Vibrant Gujarat Summit – Attempt to Promote Brand Gujarat

Ramachandra Guha, India After Gandhi

Guha further observes that in both cases the pogroms were made possible by a wilful breakdown of the rule of law. While the achievements of the Congress Party are rarely (if ever) contrasted against the events of 1984, Gujarat Chief Minister’s performance continues to be juxtaposed to the unfortunate events of 2002. This tendency can be ascribed either to the conspiracy of the dominant political discourse or the historical proximity to the violence in Gujarat. Whatever may be the cause, shadow of the 2002 violence discernibly hangs over Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s administration. Vibrant Gujarat Summit (VGS), a business/investment carnival, which drew to a close last week, was another attempt to distance Gujarat from ominous events of 2002 and showcase its economic potential and political stability.

Along with from the favourable geographical position (1600 km of Gujarat’s coastline line is dotted with numerous ports) and entrepreneurial leanings of the Gujarati people, the State’s administration have turned Gujarat into a hub of commercial and industrial activity in India. VSG was conceived by the Modi Government as an opportunity to promote Brand Gujarat.

Since its inception in 2003, VGS has evolved as an event for turning Gujarat into a global business, knowledge, technology acquisition and sharing hub. According to chief minister Modi, Gujarat garnered a record Rs 20.83 lakh crore in investment during VGS 2011. Nearly 55 per cent of the proposed investments are targeted in the small and medium scale sector thereby benefiting the needy segment of the population.

This year was also special as representative from 12 states of India and international delegates including investors from Japan and Canada participated in the Summit. VGS appears to have graduated from merely showcasing the achievements of Gujarat to building investment linkages across the country and beyond.

A few highlights from VGS: Leading the investors’ pack on the first day was the Adani Group, which committed 80,000 crore investments in ports and power. Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group committed 50,000 crore for power and Essar Group promised 30,000-crore investments into energy, ports and water infrastructure. Larsen & Toubro committed 15,000 crore on infrastructure, while tractor-to-software group Mahindra & Mahindra signed six MoUs to invest 3,000 crore. Hindustan Construction Company (HCC), will invest 1,200 crore to set up a renewable energy project within five years in the state. Mahindra and Mahindra Vice-chairman Anand Mahindra said that that the state administration is focused on outcome and not show. “You cannot afford not to be here,” he said, and told the chief minister: “Tell your critics you are doing a great job.”

Apart from VGS, chief minister Modi is credited with a variety of innovative ventures designed to ensure Gujarat’s comprehensive development.

In November 2010, the State has organized Khel Mahakumbh, a sporting event to promote different sports among the youth of Gujarat. Competitions were organized beginning from the panchayat level and according to the chief minister 16 lakh people participated in the event. The Chief Minister’s Fellowship program seeks to support youth working on innovative solutions to address problems of human development in Gujarat. The Gujarat Government’s scheme, State-Wide Attention on Grievances with Application of Technology (SWAGAT), an online grievance redressal scheme of the Chief Minister’s Office, was selected by the UN for the Public Service Award 2010 for improvement in transparency and accountability. In a report titled Good Governance in Highway Sector: Learning from Gujarat, the World Bank applauded exemplary reforms in Gujarat’s highway sector and suggested its replication in other Indian states to establish an ‘enabling framework’ for creating ‘efficient governance’.

Even though the media and civil society have vocally criticized instances of corruption and runaway inflation in the country, chief minister Modi’s positive performance has not received much appreciation. The ghost of Godhra has made any approval of Modi’s government synonyms with being communal and anti-Muslim. Fervor over Ghulam Mohammed Vastanvi’s recent comments highlights this tendency. Maulana Vastanvi, Darul Uloom Deoband’s newly elected Vice Chancellor, had observed  that majority of Muslims in Gujarat were happy and prospering and asked members of the community to leave behind Godhra riots and move on. Though Maulana Vastanvi refused to comment on chief minister Modi’s record and focussed on the need for Muslims to benefit from Gujarat’s economic prosperity, he is portrayed as abandoning the fight for justice for the victims of 2002 riots.