Page 163 - SocialHarmony

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Glimpse of the Strength of People

and State

(At the inauguration of Narayan Nagar, Jivapara and
Nakhatrana Talukas, Kutch. May 25, 2002)

The day when the earthquake shattered the state, nobody
had imagined that they would face such times. There was
nothing around except death. Even the strongest of people had
lost hopes. And yet, Gujarat has surprised the world by
overcoming this shock within a very short period of one year.
The consistent and vigorous efforts of Gujarati people are seen
everywhere, as if they’ve resolved to squirm the shock. This is
the strength of this land; this is the strength of her people. The
inner strength shown by the people of Gujarat has been
bestowed upon them by the society.

Many a time, the youth, out of sheer frustration of
unemployment, thoughtlessly blame the society for their
unemployment. They feel that despite their good education, if
they can’t earn money, it is pointless to live in such a society. We
raise uproar if someone picks our pocket while travelling, and
we grumble about the custom officer who asks for a kickback
when we return from a foreign trip and we jump to the
conclusion that whole of India is corrupt. But the real strength
of a society can be tested only by the behaviour of its people
during a crisis. Humanitarians across the world have been
shown the strength of Gujarati people in their hour of crisis.

The fundamental essential character in every human being
is virtuous. A good background further develops this character