Controversial Congress politician, Shri Shashi Tharoor surprised one and all, when he appreciated BJP’s efforts in reconstructing a devastated Gujarat following the 2001 earthquake. He even recommended to the state of Kerala that they should follow the Gujarat model of development.
The Congress MP for Thiruvananthapuram, Mr. Shashi Tharoor, had recently attended a conference which talked about reconstructing Kerala post the devastating floods. He praised the efficiency of the Gujarat government in reconstructing the state, devastated after the horrible earthquake that rocked the region in 2001.
To quote him, ‘The Gujarat model of reconstruction after the 2001 earthquake is an excellent model to be adopted for the reconstruction of Kerala. We should learn from Gujarat and follow the methods implemented there.’
He added, ‘Kerala at present needs socially committed and sustainable model of construction. But sustainable model of construction will not happen when deforestation and illegal constructions are damaging the environment. We need more expertise in building homes that can resist and survive landslides.’
For those unaware, a devastating earthquake had rocked Gujarat on 26 January 2001, with its epicenter in Bhuj. The earthquake, that measured 7.7 on the magnitude of Richter scale, killed approximately 17000-20000 people and injured more than 1 – 1.5 lakh people in total. Apart from loss to life, several crores of properties were also damaged. The entire town of Bhuj was destroyed, while Ahmedabad, which was not very far from the epicenter, also suffered serious damages.
Taking cognizance of the tragedy, stepped in the then CM Narendra Modi. Unlike his predecessor or contemporaries in other states, CM Modi refused to take the disaster lying down. Instead of indulging in politics and whataboutery, he himself took the charge of reconstruction efforts in Gujarat the moment he took oath as CM of Gujarat.
Extending the housing schemes launched by his predecessor Shri Keshubhai Patel, his approach was simple but effective: extensive reconstruction with minimum delays. Following were the objectives of the policy used by the Gujarat government in the reconstruction of towns and properties damaged by the earthquake :
- Sustainable development
- Repairing damaged houses,
- Building and Strengthening houses destroyed in Earthquake, along with public buildings
- Revival of the Economy
- Strengthening the Health Support system
- Reconstruction of the Community and Social Infrastructure etc.
As a result, it hardly took much time for Gujarat government to reconstruct the devastated town of Bhuj and repair the damaged properties in Ahmedabad. It is this very initiative that later laid the foundation of the much talked about Gujarat model of development.
Unfortunately, in their attempt to discredit the role of CM Modi in redeveloping the state, the opposition, backed by mainstream media, has hardly credited him for the efforts, with some even going to the extent of calling this development a mere eyewash.
As such, it is nothing less than a welcome surprise that Shashi Tharoor, who is otherwise extremely vicious when it comes to criticizing PM Modi, has actually appreciated the Gujarat model of development, which propelled CM Modi to the coveted post of the Prime Minister in 2014.