On Teacher's Day, Modi turns preacher on anti-terrorism

Gandhinagar: In a Teacher's Day address made mandatory viewing in schools and colleges across Gujarat on Friday, Chief Minister Narendra Modi spoke out against terrorism and rooted for an anti-terror law in the state.

In a first, Modi’s 90-minute address was beamed live on national network Doordarshan and had the CM talking development with a clear focus on terrorism.

Modi also took questions from the students – who were gathered in Gandhinagar Town Hall to listen to him – one of whom asked him about his fight against terrorism.

“Keep a strict vigil on what is happening around us. Terrorists carry out their acts by being within the society. If we are vigilant, it would be difficult for them to carry their nefarious acts", he said.

Modi also said he wanted the Centre to clear Gujarat Control of Organised Crime Act (GUJCOCA), an anti-terror law that has been passed by the Gujarat Assembly and awaiting President’s approval.

“If there is a stringent law against terrorism, young boys from good families will not jump into terror activities”, he said.

"The pledge that they take need not be a big one. But, your small pledge will also help in development of the state," Modi said.

"If you take a pledge that you will not waste electricity or water or litter garbage on roads it will help the state a lot," he said.

Modi spoke in detail about various schemes that the state government has introduced for the welfare of children's and also improvement of education system in the country.

He told students about his "Kanya Kelavani Abhiyan", which aims at enrollment of all the girl students to the state for formal education.

Modi also said that his government aims to bring down the dropout rate to zero by the year 2010.

He stressed on the health of students and advised them to remain healthy and take part in government students' medical checkup scheme.

In fact, a circular issued by the state education department directed all the schools to make arrangements to show Modi's speech.

"All the students from class one to ten of our schools had gathered in the compound where television sets, with speakers were arranged by us," a principal of a school in Junagadh district said.

"Usually Teachers Day is celebrated with students conducting classes every year. But this tradition was suspended this year as the Chief Minister decided to address students of the state," he added.