‘Statue of Unity’ has become world famous tourism destination within a year : PM Modi

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi : PM Narendra Modi, in the 5th episode of his ‘Mann Ki Baat 2.0’ on October 27, 2019,on AIR, urged the people to buy local products. “There is no need to go to the tehsil if our need is met in our village. If it is found in Tehsil, then there is no need to go to the district. The more we try to buy our local things; the ‘Gandhi 150’ will become a great event in itself. We must buy some handloom products made by our weavers, our khadi artisans,” the PM said.

“I would urge you to become a patron of local things and buy local. And witness for ourselves, how we can play an important role in making Mahatma Gandhi’s dream come alive,” the PM said.

Talking about festival tourism, PM Modi said that festival tourism has its own exciting attractions. “Our India, the country of festivals, possesses limitless possibilities in the realm of festival tourism. It must be our endeavour to ensure that we should welcomingly include people of other states, other countries when we celebrate Holi, Diwali, Onam, Pongal or Bihu, spreading their true spirit. Here, every state, every region is replete with distinct festivals, generating a lot of interest in people from other countries. Hence, the Indian Diaspora has a significant role to play in promoting festival tourism in India,” he said.

As regards the significance of October 31, the PM said that this day marks the birth anniversary of the Iron Man of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the unifying force in bonding us as a Nation; our Hero. Sardar Patel, possessed the rare quality of uniting people and was able to strike a balance with people who were not in ideological agreement with him. Sardar Patel used to observe even the minutest of things in-depth; assessing and evaluating them simultaneously, the PM added.

“Sardar Patel was a ‘Man of Detail’ in the true sense of the term. When we read and hear about Sardar Saheb’s style of working, we come to know of the sheer magnitude of the meticulousness in his planning. In 1921, in the Congress Session in Ahmedabad, thousands of delegates from across the country were slated to participate. Sardar Patel was entrusted with overlooking all the arrangements. He utilised this opportunity in improving the city’s water supply network. He ensured that not a single person would face a problem on account of water. Not just that, he was also concerned about the safety and security of the delegates’ shoes and baggage. To ensure that, he contacted farmers and urged them to craft khadi bags. These were made and sold to the delegates. They carried the bags with their shoes inside, free from any tension of the footwear getting stolen. It led to a major rise in the sale of khadi. Our country will always be indebted to Sardar Patel for his stellar role in the Constituent Assembly. He strove to ensure enshrinement of fundamental rights that obliterated any possibility of discrimination on the basis of caste and community, according to a PIB release,” PM Modi said.

The PM said October 31, 2018, is the day when the ‘Statue of Unity’, in memory of Sardar Patel, was dedicated to the nation and the world. It is the tallest statue in the world. It is double in height compared to the ‘Statue of Liberty’ in the US. The distinction of having the world’s highest statue fills every Indian with pride; the head of every Indian is held high, the PM said and added that over 26 lakh tourists had visited the ‘Statue of Unity’.

“This means that an average of eight and a half thousand people witnessed the grandeur of the ‘Statue of Unity’ every day. Besides, at present, it houses many centres of attraction such as Cactus Garden, Butterfly Garden, Jungle Safari, and Children’s Nutrition Park, Ekta Nursery, which are all constantly evolving and providing a fillip to the local economy. Local people are not only getting innovative opportunities of employment but for the convenience of visiting tourists, many villagers are providing facilities like home stays. And these hosts are being professionally trained in the technique of running a home stay. The locals have now started the cultivation of Dragon fruit and I am sure that it will soon become a major source of livelihood for the people there,” PM Modi said.

“Friends, for our nation and the constituent states, as well as for the tourism industry, this ‘Statue of Unity’ can be a subject of research. We are all witness to the fact that how within a year a place developed as a world famous tourism destination. People arrive there from the country and abroad. And one after the other, ancillary services like transport, lodging, guides and eco-friendly services are getting inducted by themselves. A large economy is developing and people are generating facilities as per the requirement of the tourists. The government is also playing its role,” the PM said.