayan Temple.Tithal,Valsad

Shri Swami Narayan Temple Tithal

Shri Sai Baba Mandir, Tithal

Valsad is located at 20°38′N 72°56′E / 20.63°N 72.93°E / 20.63; 72.93.^[1] It has an average elevation of 13 metres (42 feet).

The city center is about 4 km inland from the Arabian sea.^[2]

Tithal beach[link]

Tithal Beach is a tourist attraction in the coastal region of Valsad, overlooking the Arabian sea. It has many tourist attractions including some grand temples like, Shri Sai Baba & Shri Swami Narayan. The Indian government has funded in the development of the area, due to its popularity with local and foreign tourists alike. There are plenty of stalls and shops selling various kinds like Bajiya, Dabeli, Bhel Chat Coconut water and of souvenirs. You will also find places to eat both indoors and outdoors with plenty of choice from a full meal to traditionally prepared snacks. There is also a play area for children, public toilets and hotels. The road from Valsad city to Tithal branches into two around a kilometer after crossing the Wanki river. The road to the left goes to the Sai Baba temple located along the coast of Arabian Sea and the road to the right goes to Tithal beach and further continues along the seashore up to Swaminarayan temple located 1.6 km ahead along the sea coast. The temple is built in stone with exquisite hand carvings. Adjacent to the temple, there is a food outlet serving a variety of vegetarian snacks. The Shri Sai Baba Temple is adjacent to the shore of the Tithal Beach and the daily prayers are attended by many devotees from all over the world. The Shantidham Temple is also a popular religious destination being close to the sea shore provide a good view of the Arabian Sea.

Sun Down at Tithal beach

Economy[link]

The Alphonso mango (known locally as Haafus), for which the city and environs was once famous, is still important to the local economy. Villages in the Valsad district have numerous mango orchards, the only source of income for many villagers.

Overview[link]

Valsad has a population count of about 68,825 according to latest census. Valsad district is home to some popular names such as Vapi (the Chemical Hub of Gujarat), Umbergaon & Bhilad-Sarigam (The Industrial Estates). The union territories of Daman and Dadra & Nagar Haveli, which are important tourist destinations, are located near Valsad. This city's longitude and latitude are 72.98 and 20.54 respectively.

Morarji Desai, the former Prime Minister of India and famous Marathi playwright Ram Ganesh Gadkari were from Valsad^{[citation needed]}, as was also the Indian independence activist Bhulabhai Desai^{[citation needed]} The ancestors of British rocker Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara) were from Valsad, as well as those of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw. Some famous actors were also born in Valsad like Nirupa Roy, Bindu, Prachi Desai, Manhar Desai, Mahesh Desai and producer Manmohan Desai^{[citation needed]}

The first X-Factor Reality show in India saw a huge audience as well as participants. One of which was from the city of Valsad - The Sajda Sisters. Three ladies of the Pandit family are highly renowned faces in Musical groups in Valsad and all over Gujarat. Performing almost round the year to places around the globe they have a reign of family members making their contributions in music and singing. Belonging to a regular family the trio went on to top three in the finale of X-Factor the biggest music reality show.

Valsad in Literature[link]

Valsad is the setting for Kumayl Hasan Rizvi's novel Fairytale.

Demographics[link]

As of the 2001 India census,^[3] Valsad had a population of 68,825. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Valsad has an average literacy rate of 80%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 84%, and female literacy is 77%. Gujarati and Marathi are the main languages of Valsad.

Education[link]

Colleges[link]

City has two technical colleges, Government Polytechnic, which was established in 1965, and Government Engineering College, established in 2004.

Schools[link]

Though the size of valsad city is very small, it has very decent educational facilities. There are many schools providing excellent English education and also a host of Gujarati Medium Schools do exist.
List of Schools

Affiliated to State Board
1. St. Joseph's English Teaching High School
2. Bai Ava Bai High School
3. G.V.D. Sarvjanik High School
4. R.J.J.
5. D.M.D.G.
6. Jamnabai
7. SumantRai
8. ManiBa
9. RM & VM
10. Swaminarayana High School
11. Gaytri High School
12. Khimchand High School
13. Kusum Vidhyalaya
14. Shivang high school
15. Kalyani School
16. Sunrise English Medium School, Shethia Nagar, Valsad. 08128879879

Affiliated to CBSE

• Saraswati International School
• Vallabh Ashram

Affiliated to ICSE
Atul Vidyalay

Transport[link]

The city has a rail terminus for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad line and Mumbai-Delhi line of the Western Railway. Connected by the National Highway no. 8 (NH 8), Valsad is about 150 km north of Mumbai and about 100 km south of the city of Surat.

Railways[link]

Valsad is a major railway station on the Mumbai-Vadodara mainline of Western Railways (WR) and is well connected by rail to all major cities in India. The present railway station building was established in 1925. Most trains on the route including the August Kranti Rajdhani Express have a scheduled halt at Valsad. Adjacent to the railway station is the Valsad Electric Loco Shed which houses over 100 electric locomotives. It is the only loco shed on WR which houses the AC/DC locomotives like WCAM-1 and WCAM-2, WCAM-2P and one of the only two in India (the other being Kalyan on Central Railways) to house AC/DC dual powered electric locomotives. Recently many WAG-5/5As have been homed at Valsad who are pure AC locomotives. Valsad has three platforms no 1,2,3 and there are almost 4-5 freight sidings.

Several long distance express trains and short distance intercity trains originate and terminate at Valsad. Some of the trains starting from Valsad are-

• 0123/0124 Valsad Fast Passenger to Mumbai Central
• 9109/9110 Gujarat Queen to Ahmedabad
• 2929/2930 Intercity Express to Vadodara
• 9051/9052 Shramik Express to Sonpur
• 2943/2944 Udyogkarmi Express to Kanpur
• 245WR/246WR Passenger to Bandra Terminus (Mumbai)
• 249WR/250WR Passenger to Viramgam
• 2911/2912 valsad Haridwar express

Notable People[link]

• Morarji Desai
• Field Marshall Manekshaw (Sam Manekshaw)
• Nirupa Roy
• Bindu (actress)
• Ram Ganesh Gadkari
• Tarun K Modi
• Smitraj N Patel

See also[link]

See also[link]

• Valsad district

References[link]

External links[link]

• Valsad Weather

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Valsad

• Official Website of the Valsad Collectorate (in Gujarati).
• Official Website of the Valsad Nagarpalika.

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