By IANS,
Chandigarh: The Gujarat government has invited Gujaratis from all over the world to converge on Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad to take part in year-long celebrations starting April 30 to mark the 50th anniversary of the formation of the state.
A delegation led by Rajya Sabha member and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national vice-president Purshottam Rupala and state Minister Kiritsinh Rana wound up its visit to Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh to invite Gujarati population settled in these states to come for the celebrations.
“It is not merely festivities, it is an ‘andolan’ (movement). People of Gujarat have committed to make their own contributions to the celebrations. For instance, thousands of doctors have vowed to run free OPDs (out-patient departments) for the poor patients, teachers have committed to coach free, and students have resolved to study one hour more every day,” Rupala told media here Sunday.
The Gujarati-speaking areas of the erstwhile Bombay state were carved out into a separate state of Gujarat May 1, 1960.
Rupala exhorted Gujaratis to bring their neighbours along for the state’s anniversary celebrations.
He said the visitors will be accorded traditional Gujarati hospitality under the scheme ‘Vibrant Gujarat’, where guests are assigned to volunteer families where they can stay and have a taste of Gujarati lifestyle.