There was plenty of poetry, tears and memories at the inauguration of an earthquake-resistant hospital as Chief Minister Narendra Modi played disciple to mentor Prime Minister Vajpayee. The G.K. General Hospital, built entirely from the PM’s relief fund brought back painful images of the 2001 quake that killed thousands. ‘‘I have walked holding his fingers,’’ Modi said before he broke down before the gathering. ‘‘Maut ki chadar dekhi hai, hamne vinash dekha hai (We have seen the shroud of death, we have seen destruction,’’ Modi said, thanking Vajpayee for his support that ‘‘helped the state win the battle against the calamity’’. He rattled off figures to compare how countries like Japan, Mexico, Turkey and Latur in Maharashtra took years to rebuild quake-hit cities. The crowd did not react to his tears though. Perhaps, because the audience, largely comprising government employees were forced to attend the function. Security was tight at the venue as also on the roads leading to it due to the protest of the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh over power tariff. The Sangh called off its protest in Bhuj but the government kept a watch over a gathering at Madapar, about seven km from here. Modi was unfazed though. He recalled Vajpayee’s instructions to him on January 26, 2001 when he was working for the party. ‘‘Convert calamity into opportunity,’’ were the words, he said, that ‘‘still ring in my ears’’. Modi described the hospital as ‘‘Vidhvans par Atalji ki amar kavita (Vajpayee’s eternal poem on destruction).’’ Built using Base Isolation Technique from New Zealand, the hospital can withstand a quake of the magnitude of eight on the Richter. The base of the building is equipped with shock absorbers to withstand tremors. Modi announced a state seismological research institute. Vajpayee was at his poetic best too though he was almost two hours late. ‘‘Aaj mein bhukamp ko parast dekh raha hoon. Navnirman ki jo lalsa hui hai, uski apne samne vijay dekh raha hoon (I am seeing the quake vanquished by the zest for reconstruction),’’ he said. ‘‘Yeh aspatal vinash par nirman ki jai hai. Mrutyu par jivan ki jai hai. Yeh navnirman ka sandesh hai (This hospital symbolises victory of creation over destruction, of life over death),’’ he said, denying any credit for its construction. The country had come a long way in tackling quake-related operations and was in a position to help countries such as Iran, he said. He did, however, sound a word of concern. The state must better its health and education sectors, he said, calling upon Gujarat to improve its human development index, ranking sixth after Kerala, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Haryana.
