New Delhi, July 24 (IANS) As Gujarat celebrated its golden jubilee in 2011, the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi transformed this milestone into a global celebration of ‘Jan Bhagidari’ — people’s participation — uniting Gujarat residents, not just across the country but also those from the United Kingdom.

At the heart of the celebrations was the announcement of the Mahatma Mandir, a convention and exhibition centre in Gandhinagar, to be constructed with soil collected from more than 18,000 villages across the state.

This project symbolised unity and development — core ideals of Mahatma Gandhi — and was envisioned as a tribute to his legacy.

In a unique gesture, soil was also sent by the Gujarati diaspora in the UK, to be used in raising the monument.

Representatives from all 18,066 villages of Gujarat brought urns filled with earth to pour into the foundation of the Mahatma Mandir, while proud Gujaratis abroad contributed soil from foreign lands, especially the UK.

Marking Gujarat’s 50th year since its formation, Narendra Modi had virtually addressed a high-profile audience gathered in Mayfair, London, from Gandhinagar.

The event was hosted by Friends of Gujarat, Gujarat Samachar, and Asian Voice, and brought together 90 eminent personalities, including British MPs, Lords, and community leaders. Lord Gulam Noon was among those who engaged in an interactive session with Narendra Modi.

“The name Gujarat and development are synonymous. Gujarat is creating history,” the then CM Modi told the gathering of overseas supporters.

“Narendra Modi turned Gujarat’s golden jubilee into a golden moment of Jan Bhagidari,” noted Modi Archive in a post on X, which shared highlights of the event and underscored the symbolic significance of the initiative.

Gujarat CM announced that the Mahatma Mandir would rise from the soil of Gujarat’s villages and also from the ‘mitti’ (soil) sent by Gujaratis settled abroad.

“In this Golden Jubilee celebration, we have decided to build a Mahatma Mandir. We have collected earth from 18,000 villages in Gujarat to make this monument. We have also collected earth from abroad, especially the UK,” he declared.

The message was unmistakable, said Modi Archive, adding that for Narendra Modi, the Indian diaspora was “never a passive audience, but was — and remains — an active participant in nation-building.”

–IANS

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