Ahmedabad: BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on Friday asked members of the minority community to stand on their own feet and not seek help for a living, said Modi while addressing a handful of Muslim businessmen during the inaugural function of a three-day conclave on business harmony organized by a socio-economic organisation Ummat that helps over 1200 Muslim businessmen network with each other in the state
Modi also said that cited several examples of Muslims in Gujarat who made a name of their own. Apart from the traditional kite-making and textile printing sectors that employ a number of Muslim artisans, he narrated the efforts of an old gentleman from Dharampur in Valsad district who used to make musical instruments and a young farmer Ismail Sheru from Banaskantha who currently holds the record of maximum potato cultivation over a hectare.
The BJP’s PM candidate also talked about how the image of Gujarat has changed from being a trader’s state to being a manufacturing hub. He also mentioned how Kutch district, having the highest Muslim population in the state, has 1732 industrial units owned by Muslims who directly contribute to the growth of the state.
Some of the participants at the business conclave appreciated Modi government’s effort to support to the first-of-its-kind event held in the state to promote business harmony.
Muslims should not live in history. We should live in the present and look forward to the future,” Saasa said when asked about the communal history of the state.
Similar views were aired by Zafar Sareshwala, a prominent Muslim businessmen from Gujarat, Being victims in Gujarat is nothing new for Muslims. But since last ten years, there has not been a single incidence of a curfew being imposed anywhere the state. There is definitely softness among Muslims towards Modi. Federico Tauber, president of Tameer Group from UAE said, “The chief minister has encouraged us to invest in Gujarat. We see a lot of potential in the state.
Bureau Report
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