The Indian Express ·
Politics
Diyas, saplings, cow donations & bike rallies: Gujarat celebrates PM Modi’s 76th birthday
From lighting 76,000 diyas to a mass rendition of Vande Mataram, a series of events across Gujarat mark the celebration of Prime Minister Narandra Modi’s 76th birthday, on Thursday.
In Ahmedabad, Vishva Umiyadham, a predominantly Patidar community organisation near Vaishnodevi Circle, will organise a midnight programme in the presence of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. In a video message, R P Patel, the president of the organisation, said that around 5,000 people will attend the celebration.
The programme will feature a Maha Arati before Goddess Umiya—likely to be performed by the chief minister—and prayers for the Prime Minister’s long life. At midnight, attendees will recite Vande Mataram, while 76,000 diyas will be lit to symbolically mark PM Modi turning 76.
In an event held on the eve of PM Modi’s birthday, Sitavan, a gaushala (cow shelter) run by BJP MLA Babu Patel’s family, donated 76 cows of the Gir breed to 76 women from the economically weaker sections. Babu Patel is the president of the Shree Umiya Mataji Sansthan in Unjha in Mehsana district, the top religious organisation of the Kadva Patidar community in the state. The initiative aims to provide livelihood support to women of marginalised sections to make them self-reliant.
At another programme on Wednesday, Vishwa Gujarati Samaj, an NGO representing the global Gujarati community, launched a campaign to distribute 76,000 saplings for kitchen gardens. The initiative seeks to encourage people to grow vegetables at home and promote a healthy lifestyle. The campaign also includes training on cultivation methods to the beneficiaries.
In Surat, BJP city president Paresh Patel has announced that over 10 lakh earthen lamps will be lit at different places in the city to celebrate PM Modi’s birthday.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Paresh Patel said, “Over 10 lakhs earthen lamps will be lit at 10,826 locations in the city. We have instructed Surat city BJP organisation leaders, elected members, ward presidents, page samithi, and Shakti kendras to actively participate in the event on the birthday of PM Narendra Modi.”
According to Paresh Patel, these include Ganesh Mandals, Surat city’s 3,000 booths, 30 temples in all 30 wards of the SMC, and Suman schools. BJP corporators have been given the task to light the earthen lamps between 10,000 and 21,000 in numbers, he said.
Under the leadership of Union Minister C R Patil, over 10,000 earthen lamps will be lit on the banks of the Tapi river at Nanpura. “We are using our party machinery for this event. Apart from this, photos of such lightning the earthen lamps should be uploaded on social media. Public participation is also expected, and we believe many people will actively take part by lighting lamps in their houses or apartments and uploading photos on social media platforms. The industry people and shop owners will also take part in this drive,” Patel said.
Purnesh Modi, BJP MLA from Surat West, has also organised programmes to celebrate PM Modi’s birthday. According to details received from Purnesh Modi’s office, a Maha-Aarti programme has been organised at various locations across his constituency in Surat. At his request, over 2,150 shopkeepers and businessmen will offer discounts on products ranging from 5 per cent to 76 per cent. Thousands of people will light earthen lamps at Teunram Ashram in the Ramnagar area.
The BJP has announced a bike rally, the Seva Sankalp Bike Yatra, from Vadnagar to Varanasi and from Varanasi to Vadnagar beginning September 17. The rally is being organised to mark PM Modi’s birthday and October 7, the day he became the chief minister of Gujarat in 2001. While Union Home Minister Amit Shah will flag off the Vadnagar-to-Varanasi leg of the yatra, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will inaugurate the Varanasi-to-Vadnagar route on Thursday.
