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President praises spirit of Kutch people

President A P J Abdul Kalam on Tuesday wrapped up his two-day Gujarat visit, which was his first outside Delhi.

The President appreciated the rebuilding process, which was undertaken after the devastating earthquake last year, but made it clear that there was need for action to help the victims of the recent communal violence.

Driving down to various villages in the Kutch region, the epicentre of the quake that claimed thousands of lives, he said, "I can carry from Kutch a message for the rest of the country -- that of the indomitable spirit of the people."

"When I see the type of houses built by multiple agencies, I am confident that great things are possible in the state and in the country," he said while addressing a public meeting at the trijunction of Bagala, Modsar and Mukhana villages about 40 km from Bhuj.

On Monday night, after his tour of Naroda Patiya in Ahmedabad's suburb, Haj House relief camp and a widows' home, where he interacted with riot victims, the President issued a message in which he said one of his missions during the visit was to personally see the task of rehabilitation of those who had suffered during the recent disturbances.

"The grievances poured forth by the affected people to me... should merit immediate attention of those concerned and actions taken with alacrity," he said, recounting that Chief Minister Narendra Modi, his colleagues, officials and non-governmental organisations were present when people narrated their woes.

Kalam said, "Having seen all this and appreciating them against the background of the rich traditions of Gujarat, I am convinced and my faith is reinforced that the nation urgently needs an intensified movement to eliminate totally communal and other forms of strife and bring about unity of minds and total integration of our vision and goals."

Kalam said it would be his endeavour to devote all his energies to make this dream come true in the shortest possible time.

He said India had to attain self-sufficiency in "critical technology", agriculture, food processing, health and education, and also alleviate poverty.

He said the "tremendous progress" in the relief and rehabilitation work for the quake-devastated people of Kutch made him "confident that the mission to have a developed nation free from disease and poverty is possible".

The President also addressed a function at Deen Dayal Nagar in Bhuj town where he had inaugurated a school last year during his tenure as scientific advisor to the prime minister.

He inaugurated a community hall built at the trijunction of Mukhana, Bagala and Modsar.

Among his informal engagements were a visit to a Jain monastery and the Swami Narayan temple in Ahmedabad.

PTI

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