Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah today inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for various development projects of the Mansa Municipality in Gujarat. On this occasion, several dignitaries, including Shri Haribhai Patel, Member of Parliament from the Mehsana parliamentary constituency, were present.

In his address, the Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, a new era of development and the construction of modern infrastructure has begun across the country, including Gujarat. He said that the Mansa region is located at a very important strategic location and continuous efforts are being made for its overall development. He further said that the Gujarat government has started work on a barrage in the Mansa region. In addition, provisions have been made to build a second barrage in the Rampur–Mansa area and a third barrage near Gandhinagar so that, under advanced water management, the public can be freed from harmful fluoride-contaminated water and future generations can also benefit.

Shri Amit Shah said that a new Civil Hospital will be built in the Mansa region. Once this 11-storey hospital equipped with state-of-the-art facilities is completed by the year 2030, no one will need to go outside Mansa for medical treatment. He said that after the new Civil Hospital is built, a Medical College will also be started within the campus of SD Arts and B.R. Commerce College. Shri Shah further said that a highway between Mansa and Pilwai will be constructed at a cost of ₹110 crore, and a road from Balva to Gochariya will be built at a cost of ₹100 crore.

Shri Amit Shah said that from the 11th, Prime Minister Modi has launched a full year of “Somnath Swabhiman Parv”. A thousand years ago, the magnificent Somnath Temple was demolished by Mahmud of Ghazni, and thereafter Alauddin Khilji, Ahmad Shah, Muhammad Begada, Aurangzeb and others kept destroying the temple again and again, while our ancestors kept rebuilding it. Those who destroyed believed in destruction; those who built believed in creation. After a thousand years, the destroyers have vanished somewhere, but the Somnath Temple still stands firm on the seashore.

This Somnath Temple was reconstructed with resolve by great leaders like Sardar Patel, K. M. Munshi, Jam Saheb and our first President Dr. Rajendra Prasad. The meaning behind that resolve was that the attack on Somnath was not just an attack on a temple, but an attack on our faith, our religion and our self-respect. Its answer could not be through retaliation, but only through the protection of self-respect. And today, even after being destroyed 16 times over a thousand years, the Somnath Temple stands there with its towering saffron flag, and under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, a grand Somnath corridor is being built there.

This sends a message to the entire world that it is not so easy to erase Sanatan Dharma, Indian culture and the faith of the people of India—they are as eternal and indestructible as the sun and the moon. The Somnath Temple is a symbol of India’s faith, belief and pride. We are going to celebrate the entire coming year as the “Somnath Swabhiman Parv,” with many programmes to stir the soul of India, awaken consciousness and take the roots of Sanatan Dharma deep into the ground. This Somnath Swabhiman Year is important for all of us.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation thanked the Gujarat Government for constructing a sports complex equipped with modern infrastructure and directed the concerned Collector to open this excellent gym not only for players but also for the citizens of Mansa. He said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, a vibrant environment for sports and sports complexes has been created across the country, including Gujarat. Ahmedabad is being developed as a sports city that is establishing a distinct identity not only in India but across the entire world.

Shri Amit Shah said that athletes from 117 countries will come to Ahmedabad for the Commonwealth Games to be held in 2030. In addition, the World Police and Fire Service Games will also be held in Ahmedabad in 2029. He said that efforts are also being made to host the 2036 Olympic Games in Ahmedabad. The Home Minister told the district administration and public representatives of the Mansa region to ensure that players from nearby schools and colleges use these sports facilities to strengthen not only their bodies, minds and self-confidence, but also to make their names shine in Gujarat, the country and the world.

Home Minister said that, on the lines of Ahmedabad’s modern fire station, a new fire station has now been completed in Mansa as well. In addition, the Gujarat Government has also gifted Mansa a new Circuit House and a police station. He said that over the last four years, 13 ponds have been interconnected to create a system that will ensure water availability throughout the year. Praising the development of Chandrasar Lake, Shri Shah said that public participation is very important to maintain such arrangements. He added that we must take a pledge ourselves to keep our villages and towns clean, and for this our youth must come forward.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that the people of India have taken a pledge that when the centenary of the country’s independence is celebrated in 2047, India will be ranked first in every field across the world. Shri Shah said that he is confident the coming era belongs to India’s youth. With their determination, intellect and courage, India’s young people must take the country to the highest position in the world, and Mansa, along with the entire nation, should contribute to this effort.

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