Promises,hopes,apologies mark Foundation Day The Gujarat government organised the states golden jubilee celebrations with a spectacular event at the Sardar Patel Stadium where around 4,000 artistes performed. The event marked the end of the two-day celebrations for the states golden jubilee in Ahmedabad and Capital Gandhinagar,but more events will be held in various districts and blocks. The mega event,however,was marked by big chaos when many people stuck outside the venue tried to force their way in,leading to a police lathicharge. Several senior officials,MLAs and mediapersons were manhandled by the security guards,who did not allow them inside the stadium. Subsequently,Chief Minister Narendra Modi expressed regret for the inconvenience caused to the people,who were not given entry and were driven out of the venue. Modi announced that the programme will be repeated on Sunday evening and people will be given entry with invitation cards. Also present at the function were senior BJP leaders L K Advani,Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj as well as Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Chhatisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh. However,state Home Minister Amit Shah did not attend the event. His absence was conspicuous as the entire state cabinet was present on the dais. Modi delivered his address in Hindi,explaining that the entire country is watching so I am speaking in Hindi instead of Gujarati. He spoke of the states 200 resolutions for development to be attained in the next five years. The CM sought 100 hours of voluntary service from all and sundry in the areas of health,education,cleanliness and environment. The programme was choreographed by Bollywood artist Chinni Prakash,while A R Rehman scored the music. Earlier in the day,Governor Dr Kamla Beniwal and the Chief Minister paid tributes to martyrs and leaders of the Mahagujarat movement that led to the formation of the state on May 1,1960. The celebrations started with Modi paying homage to people who sacrificed their lives for the formation of Gujarat at Lal Darwaza here. Modi along with the Governor then paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Sabarmati Ashram and also felicitated the family members of martyrs at a function there. The Congress,however,boycotted official state government functions and organised its own programme to mark the occasion in Gandhinagar. Modi later laid the foundation stone of a grand 'Mahatma Mandir' in Gandhinagar where holy water and sand,brought in from different parts of the country and the world,will be used for construction.
