Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday addressed the 100th anniversary of Kadwa Patidar Samaj via video conference and said that this was the first time when he got the opportunity to attend a programme in the presence of Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Sadanand Saraswati ji.

Conveying his best wishes on the occasion of Sanatani Shatabdi Mahotsav, Prime Minister Modi said that there was a happy coincidence of 100 years of Kadwa Patidar Samaj’s service to the society along with the 50th year of the youth wing and the 25th year of the women’s wing, and remarked that success and prosperity are assured when the youth and women of society take responsibility on their shoulders.

Noting the clear loyalty of the youth and women wing of Shri Akhil Bhartiya Kutch Kadwa Patidar Samaj, the Prime Minister expressed gratitude and thanked the Kadwa Patidar Samaj for including him as a part of the family of Sanatani Shatabdi Mahotsav.

“Sanatan is not just a word, it is ever-new, ever-changing. It has an inherent desire to better itself from the past and is therefore eternal, immortal,” the Prime Minister said.

“The journey of any nation is reflected in the journey of its society,” the Prime Minister remarked as he underlined that the 100 year-old history of Patidar Samaj and hundred years journey of Shri Akhil Bhartiya Kutch Kadwa Samaj with its futuristic vision is also a medium to understand India and Gujarat.

Pointing out the atrocities committed by foreign invaders on India’s society for hundreds of years, the Prime Minister highlighted that the ancestors of the land did not allow their identity to be erased and their faith to be fragmented.

“We are seeing the effect of sacrifices of centuries ago in the present generation of this successful society”, the Prime Minister said as he mentioned that the Kutch Kadwa Patidar community are moving forward with their labour and ability in sectors such as timber, plywood, hardware, marble, building material among others.

He expressed happiness that the respect and honor for the traditions have only grown year after year and said that the society built its present, and laid the foundation of its future.

Reflecting on his political life and association with the society, the Prime Minister recalled working with Kadwa Patidar Samaj on numerous subjects as the Chief Minister of Gujarat.

He mentioned the Kutch earthquake and lauded the strength of the community for engaging in relief and reconstruction efforts and said that it always gave him a sense of confidence.

Pointing out how Kutch was considered one of the most backward districts of the country where issues of water shortage, starvation, death of animals, migration, and misery had become its identity, he said that “but over the years, together, we have rejuvenated Kutch.”