65

CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER 2 22 2

GUJARAT STATE: A BRIEF NOTE GUJARAT STATE: A BRIEF NOTE GUJARAT STATE: A BRIEF NOTE GUJARAT STATE: A BRIEF NOTE















66
Gujarat state was carved from the present Marathi speaking region i.e.
Maharashtra in the year 1960. Gujarat state is situated on the West coast of India between
20.1 and 24.7 degrees North latitude and 68.4 and 74.4 degrees East longitude. The
boundaries of Gujarat are surrounded by the Arabian Sea in the West, Rajasthan in the
North East, Madhya Pradesh in the East and Maharashtra in the South East. It shares a
common border with Pakistan on the Northern side. Gujarat state gets a rainfall of South-
West monsoon from the month of June to September. The land of coastal and central
Gujarat is fertile, whereas the Northern part is dry and drought prone. The state covers
196024 km (75665 sq. miles) on the border with Pakistan. The rivers of Gujarat are
Narmada, Tapti, Sabarmati and Mahi. The black soil is best suited for cash crops such as
sugarcane, cotton and groundnuts besides that it cultivates crops such as rice and millets.
Archaeologists have found Stone Age settlements around the Sabarmati and Mahi
rivers in the south and East of the state. The settlements probably date from the time of
Indus valley civilization. There were also Harappan centres at Lothal, Rampur, Ameri,
Lakhabanal and Rozdi, Rocky inscriptions in the Girnar Hills show that the Mauryan
Emperor Ashoka extended his domain into Gujarat i in 250 B.C. After the fall of the
Maurya Empire, the Sakas and Scythains controlled the region from A.D. 130 to 390.
Under Rudradaman the area formed part of the Gupta Empire, which was succeeded by
the Maitrika dynasty. During the period 900 A.D., the Solanki dynasty came to power,
when the state flourished in all fields. There then followed a long period of Muslim rule;
Ahmed-I, the first independent Musilm ruler of Gujarat, founded Ahmedabad in 1411
A.D. The Mughal Emperor Akbar conquered Malwa and Gujarat in the region remained
under Mughal rule for nearly 200 years. The excavation of Harappa at Lothal in 1954 has
67
revealed the existence of a flourishing part of city of the Indus civilization. The Indus
Empire witnessed many changes. The city of lothal was devastated by natural calamities
at many times but reconstructed again each time. According to documented history,
Chandragupta Maurya assimilated Gujarat an integral part of his empire as is evident
from the engravings. In 415 A.D. Kumar Gupta I son and successor of Chandragupta II,
ruled over Gujarat. After Gupta period Gujarat passed through the Maitraka period (470-
780 AD) and Chalukya period (9840-1304 AD) followed by a period of independent
sultanates (1411-1573 A.D.). Under Chalukya tenures, Bhill Chiefs were conquered. In
1304 A.D. Muhammad Tughlak Ahmed Shah I founded the city of Ahmedabad which
afterwards became famous for trade and commerce. Gujarat was divided into several
small princely states. The Moghul king Akbar captured the region in 1573. Under
Mughal governors this region developed foreign trade and commerce and initiated
domestic manufacturing units (Choksi, 1984). After 1700 A.D. the Dutch, English,
French and Portuguese established bases along the coastal region. The East India
Company set up its first head quarters in India at Surat in 1612. As British maritime
supremacy developed, all but the British and Portuguese at Daman and Diu went back.
The state came under the control of the British East India Company in 1818. After the
First war of Indian independence in 1857, the British government ruled directly, dividing
the area into number of princely states. Following Indian independence in 1947, all of
Gujarat except Saurashtra and Kutch became part of Bombay state. However, the
Bombay state was bifurcated into States of Maharashtra and Gujarat on May 1960.
The state has been divided into two distinct economic and geographic regions,
namely, the main land Gujarat comprising Mehsana, Sabarkantha, and Banaskantha on
68
the northern border, Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Kheda and Vadodara in Central Gujarat,
Panchmahal in Eastern highland, Bharuch, Surat, Valsad, Dang District and Navsari, Tapi
(Vyara) newly declared district and divided from Surat in south Gujarat which includes
coastal as well as hill regions. The peninsular Gujarat comprise Kathiawad (Saurashtra)
and Kutch. However the development in the state is uneven. Reflecting on the statistical
data the population of Gujarat as per 2001 census is 50,671,017 including rural and urban
population. The schedule caste population is stated to be 7.09% and schedule tribe
comprise 14.76%. The sex ratio in Gujarat has declined from 942 females per 1000 in
1981 to 920 females per 1000 males as per 2001 census.
The architecture of Gujarat is famous for its fine detail. Besides, the region has a
long tradition of handicrafts, such as bandhini (tie-dyed cloth), Jari (gold and silver
embroidery), Patola (a beautifully patterned silk for which the thread is tied-dyed before
being woven), perfumes and wood carving. Gujarat was the chief centre of wood carving
in India from at least the 15
th
century. Even when stone as a building material handled
with great ease and confidence. Wood carving in Gujarat in the Mughal Period (1556-
1707) shows a beautiful synthesis of the indigenous and Mughal styles. Jain wooden
pavilions of the late 16
th
and 17
th
centuries are richly sculptured with scenes from Jain
mythology and contemporary life and with imaginative floral animal and geometrical
motifs; figural sculpture has a great vivacity and rhythm. Many wooden facades of the
19
th
century have been preserved but the ornamentation lacks the grace and movement of
earlier work (Chaudhary, 1983) the architectural style of Gujarat is well known for its
luxuriousness and refinement, as exemplified by the movements and temples at Somanth,
Modhera and Thane. It is also famous for its art and craft products. Among the most
69
durable and effective of the states cultural institutions is trade and craft guilds known as
Mahajans.



Demographic Features
Religion is an important and perhaps one of the basic cultural characteristic of the
Indian society. Therefore, distribution of population by religion is of considerable
sociological significance in its own right. There are cultural, linguistic and other socio-
economic differences among the people belonging to different religions that are relatively
persistent over time. The Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists are the
major religious communities residing in the various states of India. It is therefore
important to observe the percentage composition of the population of these religious
communities.
70
The total population of Hindu communities is 4,51,43,074, among them males are
2,35,38,770 and 2,16,04,304 are women, male constitute 60.1% and female represent
39.9% of total Hindu population. Christians form 2,84,092 of the Gujarat state
population, male are 1,42,881 and 1,41,211 are women. In Gujarat the population Sikhs
is 45,587 while 20,600 are women and men are 24,987. Buddhists population is 17,829
among them 8,390 are women and men are 9,439. The proportion of Jains in the State is
2,52,305 (Census of India, 2001). Muslims and Christians in Gujarat are more urban than
other religious groups. In 1991, 58 percent of Muslims, 54 percent of Christians are based
in cities or towns. There are 15 towns with a population of more than 100 thousand,
where Muslims have a presence of around or more than 10 percent. Their proportion in 7
of these towns is around 15 percent.
Information on work status of the population reveals that 41.95% have been
reported as workers; the disparity being markedly prominent between the two sexes.
Whereas work participation rate 54.87(male) and 27.91 (female) respectively. Rest of the
other religious communities has very little proportion to the states population. According
to Census 2001, Gujarat, with literacy rate 69.14% ranks 17
th
among all the States/UTs.
Male Literacy rate is 79.66% and the female literacy rate is 57.80%. Rural population
literacy 61.29 percent and urban literacy rate 81.84 percent while schedule caste literacy
is 70.50% and schedule tribe 47.74 percent (HDR, 43-47, 2003).

Political Economy during Colonialism
Under the British the land tenure system was different in mainland region and
peninsular region, i.e. Gujarat, Saurashtra and Kutch. In mainland Gujarat Ryotwari
71
system was dominant wherein revenue was collected in cash. Intermediaries collected the
revenue on behalf of sate from the tillers. These were mostly Patidar and Anavil
Brahmins. In Saurashtra and Kutch region Zamindari system prevailed. These were
mainly Rajput Girasdars, Bhayats and Mulgirasias and had property rights over their
land. At least two-fifths of the entire Saurashtra are was under Ryotwari system (Mishra,
1961). Most of the villages in Gujarat exhibit the usual Ryotwari features common to
western India (Baden-Powell, 1974). Further the most striking characteristics of the
tenurial system in 1850 was the massive extent of land alleviated even greater in
proportion then that in the southern Maratha country (Charles Worth, 1986). Nearly Rs.
30 lakhs of revenue were alleviated in Gujarat's four districts of Ahemdabad, Kaira,
Bharuch and Surat through individual names resulting in a substantial size of land under
the ownership of Brahmins, Rajput, Kunbis and Kolis. The system of tenancy and sub-
tenancy was advantageous to the British as they could use the surplus fcr other purpose
thereby halting agricultural production (Desai, 1986). In 1821 the land revenue situation
was such that India was transformed into the revenue producing agricultural from of
England (Mukherjee, 1970). The relationship of talukdas and tenants were retrenching
the peasants. Therefore the Bombay Tenancy and Agricultural Act were passed in 1939
in order to control the tenancy system. In the course some tenants were evicted while
other becomes permanent. In Gujarat the Kunbis and Kolis were cultivating the land for
the rulers by paying tribute which was fixed by landlord. Throughout Gujarat there were
347 such villages in the mid nineteenth century of which the Bhagidari villages of
Bharuch district numbered 244 and the Marwa villages in the Kaira District ninety
72
respectively. The British changed the co-sharing system into Ryotwari system. It was the
vested interest of Marwadars and Bhagidars that boosted these systems. Most of the
Marwadars were Kunbis. The same broad caste group as the Maratha peasantry but of the
assertive Leva sub-caste, gradually the name Patidar acquired a mark of improved status
besides being a name and an ideal. In 1931 census the name Patidar was given the official
recognition as well. Thus under colonialism the Bhagidari and Marwa systems were
means to organize, preserve and enhance the social authority of the cultivators in the
prosperous western villages of Gujarat. By 1860, the talukdars were selling off the
villages to settle creditors claim at low price, resulting in Ahmedabad Talukdars Relief
Act in 1862. The indebted estates could be taken over by a Talukadari settlement officer.
Thus more than a third of talukdari villages came under the Acts provisions. The
colonial government used the same mechanism as the talukdars for the Thakurs in
Bharuch and Karia districts, through an encumbered Estates Act in 1877. This legislation
did not affect the social structure of the area. It was the Marwadars and Bhagidars who
emerged as cultivating castes in Bombay presidency. Inamdar and leading cultivator
shared the power in some talukdari and Ryotwari villages. The colonial government was
mainly interested in collecting revenue maintenance of peace and the defence of Indian
frontiers for their own sake" (Roy, 1994: 6).
Colonialism was favorable to the middle and Patidar landlords in Gujarat while
the peasantry consist the ordinary farmers which were reduced to agricultural labourers.
The peasants could not resist the oppression due to impoverishment besides natural and
human made calamities that occurred frequently (Maheshweri, 1974). Till the first half of
73
the eighteenth century irrigation was neglected. Hardly any money was spent on roads,
canals, bridges and other works of public necessity as the over-pressed agrarian economy,
failing to maintain even the previous rates of production and being further overburdened
by ever increasing land tax demanded by the company and extracted from the starving
peasantry with unexampled vigor, led to chronic famine conditions. The year of famine
coincided with a major stretch of serious epidemic illness. All those calamities resulted in
drastic reduction in population levels. The result was decrease in cultivating capacity
which in turn resulted in a fall in agricultural income. Famine compelled the migration of
population particularly backward castes and the landless laborers and the Indian urban
population increased by only four percent by the thirty years ending in 1914.
Table 2.1
Growth of Population in Gujarat since 1901
Decadal growth
Census
Year
Population Absolute Percentage
Percentages
progressive growth
over 1901 (percent)
1 2 3 4 5
1901 9094748 - - -
1911 9803587 + 708839 + 07.79 + 7.79
1921 10174989 + 371402 + 03.79 + 11.88
1931 11489828 + 1314839 + 12.92 + 26.33
1941 13701551 + 2211723 + 19.25 + 50.65
1951 16262657 + 2561106 + 18.69 + 78.81
1961 20633350 + 4370693 + 26.88 + 126.87
1971 26697475 + 6064125 + 29.39 193.55
1981 34085799 + 7388324 + 27.67 + 274.79
1991 41309582 + 7223783 + 21.19 + 354.21
2001 48387270 + 7077688 + 22.66 + 432.03
2001 50596992 + 9287410 + 22.48 + 456.00
Source: B.K. Bhatt, 2003: 142.
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The above data show that population has increased by 7.08 million in 10 years
excluding the areas where census was postponed due to earthquake. The decadal growth
rate of the decade 1991-2001 has increased in comparison to 1981-1991 from 21.19 to
22.66 while in terms of percentage population has increased by 432% since 1901.
Table 2.2
District wise Population in Size 1991 and 2001
Rank
in
2001
District Popul-
ation
2001
Percent to total
population of the
State 2001
Popul-
ation
1991
Percent to total
population of
the State 1991
Rank
in
1991
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1 Ahmedabad 5808378 11.48 4587491 11.1 1
2 Surat 4996391 9.87 3397900 8.23 2
3 Vadodara 3639775 7.19 3038127 7.35 3
4 Rajkot*
(Excluding earthquake
affected areas)
3157676 6.24 2514122 6.09 4

4
5 Banaskantha 2502843 4.95 1981513 4.8 7
6 Bhavnagar 2469264 4.88 2069953 5.01 6
7 Junagadh 2448427 4.84 2091182 5.06 5
8 Sabarkantha 2083416 4.12 1761086 4.26 9
9 Panchmahal 2024883 4.00 1682333 4.07 10
10 Kheda 2023354 4.00 1786794 4.33 8
11 Jamnagar**
(Excluding earthquake
affected areas)
1913685 3.78 1563558 3.78 13

13
12 Anand 1856712 3.67 1642615 3.98 11
13 Mahesana 1837696 3.63 1640251 3.97 12
14 Dohad 1635374 3.23 1274123 3.08 15
15 Kachchh*** 1526321 3.02 1262507 3.06 16
16 Surendranagar 1515147 2.99 1208872 2.93 17
17 Valsad 1410680 2.79 1087980 2.63 19
18 Amreli 1393295 2.75 1308867 3.17 14
19 Bharuch 1370104 2.71 1148252 2.78 18
20 Gandhinagar 1334731 2.64 1077406 2.61 21
21 Navsari 1229250 2.43 1085692 2.62 20
22 Patan 1181941 2.34 1036019 2.51 22
23 Porbandar 536854 1.06 469472 1.14 23
24 Narmada 514083 1.02 449376 1.09 24
25 The Dangs 186712 0.37 144091 0.35 25
* 2001 Census figures are presented including the estimated figures of Malia-miana, Morvi and
Wankaner talukas where Census 2001 was postponed due to Earthquake
** 2001 Census figures are presented including the estimated figures of Jodia taluka where
Census 2001 was postponed due to Earthquake.
*** Census 2001 was not conducted due to earthquake; the estimated figures have been taken into
account.
Source: Socio-Economic Review Gujarat State, 2006-7.
75

The above table points out that Ahmedabad retained its position as 1
st
in 1991.
Surat and Vadodara also follow census according to size of population in 2001
respectively. The literacy of the males and females has increased over the decades in
Gujarat. After the independence total literacy in the State has increased from 21.82% to
69.97%. Male literacy has increased from 30.32 to 80.50 percent during 1951-2001.
Female literacy accounts to 58.60 against the male literacy of 80.50 percent. In terms of
absolute number of literates, Gujarat was having 21.1 million persons as literates in 1991
Census; this number has gone up as 29.1 millions. About 8 million literates have been
added against 8 million increase of population during the decade. Source: socio-economic
review Gujarat State, 2006-7). The district wise absolute number of literates can be seen
in the Table 2.3.
76
Table 2.3
District wise Literacy Rate of Gujarat State 2001
Literacy Rate Sr.
No.
State
Total Male Female
Gujarat 69.14 79.66 57.8
1 Kutch 59.79 70.39 48.59
2 Banaskantha 50.97 66.47 34.4
3 Patan 60.36 73.63 46.33
4 Mehsana 75.22 86.2 63.65
5 Sabarkantha 66.65 80.42 52.3
6 Gandhinagar 76.59 87.74 64.58
7 Ahmedabad 79.5 87.31 70.83
8 Surendranagar 61.61 74.19 48.1
9 Rajkot 74.16 82.61 65.2
10 Jamnagar 66.48 76.25 56.18
11 Porbandar 68.62 78.36 58.42
12 Junagadh 67.78 78.74 56.43
13 Amreli 66.09 76.44 55.78
14 Bhavnagar 66.2 78.02 53.73
15 Anand 74.51 86.09 61.94
16 Kheda 71.96 85.99 56.9
17 Panchmahal 60.92 75.91 44.94
18 Dahod 45.15 58.88 31.28
19 Vadodara 70.76 80.04 60.73
20 Narmada 59.86 72.44 46.61
21 Bharuch 74.41 82.98 65.11
22 Surat 74.65 81.51 66.36
23 Dang 59.65 70.68 48.51
24 Navsari 75.83 82.77 68.61
25 Valsad 69.15 77.9 59.62
Source: Census of India, 2001
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The above table reveals the literacy rate of various districts in the state. Highest
male literacy can be seen in Gandhinagar (87.74%) and female literacy can be seen in
Ahmedabad district (70.8%). The lowest literacy in males can be found in Banaskantha
(66.47%) and females can be seen in Dahod district (31.28). The highest total literacy can
be found in the districts such as Ahmedabad (79.5%), Gandhinagar (76.59%) and in
Navsari (75.83%). Whereas the lowest literacy rates were found in the districts such as
Dahod, Banaskantha, Dang and Narmada; there literacy rates were very low 45.15%,
50.97%, 59.65% and 59.86% respectively.

Architectural Heritage
Architecture, culture and arts have always been prime objectives for travel, and
Gujarat with its high concentration of historical sites is certainly one of the most richly
rewarding destinations for the heritage tourist. The architectural diversity Gujarat reflects
its commercial and political importance over the last 4500 years. The state has some of
Indias most substantial remains of Harappan Civilization, one of the worlds oldest, at
sites like Lothal and Dholavira that offer an insight into the town planning and industry
of the 2600-1600BC period. The recorded history of Gujarat begins with the Mauryan
dynasty which ruled one of the most powerful empires of ancient India spanning from
Assam in the East to Baluchistan in the West. Though originating from Bihar, the
Mauryan Empire had a stronghold in Junagadh ratified by the third century BC rock
edicts of emperor Ashoka and rock cut caves from the Mauryan and Gupta periods in and
around the city. Gujarats Maitraka dynasty that grew after the decline of Gupta power in
the 5
th
century was also responsible for many Buddhist monuments in Saurashtra. The
most important period in the history of temple architecture in Gujarat was the reign of the
78
Solanki rulers in the 11
th
and 12
th
centuries when the Sun temple at Modhera, the Toranas
of Vadhnagar, the Rudhramalaya at Sidhapur, temples at Somanth and the some of the
earliest Jain Temples of the Kumbhariyali, Taranga, Girnar and Paliitana complexes were
commissioned, all of them justly famous for their exquisite carvings. A unique feature of
this period was the creation of huge temple complexes on sacred summits like
Shatrunjaya over Palitana and Girnar outside Junagadh, which are today among Gujarats
greatest tourist attractions and Indias most spectacular sites. The prosperity that followed
trade with the affluent western countries is also reflected in the havelis, the courtyard the
houses of the merchants. Wood was imported for the faade of these houses and carving
techniques where perfected to embellish the jarokhas (balconies) and their brackets,
window frames, doors, columns. These wooden houses can be seen in polls of
Ahmedabad, old quarters of the cities of Gujarat, and at village like Vaso. The princely
states too thrived and their rulers built great places, some of which are open for viewing
as museums or have been converted into heritage hotels where tourists can stay.
The UNESCO listed world heritage site of Champaner as one of the most
remarkable archeological zones in Gujarat with Hindu temples and step wells at
neighboring Pavagadh, the regional capital city built by Sultan Muhammad Bhegada in
the 16
th
century with mosques that are considered perfect examples of the Gujarat
Sultanates Indo-Saracenic architecture. The Jami Masjid and Nagina Masjid have
exquisite sculptures on the pillars and along the mihrab. Ahmedabad became capital of
Gujarat in 1414, replacing Patan, and since then became the centre of architecture. The
first mosque built is referred as Ahmed Shah Masjid, became the model for other
mosques in the city. The largest of the mosque is Jami Masjid, which was built in 1424.
79
The most famous jails are those of the 16
th
century Sidi Syaid Mosque are known for its
architecture and for its latticework. Ahmedabad is also a good place to see the famous
wooden havelis of Gujarat. It also has good examples of stepwell architecture like the
Dada Harir Vav built in 15
th
century and the 19
th
century Isanpur step well.
Lothal is one of the most significant sites of the Harappan or Indus Valley
Civilization excavated in India. The remarkable feature of this ancient city is the
dockyard, which had channels through which ships could sluice from the sea and offload
their cargo when gates were locked. The excellent system of sanitary drainage can be
seen when touring the site. There is a museum that offers an insight into the town
planning and industries and trade of Lothal when it was at its peak from 2400-1600 BC.
Shatrunjaya Hill on the outskirts of the town of Palitana is crowned by a complex of
about 863 temples that present a magnificent spectacle standing on two ridges of the
summit away from any habitation. The site is sacred to Jains who believe Lord Adinath
visited it and his disciple attained nirvana here. Noteworthy temples are the Adishwara
built in 12
th
century but renovated twice, the three storeys Vimala Sah Temple built in
14
th
century and the Motisah Temple of the 19
th
century.
One of the most historic cities of Gujarat, Junagadh has the 3
rd
century BC rock
inscriptions of Emperor Ashoka. The city and its surrounding hills have Buddhist and
Jains caves, most of them dating to the 2
nd
century AD with interesting methods of
retaining water. A short drive to the east of Juangadh is Mt. Girnar which has a hilltop
temple complex. The 12
th
century Jain temples on the hill have exquisite carvings. One of
the temple towns most sacred to Hindus, Dwarka is believed to have been the kingdom
of lord Krishna. The focal point for pilgrims, the Dwarkadish temple, has a five-storey
80
shikhara tower with a dome. The 12th century Rukmini Temple has a remarkable
shikhara and is noted for its exquisite carvings. One of the finest examples of Hindu
temple architecture in Gujarat is the Sun Temple at Modhera. The largest of more than
100 stepwells in Gujarat, the Rani-ki-Vav was built in the 11th century when Patan was
the capital of the Solanki rulers. Baroda, now called Vadodara, was one of the three
premier princely states of India to be awarded a 21 gun salute. The state became
prosperous under Sayajirao Gaekwad who is responsible for the building of the Lakshmi
Vilas Palace. The work of building the palace was commissioned to Major Mant and the
palace is a mix of Indo, Islamic and European architectural elements. Naulakha palace,
Gondal, this 18th century palace is part of the older Darbargadh of the princely state of
Gondal. The palace is a festival of stone carvings that can be seen on the faade,
columns, brackets and balconies. One of Indias largest princely states, Kutch had many
grand palaces. The most famous is the Aaina Mahal, built the 18th century in Bhuj. This
palace is known for its mirror work, mosaics and other elaborate surface ornamentation.
The queen of textiles is the Patola woven by only few families of Patan. About 700 Salvi
weavers are said to have come to Patan when it was the capital of the Solanki rulers, their
patrons, and today only a few continue their tradition. Jamnagar is one of the best known
centers for Bandhini of tie-and-dye, which involves dyeing a fabric in stages to achieve
the final pattern. After the fabric is dyed, the areas to be left in the first colour are knotted
and covered with resist before it goes back for the dip in the next colour. Resist tie-and-
dye stages continue till the fabric is ready for the market.
Kutch is also a centre for block-printing including the intricate Ajrakh printing,
practiced in villages like Dhamadka and Ajrakhpur near Bhuj. Beadwork is a beautiful
81
craft of Gujarat that is believed to have become popular after trade with the west from the
ports in the state brought in top quality beads from overseas in the 19th century. Gujarats
tradition of terra-cotta work is seen in most cities, towns and villages where potters work
on making utensils, prayer objects, decorative items and flower pots on their wheels.
Gujarat is also known for its ceramics. Morvi, Rajkot and villages of Surendranagar
District have thriving cottage industries producing ceramic products. Gujarat has a
tradition of woodcarving visible in beautifully sculpted balconies with their perfectly
proportioned pavilions of the havells, carved doors, and palace gates. Gujarat is known
for its silversmiths who produce beautiful jewellery, utensils and objects. Rajkot, Gondal,
Wadhwan and other places of Saurashtra are known for their silverwork and Kutch
produces some of Indias finest silver ornaments.
Fairs and festivals: Navratri in September October is probably the worlds
longest dance festival and is described as a cultural celebration unparalleled in sheer size.
Ras is a simple dance based on the Gope culture of Lord Krishna, followed by pastoral
groups like the Ahirs and Bharwads. Raasda is performed by men, women or mixed
groups set the rhythm bby clapping their hands and snapping their fingers, and move their
feet to the drumming of dholaks or occasionally dance without any music. Uttrayan or
Makar Sankranti in January every year is like no other day in Gujarat. This is one of
Gujarats most participatory festivals when countless people throng terraces to fly kites.
The kite flown during Uttarayan is internationally called the Indian fighter and it is
usually made out of bamboo and tissue paper. The Modhera Dance Festival is held
annually at the Sun temple of Modhera in January. As the name suggests, the 11th
century Sun temple of Modhera, a fine Example of architecture, is the backdrop for a
82
range of classical dances. Kutch utsav is a festival that features the folk culture of Kutch
district. The Bhavnath Fair is held at the Bhavnath Temple near Damodar Kund on the
outskirts of Junagadh during Shivratri in February-March, Chitra Vichitra fair: About a
fortnight after Holi, on the moonless night called Amawas, tens of thousands of tribals
gather to celebrate the Chitra Vichitra Fair at the confluence of three rivers, near the
village of Poshina.
Ranging geographically from the desert plains of Kutch which occupies the
northwestern part of the state to the moist forests of the Dangs in the southeast, Gujarats
variety of habitats makes it an ideal destination for those interested in wildlife viewing
and bird watching. Some of the national parks and sanctuaries that have accommodations
and other facilities for the eco-traveler are: Nalsarovar bird Sanctuary, this sanctuary
comprises the shallow Nalsarovar Lake and its environs, spanning about 13km, with a
checklist of about 250 birds seen over the years. The lake is a paradise for birdwatchers,
especially in winter when it attracts more than 100 species of migratory birds. The
flooded fields around the lake are the habitat of the threatened Saras Crane and globally-
threatened vultures are sometimes seen in the fields. Little Rann of Kutch: Spanning an
area of about 4950 sq km of the little Rann of Kutch and its environs, the Wild Ass
Sanctuary is the last home of the Indian Wild Ass. The unique geography of the Little
Rann of Kutch also makes it a good place to watch birds typical of the desert. The Rann
is especially good for larks and wheatears. The Macqueens Bustard can be seen in
winter. The 1412 sq km Gir Wildlife reserve comprises deciduous forests, evergreen and
semi-evergreen vegetation, thorn scrub and grasslands. It is well known as the remaining
habitat of the Asiatic Lion. Gir also has a large leopard population. As 359 lions and
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more than 300 leopards have been counted in Gir during the last census, it may be the
best big cat reserve in India with few returning without seeing one over a three of four
day stay. The Savannah-like grasslands of Velavadar National Park support one of
Indias largest populations of the Blackbuck or Indian Antelope.
Gujarat is well-known as the land of Mahatma Gandhi. His great achievements in
the state culminated in the Protest March form Ahmedabad to Dandi that is said to have
done the maximum damage to the British Empire in India. A tour of Gujarat from
Porbandar to Dandi offers an insight into the life and philosophies of the man the world
loves to call Mahatma. Gandhiji was born on 2nd October 1869 at Porbandar and the
three-storied blue-toned haveli containing 17 rooms with some of the belongings of the
Gandhi family has been opened for visitors. Beside the haveli, the Kirti Mandir built in
memory of the Mahatma has a museum, picture gallery and library. From Porbandar,
Karamchand Gandhi moved to Rajkot to officiate as Diwan of states in central
Saurashtra, Wankaner and Rajkot. He studied at Alfred High School from 1881 and was
married to Kasturba two years later. Many years later, Gandhiji returned to Rajkot and
founded the Rashtriya Shala on February21, 1921 as an institute working to revive
handicrafts including rare weaves like the Patola. After schooling in Rajkot and
matriculating from Ahmedabad, Gandhiji went to the Samaldas College at Bhavnagar in
1887, the first arts college of Saurashtra. After leaving India for further studies, Gandhiji
returned to Gujarat and made Ahmedabad the base of his struggle for freedom,
eradication of untouchability dignity of labour, instilling respect for all religions, creating
the spirit of fearlessness and promoting the use of Indian goods. The Gujarat Vidhyapith
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in Ahmedabad was also conceptualized by Gandhiji. Struggle for Poorna Swaraj
continued on, under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhiji.
Struggle started with Bardoli Satyagraha (1928). Gandhijis method was totally
non- violent, of high quality and effective. Mahatma Gandhiji correctly apprehended how
people of India were becoming victim of exploitation and agonies of the British rule. He
was desirous to see that freedom should be obtained as early as possible. In order to
achieve objective Poorna Swaraj the Congress (Gandhiji) started Civil Disobedience
movement. As a part of Civil Disobedience Movement, a march from Sabarmati Harijan
Ashram (now Gandhi ashram) to Dandi was started on March 12, 1930, under the
leadership of Gandhiji along with 78 supporters including Sarojini Naidu and Mahadev
Desai to break the salt law. Two followers joined the march on. On April 5, all of them
reached to village Dandi near Navsari. This march was 366 kms long, and Gandhiji
completed it on foot at the age of more than 60 years. Women were imparted training to
join this Satyagraha. Young men and women also joined enthusiastically. During Dandi
March, numerous constructive programmes like boycott of foreign clothes, prohibition of
liquor, removal of untouchability, hindu-muslim unity, and oath to do social service etc.
were given importance. After getting green signal from Gandhiji, salt Satyagraha were
held everywhere, among which capital Dharasana and Vadala Satyagraha became well
known. The Satyagraha at Dharasana on May 21, 1930 along with 250 agitators, and on
next day to Vadala continued up to June. All the agitators had properly digested
Gandhijis Doctrine of non- violence. Gandhiji even brought women of India out of the
four walls of the house to participate in the struggle of freedom. Gandhiji became famous
in every corner of India and became an architect of the future of India.
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Agriculture
The state has accorded a very priority of the farmers participation in irrigation
system management and operation. Perhaps Gujarat is the first state in the country to
have such a policy on participatory irrigation management. The number of participatory
irrigation management is being increased every time to have better agricultural growth
and the farmers will have better benefits. Farmers movement is not a recent phenomenon
in Gujarat. During the last one and a half decades, the farmers organized several struggles
with varying degrees. As mentioned Gujarat is one of the developed states of the country.
It has a higher rate of urbanization, literacy and per capita income than the all India
average. The land distribution in Gujarat is known as skewed 61% of the workers in
Gujarat are engaged in agriculture which is the principal source of earning. 38% of them
are cultivators and 23% are agricultural laborers 56% of the cultivators (more than 13.5
lakh) over less than 3 hectors of land on the other hand; 1.35% households (thirty
thousand) hold more than 20 hectors of land a very negligible number of households own
more than 40% of land. The rich and middle farmers have formed up their organization to
protect and advance their economic interests like of the Cotton Growers Associations the
Tobacco Growers Association, the Vegetables Growers Association, etc. According to
the all India debt and investment survey, 40% of the farmers whose income is between
1000 and 2500 rupees, borrowed money for household expenditure and only eight
percent for agricultural purposes. Quite a few of the poor farmers have joined their rank
of labourers, as a result, the number of agricultural labourers has increased. Both the
agricultural laborers and poor farmers are largely unorganized though some unions of
agricultural labourers do exist. Earlier, the poor peasants were taking land as share
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croppers from the middle and rich farmers and returning a part of the agricultural
products the owners, this system has continued, but at the same time the process has been
reversed. The rich middle farmers now take land from poor framers as share croppers or
on rent as the latter cannot afford to invest in land (Benerjee, 1996: 65). Coming to the
soils in Gujarat, there are broadly nine categories yielding various important crops, rich
minerals and forest cover. Status of Gujarat soils is fairly high. Declination of micro
nutrient deficient areas on the basis of soil analysis of 11,162 samples all over the state
has revealed on overall deficiency of Zinc to the tune of 26% of the sample analyses.
Zinc deficiency is largely confined of the districts of Banaskantha, Sabarkantha,
Surendranagar and Jamnagar.

Industrialization in Gujarat
Gujarat has 202 well-planned industrial established by the Gujarat Industrial
Development Corporation (GIDC). The existing industries in the state are textiles,
engineering, chemicals and Pharmaceutical units. The textile industry in Gujarat
contributes about 25% of industrial production in the sector consisting several spinning as
well as composite mills generating about 60% man made fiber. Meanwhile the fast
growing industrial structure has given boost to the growth of chemical and petrochemical
industries and the engineering industry in the state. The engineering industry in the state
encourages iron crushing, steel casting, steel forgings, re-rolling industry and the like.
Besides along with alloy and special steel structural fabrication and metal products such
as steel furniture, cutlery, hand tools and springs, nuts, tools as well as ball-bearings,
bicycle parts, small tolls and big tolls, etc. are also manufactured. In addition the state
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also has several chemical fertilizer plants. Gujarats second largest petrochemical
complex has taken shape at Kawas near Surat. Gujarat has Asias largest chemical
industrial estate at Ankleshwar that produces salt and soda ash. The pharmaceutical
industry in the state accounts for about 33% of the production of drugs and medicines in
the country. Further the availability of non-metallic minerals in abundance like limestone,
fire clay, manganese, bauxite, lignite, gypsum, flourspan accentuates the process of
industrialization. Gujarat leads in agate and salt production and is second in calcite and
third in China clay in the country. A multi-processing complex of Oil and Natural Gas
Commission (ONGC) with an investment of Rs. 580 crores has been commissioned at
Hazira in Surat. Countrys first Sponge Iron project costing Rs. 305 crores has been
established at Hazira with an installed capacity of 8.80 lakh tones per annum.
Manufacturing accounts for the largest employment of manpower across industries.
Employment in public sector establishments covered under the employment market
information (EMI) scheme was 830,000, whereas in the private sector it was 860,000 (as
on March 2005). Out of the total 1.69 million people employed in the organized sector,
234,000 (13.82 percent) were women, the public sector employed 17.30 percent of
women, while the private sector employed 10.45 percent. The agriculture sector has
provided a strong base for the growth of Gujarats economy. Rapid strides in agro-
technology and food production have played a key role in augmenting the manufacturing
and services sectors. Gujarat is Indias largest producer of castor, groundnut, cotton,
banana and tobacco. The growth of the services sector has been augmented by increasing
industrial activity (Socio-Economic Review, 2006-07).
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The manufacturing sector has been the backbone of Gujarats growth and
development. The states recognition as a manufacturing hub is supported by the
presence of more than 312,000 small and 2,200 medium enterprises. Contributing 30
percent of total manufacturing and exports of Gujarat, the Small and Medium Enterprise
(SME) sector has played a key role in shaping the manufacturing industry. The number of
factories increased from 12,795 in 2003-04 to 13,603 in 2004-05, showing an increase of
6.31%. The billion in 2003-04 to $9 billion in 2004-05, an increase of 24.77%. The
average daily employment in working factories also increased from 978,000 at the end of
2005 to 1.03 million a year later. Fixed capital employed by the factory sector in Gujarat
increased from $21.45 billion in 2004-05, an increased of 1.54 percent. As per the
provisional summary results of the Annual survey of Industries (ASI, 2004-05), Gujarat
ranks second in the country, in terms of the state-wise percentage share in Net Value
Added by Manufactured generated by the factory sector. Gujarats share in the countrys
industrial aggregate is 9.97% factories, 9.56% employees, 15.59% of value of output,
13.86% Net Value Added (Gujarat State Economic Review 2007-08). An SEZ is a
specifically delineated duty-free enclave, deemed foreign territory for the purpose of
trade, operations and duty and tariffs. SEZs have been created as designated industrial
areas for establishing units, which would in turn lead to an increase in manufacturing
activities, augment exports and generate employment. Currently, with 51 approved,
Gujarat has among the highest SEZs in the country and the highest geographical area
(over 15,000 hectares) under development for establishing SEZs. Three giant sized units
of big national companies, namely Reliance, Larsen & Toubro and Essar Steel, have
come at Hazira in Surat. The huge concerns of state sponsored enterprises such as
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Kribhco, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation and the Indian Oil Corporation are also located
in the same area. Big chemical units such as Navin Flourine, Cyanide, Citurgia, Adarsh
chemicals etc. are also situated near Surat.
The Reliance is Indias largest private sector enterprise, with businesses in the
energy and materials value chain. Groups annual revenues are in excess of US $34
billion. Reliance enjoys global leadership in its businesses, being the largest polyester
yarn and fiber producer among the top five to ten producers in the world in major
petrochemical products. The group exports products in excess of US $ 20 billion to 108
countries in the world. Major group companies are Reliance industries limited (including
main subsidiaries, reliance petroleum limited and reliance retail limited) and reliance
industrial infrastructure limited. Hazira manufacturing division located near Surat,
Gujarat is spread over 700 acres. It comprises of a Naphtha cracker feeding downstream
fiber intermediates, plastics and polyester plants (http//www.Reliance.com.). Reliance
industries limited operates world class manufacturing facilities across the country at
Allahabad, Barabanki, Dahej, Dhenkanal, Gandhar, Hajira, Hoshiarpur, Jamnagar,
Kurkumbh, Nagothane, Nagpur, Naroda, Silvassa and Vadodara is spread over 11018
acres, manufacturing polymirazation, black fiber, Dahej manufacturing division located
near Bharuch, Gujarat, is spread over 1,778 acres. It comprises of an ethane/ propane
recovery unit, a gas cracker, a caustic chloride plant and 4 downstream plants, which
manufacture polymers and fiber. Staple fiber, a wide range of PSF, PFF, POY and
polyester chips. Jamnagar manufacturing division located in Jamnagar, Gujarat, is spread
over 7400 acres. Starting as small textile company, reliance has in its journey crossed
several milestone to become a fortune 500 company in less than 3 decades. The
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companys net profits crossed the $ 1 billion over the last 25 years, RIL has seen its sales
grow from Rs. 120 crore to Rs. 74418 crore. This remarkable performance was reflected
in the stock markets too. Shares of Reliance gave a return of 39 percent on an annualized
basis. Since RIL accounts for 12 percent of the Sensexs market cap and one out of four
investors in Indian equities is a Reliance shareholder, the petrochemicals segment which
accounts for 41 percent of Reliances revenues and 45 percent of profits, the upturn in the
Indian economy and demand from the rest of Asia. The RIL produced 12.4 MMT
(million metric tones) of petrochemicals in the 2006 and 2007 (http//www. Reliance. au)
L&T has its world-class heavy engine facilities at Hazira, Surat, on the coastal
belt of western India. The unit is engaged in design and manufacture of hi tech fabricated
equipment for core sectors such as oil and gas, refineries, petrochemicals, fertilizers,
nuclear, Aerospace and marine in India. Energy consumption at L&T Hazira, primarily
Electrical power, high speed diesel, Natural gas and LPG are sources of energy. L&Ts
output and energy consumption patterns in year 2005 and 2006 production in tones is
30384 (http//www.larsentaubro.com).
Essar Steel complex at Hazira, houses a 5.0 MTPA sponge iron plant, the worlds
largest gas based HBI producer. The plant provides raw material for state of the art 3.0
MTPA hot rolled coil (HRC) plant, the first and largest of Indias new generation still
mills. Essar. Essar is Indias largest explorer of flat products, Selling almost one third of
production to the highly demanding US and European markets, and to the growing
markets of south East Asia and the Middle East. Essar Global limited is a diversified
business corporation with balanced portfolio of assets straddling the manufacturing and
services sectors; steel, energy, power, communication, shipping & logistics and
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construction. Through its six sectoral holding companies, has a firm value of over US $
50 billion and employs 30,000 people worldwide. Essar oil and gas is an integrated oil
company operating in three separate divisions each focusing on one link in the petroleum
value chain, exploration and production, refinery, marketing, world class US $2.14 bn
(Rs.99 billion) 10.5 MTPA refinery. Within place reserves of 500 million barrels of oil
and recoverable reserves of 145 million barrels of oil. Essar powers 515 MW power
plant at Hazira set up Indias first new generation independent power project at Hazira,
India in the early 1990s. Vodafone Essar ltd is Indias 2
nd
largest GSM telephony
provider, with over 46 million customers. Essar shipping is an integrated sea logistic
companies with an unblemished track record of over two decades in the transportation of
crude and bulk cargo (http//www.corporate.com).
NTPC National thermal power corporation limited Kawas. Surat was incorporated
in the year 1975 in a span of just over 15 years after commissioning of the first 200 MW
unit. NTPC has grown to become the largest utility of the country with a commissioned
capacity of 16,795 MW as in April 1998. NTPC has been ninth in thermal generation
amongst the worlds thermal generation companies. NTPC is a prime player in the power
sector; it spearheads the process of accelerated development of power sector by planning
and implementing power projects and operating power stations economically and
efficiently. Already giant in the field of thermal power, NTPC has also recently
diversified into wind and hydropower in their new projects. NTPC has several plants such
as National hydro electric power corporation ltd. National thermal power corporation ltd,
North eastern electric power corporation, Nuclear power corporation of India ltd. With
authorized capital amounting to Rs. 25,500 Crores and investments of Rs. 304.33 Crores
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in 1998- 99, this power sector has employee strength of 50,439. NTPC is mainly engaged
in the generation and distribution of all forms of power viz, hydro, thermal & nuclear
(excluding solar). NTPC has established itself in a leadership position to a great extent
because of its phenomenal manpower. The value of the human resource assets has been
valued at Rs. 693.55 Crores. NTPC has projects across the country in Vindyachal (MP)
Auraiya (UP) Gandhar in Gujarat, Talcher (Orrisa) and Kayamkulam (Kerala) to name a
few (http//www.ntpc.com).
Krishak Bharti Cooperative Limited (KRIBHCO) has been the worlds premier
fertilizer producing cooperative under the administrative control of the Department of
Fertilizers, Government of India. Incorporated in April 1980 as a national level
Cooperative Society to manufacture and desirable chemical Fertilizers and allied farm
inputs, KRIBHCO has fully imbibed the cooperative philosophy and has made sustained
efforts towards promoting the cause of modern agriculture and cooperatives in the
country. The membership of the Society is 5790 Cooperative Societies Spread across the
country. KRIBHCO operates two Natural gas based Ammonia plants each of the 1520
MTPD capacity and four urea steams each of 1310 MTPD capacity. The annual installed
capacity of Urea plants is 17.29 lakh MT of Urea. The complex is also having facilities to
produce 30 MWH power and 550 MTPH HP stream and other utilities. KRIBHCO has
achieved an average capacity utilization of 112.52% during the last twenty completed
years of service to the Nation. Production levels of 122.11% to 124.35 and 124.41% of its
installed capacity of Urea were achieved respectively in the last three financial years
(2003-04 to 2005-06). The overall performance of KRIBHCO during the year 2003-2004
has created new records in Urea specific energy and production 1806500 MT, Amonia
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production 1112892 MT, Urea specific energy 5.891 MT., Bio fertilizers production
539.2 MT (http//www.kribhco.com).
Tata Motors, the largest automobile company in India in terms of revenues,
launched Nano, commercially on March 30, 2009. The car with an ex-factory price tag of
Rs.1,00,000 generated a Tata came to Gujarat to meet Chief Minister Narendra Modi and
to see the land offered to them. Lastly Narendra Modi was successful in this offer.
Narendra Modi offered 1100 Acres Land to Tata Motors in Sanad in Ahmedabad District.
Now Gujarat has raised the head of all people of Gujarat. Tata Groups Nano project
plant started in Sanand, 30 kms from the Ahmedabad, on the land of Anand Agriculture
University (AAU). Tata Motors will produce 2.5 lakh cars annually in Gujarat; the
capacity can go up to 5 lakh cars per annum. The land for the Nano project is located
within a 2200-acre campus owned by the Anand Agriculture University. The university
has already transferred 1,000 acres back to the government. Tata Motors officials had
also been looking at sites in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra in search of a
suitable site for NANO plant. With the Tata Nano project moving to Sanand in Gujarat,
local component manufacturers will save about Rs 16 lakh per month as transportation
charges, for nearly 400 tones of spare parts that they sent to Singur. Vendors in Gujarat
will also benefit from the Tata Nano mother plant shift to Gujarat. The Tatas moving to
Gujarat has also made a difference to the investment sentiment in India. Gujarat already
has impeccable credentials when it comes to business and industry. A recent study by the
RBI has said that in 2007-2008, Gujarat attracted the maximum investment in the country
and has 100 projects worth Rs.624.42 billion ($13.85 billion) in the implementation
stage. The Tata Nano project will only strengthen Gujarats hold on new investments.
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Currently big business houses like Reliance Industries, Aditya Birla Group, Essars and
Adani and global conglomerates, such as Matsushita, ABB, Shell and Bombardier have
made their home in the state. Meanwhile, land prices have shot up in Gujarat, in and
around Chharodi in Ahmedabad district. The overall spurt in land prices in Ahmedabad
district is expected to put an end to the recession in the realty market. Prices in Chharodi
have gone up to Rs 8-10 lakh per bigah, up from Rs 3-4 lakh per bigah. In Sanand, land
prices are Rs 3000 per sq yard, up from the Rs 2500 per sq yard price before the
announcement about the Tatas moving to Gujarat was made. In Sachana and
Virochandnagar, agricultural land prices have shot up from Rs 3-5 lakh per bigha to Rs
10 lakh per bigha. Gujarat has very good infrastructure for transportation and has large
sea shore that can help import/export of raw material and finished goods. In addition,
Bombay and Pune is in close proximity which will help setup synergy for suppliers
similar too Chennai.
The small industrial enterprises, diamond cutting and polishing industry has
rapidly flourished in present times involving imports, exports, manufacturing and
processing operations. Major part of this industry has remained confined to a few districts
of Gujarat. At one time 90 per cent was from Surat city only, thus Surat attained the name
of the Diamond city of India. The worlds first diamonds were found in the soft, alluvial
plains of South India, along the banks of the rivers Krishna and Godavari. Since then,
India has had an undeniably strong connection with the diamond trade. A staggering
almost 90 percent of the diamonds sold all over the world come the expert hands of the
diamond cutters of Surat. After the polishing is done, the polished diamonds follow the
same mechanism as above to reach to the exporters or the big trading houses which
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finally export these polished diamonds in the international market. The entire process of
polishing the raw diamonds constitutes of several tiers of agents. These imports are
managed through big trading houses such as the Diamond Trading Company (DTC)
whose primary responsibility is the sale of the raw diamonds produced by the
international majors of the likes of DeBeers (of South Africa). The other trading houses
involved in the import and sale of the roughs (raw diamonds) are the Hindustan Diamond
Company (HDC), Minerals and Metals Trading Corporation of India (MMTC) as well as
National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC). Surat is a popular center, owing to
its proximity to Mumbai where all the major trade merchants and houses dealing with
diamond exports are situated. Surat accounts for nearly 35 percent of the volume of trade
in cutting and polishing of rough diamonds in the country. The growth of Gujarat as a
major diamond centre is generally traced to the initiatives taken by the traders belonging
to the Patel community who brought experts from Belgium to train the artisans in the art
of diamond cutting and polishing near Palanpur. In the diamond industry of Surat, cutting
and processing units range from tiny cottage based artisan job shops to organized factory
system. The diamond industry began with a turnover of Rs. 65 crores in 1960, has grown
to over Rs.80,000 crore. There are several reasons why Surat became the chief exporter
of polished diamonds, the primary one being labour, which is 80 percent cheaper. There
are 8,00,000 diamond workers in Surat, in almost 10,000 diamond processing units in the
region. The polishing and cutting work is being carried in small workshops that are
mainly located in one area, called Varachha Road (Surat development plan, 2006-2012).
A reliable source such as Diamond Association of Surat estimates it around 11000. Most
of the owners of these units are Patels and belong to one specific sub region of Gujarat
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state, Saurashtra. At that point, of time, migrant labour, mainly from Saurashtra region
entered. The owner of the polishing units of diamond in Surat is mainly from Saurashtra
region.
Table 2.4
Work Participation Rate
2001 1991 Increase/decrease in %
Total Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female
Total 42.10 55.02 28.03 40.39 53.64 26.20 1.7 1.4 1.8
Rural 47.55 55.59 39.04 45.79 55.03 36.04 1.8 0.6 3.0
Urban 33.07 54.12 9.11 30.22 51.09 7.20 2.9 3.0 1.9
Source: B.K. Bhatt, 2003: 174-175
The above table reveals that during 1991-2001 1.8 percent work participation
increased in rural area. In 1991 workers population was 55.03% which in 2001 55.59
percent rural areas have more male workers 1.47% than the urban areas. While women
workers in 1991 were 36.04% than has increased 39.04% in 2001. Compare to 1991 in
2001 women workers rate increased 3.0 percent.
Table 2.5
Population of Main Workers in the State
Urban/Rural total Year Total Male Female
1991 34.2 53.3 13.7
2001 33.7 51.3 14.5
Total
Increase -0.5 -2.0 +0.8
1991 36.6 54.5 17.7
2001 35.1 50.4 18.9
Rural
Increase -1.5 -4.1 +1.2
1991 29.5 50.9 6.0
2001 31.3 52.6 7.0
Urban
Increase +1.8 +1.7 +1.8
Source: B.K. Bhatt, 2003:177
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The above table shows that the work participation rate in 1991 was 34.2 while in
2001 it decreased 33.7 percent. Examining the WPR in rural areas male workers have
decreased while in urban areas in 2001 it has increased.
Surat Formerly known as Suryapur or Khubsoorat, is the eighth largest city in
India. The city proper is the seventh most populous city in India and 49th in the world.
Surat is the administrative capital of Surat district. The city is situated on the left bank of
the Tapti River, 14 miles from its mouth. The Population of Surat with its Twin City
Navsari is above 6.3 million as of 2009. A moat divides the older parts of the city, with
its narrow streets and handsome houses, and the newer suburbs. The city is largely
recognized for its textile and diamond businesses. It is also known as the diamond capital
of the world and the textile capital of India. 92% of the world's diamonds are cut and
polished in Surat. Surat is also the third cleanest city in India after Chandigarh and
Gandhinagar. Surat was once the largest city in India. It has one of the highest GDP
growth rates in India at 11.5% as of 2008. Surat was the primary port of India during the
Mughal period, a distinction it lost to Bombay during the British Raj.
In the early centuries during the reign of the Mughal emperor Jehangir, the port of
Surat was used as the gateway to Mecca for pilgrims of the hajj from India's interior
regions. Both the Makkai Pool and the Mughal Sarai guesthouse for hajjis (pilgrims) are
indicators of this historical significance. Surat is mentioned in the Sanskrit epic, the
Mahbhrata when Lord Krishna stopped there en route from Mathura to Dwarka.
According to other later Sanskrit records, the area was ruled by the Western Chlukyas in
610 CE, and continued to be ruled by Hindu kings until one of Qubuddn Aibak's
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generals captured it. The Parsis started to settle there in the 12th century, and added
greatly to its prosperity. Local traditions state that a Brahman named Gopi, who called it
Suryapr, or 'City of the Sun', founded the city in the last years of the fifteenth century. In
1512 and 1530 Surat was burned and ravaged by the Portuguese who were trying to
maintain influence in the area. In 1513, the Portuguese traveler, Duarte Barbosa,
described Surat as an important seaport, frequented by many ships from Malabar and
various parts of the world. By 1520, the name of the city was Surat. During the reigns of
the Mughal emperors Akbar, Jahngr and Shh Jahn, Surat rose to become a chief
commercial city of India and an imperial mint was established there. As the major port on
the west coast of India, Surat also served as the port for the Hajj to Mecca. In 1608, ships
from the British East India Company started docking in Surat, using it as a trade and
transit point. In 1613, the British Captain Best, followed by Captain Downton, overcame
Portuguese naval supremacy and obtained an imperial firman establishing a British
factory at Surat following the Battle of Swally. The city was made the seat of a
presidency under the British East India Company after the success of the embassy of Sir
Thomas Roe to the court of Emperor Jahangir. The Dutch also founded a factory.
Surat Panoramic View
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At its zenith, Surat was popularly viewed as the city of Kubera, the God of
Wealth. In 1664 the Maratha King Shivaji attacked Surat, a key Mughal power centre,
and a wealthy port town which generated a million rupees in taxes. When Shivaji arrived
in Surat, he demanded tribute from the Mughal commander of the army stationed for port
security. The tribute was refused and instead of battling the Marathas, The prosperity of
Surat received a fatal blow when Bombay was ceded to the British as part of the dowry
for Catherine of Braganza's wedding to Charles II in 1662. Shortly afterwards, in 1668,
the British East India company established a factory in Bombay (Mumbai) and Surat
began its relative decline concurrent with the rise of British interests in Bombay. Surat
was sacked again by Shivaji in 1670. By 1689, the British East India Company had
moved the presidency to Bombay. At its height, Surat's population reached an estimated
8, 00,000, but by the middle of the 19th century the number had fallen to 80,000. The
British took control of Surat again in 1759, and assumed all government powers of the
city in 1800.
A fire and a flood in 1837 destroyed many of buildings of Surat. By the early 20th
century, the population had slowly climbed to 1, 19,306 and Surat was a center of trade
and manufacturing. There were cotton mills, factories for ginning and pressing cotton,
rice-cleaning mills and paper mills. Fine cotton goods were woven on handlooms, and
there were special manufactures of silk brocade and gold embroidery (known as Jari).
The chief trades were organized in guilds. Manufacturing and trading brought an eclectic
mix of ethnicity to the city, making Surat's culture unique. In 1992, violent riots took
place between Hindus and Muslims, the first and worst of their kind in the modern
history of Surat. In 1994, a combination of heavy rains and blocked drains led to flooding
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of the city. A number of dead street animals and public waste were not removed in time
and a plague epidemic spread through the city, which caused a number of countries to
impose travel and trade sanctions. The municipal commissioner during that time, S.R.
Rao and the people of Surat worked hard in the late 1990s to clean the city up, after
which it was recognized in many circles as the 'second-cleanest city in India'.

Traffic Circle at Piplod: Kargil Shahid Chowk

Surat has a Tropical monsoon climate, moderated strongly by the Arabian Sea.
The summer begins in early March and lasts till June. April and May are the hottest
months, the average temperature being 30C. Monsoon begins in late June and the city
receives about 800 mm of rain by the end of September, with the average temperature
being around 28C during those months. October and November see the retreat of the
monsoon and a return of high temperatures till late November. Winter starts in December
and ends in late February, with average temperatures of around 22C, and little rain.

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Diamond Market
Surat is economic capital of Gujarat and also one of the economic hubs of India.
Surat is famous for its diamond industry and textile industry, along with silk and
chemicals. It is at the heart of India's thriving diamond-polishing industry, which in 2005
cut 92% of the world's diamond pieces and earned India $15 billion in exports. Gujarati
diamond cutters emigrating from East Africa established the industry in 1901 and by the
1970s; Surat-based diamond cutters began exporting stones to the US for the first time. It
is a major production centre for synthetic textiles in India. Surat is known for producing
world-class synthetic textiles. It is known as the MANCHESTER OF EAST. Surat has
excellent roads according to Business Today Magazine. The November 18, 2008 issue of
the Wall Street Journal had an article about the diamond industry in Surat. It claims that
80% of the world's finished diamonds are cut and polished in this city. However the
wages of the industry's workers remained flat for years and 250,000 workers, or one-third
of the city's diamond industry workforce, has left between the years from 20052008,
leaving about 500,000 workers. Only after a July 2008 strike did the workers obtain a
20% salary raise, their first in a decade.
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Textile Market

The textile industry has traditionally formed in Gujarat on the basis of industrial
development. However in the 1970s and 1980s manufacturing of cotton goods grew
rapidly. Gujarat has a dominant electronics industry. In 1990-91 Gujarat ranked second
after Maharashtra (22.7%) among the states of India in respect of percentage share in
gross value of output. Ahmedabad and Atul (Valsad) produces one-third of the national
total share in gross value of output. An electronics establishment at Gandhinagar
produces components for Indias increasingly sophiscated consumer market. The state is
major producer of inorganic chemicals such as soda ash and caustic soda as well as
chemicals fertilizers. The core industries in the state are textiles, Engineering, Chemicals,
and Pharmaceuticals. The industry in Gujarat contributes about 25 percent of industrial
production in the sector consisting several spinning as well as composite mills. After
1970 state witnessed the use of manmade fiber in a big way. There are approximately
80,000 embroidery units in Surat which makes Surat the embroidery capital too .Surat
also has many large industrial units such as Reliance petrochemical plant, Essar's 10
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million tonne steel plant, KRIBHCO fertilizer plant, L&T Engineering unit, gas
processing plant of ONGC, NTPC gas power plant. All at Hazira and ABG Shipyard
(Shipbuilding Yard) and Ambuja Cement (grinding Unit) at Magdalla port where as
Torrent mega power plant and GIPCL are located at Kamrej.


Surat Municipal Corporation




Surat Railway Station



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Surat Airport



Demographics
The population of Surat according to new city limits is 53, 74,429. Males
constitute 56% of the population and females 44%. Surat has an average literacy rate of
83%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 81%, and female literacy
is 70%. Gujarati, Marathi and Hindi are the main languages spoken in Surat. In Surat,
13% of the population is under 6 years of age. Around 5% of the total population is
Oriya, over 0.6 million people or about 11% hail from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Surat
also has sizeable Parsee, Jews and Bohra Muslims. It is generally believed that as of 2009
about 5.4 million people live within the Surat City Corporation.

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Culture and Festivals


Ponk Market
Surat is known for its Surti cuisine, which includes perennial favorites such as
Ghari (a type of sweatmeat), Locho, Undhiyu, Rasaawala Khaman, and Surti Chinese.
Surti cuisine is not as sweet as other Gujarati food, and is quite spicy. Roadside kiosks,
called "laaris" or "rekdis", are popular. In the cooler winter months, Suratis converge at
river Tapi's banks to eat Ponk, a roasted cereal that is available only in this part of the
world. All major Indian festivals are celebrated in Surat. Navratri, Diwali and Ganesh
Chaturthi are celebrated with great enthusiasm. The kite-flying festival of Utraan which
falls on Makar Sankranti 14 January is very popular in the city. It is also well
known for the celebration of Chandi Padvo which usually occurs around October and is a
holiday unique to Surat. This day comes after one of the two biggest full moon days of
the Hindu calendar year, "Sharad Purnima". On this day, Surtis buy almost 100 tons of
Ghari and other Surti delicacies, and then head to the city's seaside beach area, Dumas
where they have dinner and a late night snack under the full moonlit sky.

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Education
Schools in Surat are either "municipal schools" (run by the SMC) or private
schools (run by trusts or individuals), which in some cases receive financial aid from the
government. The schools are affiliated either with the Gujarat State Board or the Central
Board for Secondary Education (CBSE) and few schools are affiliated under National
Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS). Gujarati or English are the usual languages of
instruction. The government-run public schools lack many facilities, but are the only
option for poorer residents who cannot afford the more expensive private schools. A
majority of residents prefer private schools because of better infrastructure and the use of
English as a medium of instruction. Surat has the prestigious, Sardar Vallabhbhai
National Institute of Technology (SVNIT), commonly known to local people as SVR
from its earlier name SVREC (Sardar Vallabhbhai regional engineering college). This is
one of the NITs, is a premier engineering college, is also located here. It is among the top
five of all 20 NIT's in India and top most in Gujarat for technical education. With its
festivals throughout the year, the college keeps a very vibrant atmosphere inside as well
as outside the campus. The college is favorite destination for morning joggers of the city.
The city holds the prestige of providing Medical Education to students. It has two
medical colleges namely "Government Medical College and New civil hospital" and
"SMIMER", both giving the degrees of MBBS and MD, MS. Under the 10+2+3 format,
students attend primary and secondary schooling during the first ten years and then may
complete two years of higher secondary education, followed by three years at college for
commerce, arts or science degrees. Generally, engineering degree courses take four years,
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while medicine takes about five and half years or more. Most colleges in the city are
affiliated to Veer Narmad South Gujarat University.

Media
Gujarat Mitra, one of the oldest and most respected dailies, is the most popular
daily newspaper of Surat and South Gujarat. Besides Gujarat Mitra, other dailies include
Gujarat Samachar, Sandesh, Divyabhaskar and Commodity World. Local editions of
these newspapers are published in Gujarati. Loktej was the first Hindi daily published in
Surat. Rajasthan Patrika and Savera are now the top Hindi daily newspapers in Surat.
The national English dailies such as The Times of India, Indian Express and Mid Day are
the most popular English-language newspapers. DNA-Daily News and Analysis is a new
addition to the list of English dailies available in Surat. Since the city has the largest
synthetic textile manufacturing center in India, there is an exclusive textile newspaper
called Textile Graph. It is published in Surat, since 1994 both in Gujarati and Hindi. The
'Textile Directory of Surat' (5th. edition) comprising business information of textile
traders and industry in and around Surat is also published by Textile Graph. Most cable
service providers have local television channels. Satellite TV DTH services are provided
by DISH TV, TATA SKY and BIG TV. Broadband internet connections are also
available in the city. Broadband service providers include BSNL, TATA Indicom,
Reliance Communication, YOU Broadband and VSNL (ANAR COMMUNICATIONS).
Wi-Fi connectivity is available at many cafes. Currently, Surat has four FM Radio
stations - Radio City 91.1, Radio Mirchi 98.3, My FM 94.3, Big FM 92.7 along with the
national radio Vividh Bharati.
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Sports

Indoor Stadium

Surat has many sports facilities, the majority of them are dedicated to cricket. The
Lalbhai Contractor Stadium and the Pithawala Cricket stadiums have facilities for hosting
cricket matches. In addition, Surat has an indoor stadium, used to host events like
badminton and table tennis, with modern facilities and seating capacity for 7000. In
August 2006, the 3rd Asian gymnastics championship was held in Surat. There are a
few sports clubs which provide many types of indoor and outdoor games, including the
Surat Tennis Club, Surat City Gymkhana and Rander Islam Gymkhana (RIG). Recently
one of the biggest swimming pools in the city has been opened near Palanpur Patiya area.
The Rander area also hosts the Royal Cricket Ground.

Places of Interest

Surat Fort
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The Old Fort The Old Fort was built by Muhammad bin Tughluq in the 1546 to
fortify the defence against the Bhils. It is now used for municipal offices. The Sardar
Patel Museum Established in 1898, and originally called the Winchester Museum;
this museum has a collection of over 10,000 specimens of arts and crafts.


Clock Tower


Gaurav Path A well planned and well-built major road in New Surat area of the city.
Surat is a home of multiplexes, shopping malls, show rooms, restaurants and much more.
Chowpati this is also a very popular place in the city. It has a large garden and
provides Indian fast food like 'Paav Bhajee' and 'Pani puri'. Beaches There are a
number of beaches near Surat. Only 16 km away, Dumas is a popular resort with locals.
Suvali is 28 km from the city and Ubhrat is 42 km out, while Tithal is 108 km away and
only five km from Valsad on the Mumbai to Vadodara railway line.
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Table 2.6
Growth of Population in Surat City (1881-2006)
Population Decadal Variations Year Total
Male Female Absolute Proportion (%)
1881 1,09,844 +1,989 +1.81
1891 1,09,229 -545 -0.49
1902 1,29,500 66,215 63,285 +20,201 +18.49
1911 1,25,220 64,477 60,743 -4,280 -3.30
1921 1,27,356 66,448 60,908 +2,136 +1.71
1931 1,10,739 58,767 51,971 -16,617 -13.05
1941 1,85,955 97,483 88,472 +75,216 +67.92
1951 2,37,394 1,23,252 1,14,142 +51,439 +27.66
1961 3,17,519 1,65,250 1,52,269 +80,125 +33.75
1971 4,71,656 2,49,902 2,21,754 +1,54,137 +48.54
1981 7,76,583 4,18,114 3,58,369 +3,04,927 +64.65
1991 14,98,817 8,14,938 6,83,789 +7,22,234 +93.00
2001 24,33,835 13,72,415 10,61,420 +9,35,018 +62.38
2006 (i) 31,00,705 (estimated population within the old city limits)
2006 (ii) 38,17,235 (estimated population within the city limits extended in 2006)
Note: The 1931 figures are unreliable, for many people did not co-operate with the
census owing to the Non-co-operation Movement. The figure(s) related to 2006
are estimated by the Surat Municipal Corporation.
Source: District census Handbooks and 2006 population figure as estimated by the Surat
Municipal Corporation.

Data related to population growth within the city show that during the last decade
of the nineteenth century, the figures fell considerably. Barring the 1931 figures, which
are only partially reliable, one finds a constant growth in its population since 1941. A
significant growth, has taken place during the three decadal periods between 1961 and
1991. Proportionate to the growth in the area of city limits, the highest growth of
population has taken place during the 81-91 decade. For example during the 61-71
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decade as against a growth of 413 per cent in the city area the absolute increase of
population was 48.54 percent over the 1961 figures, whereas during the 81-91 decade the
population grew by 9.60 percent while the city area increased only by 100 percent.
During the 71-81 decade to the population growth has been substantial with 64.65 percent
over a city area that was 228 per cent more than the preceding decadal point (Das, 1994).

The spatial distribution of population within the city over the last two decades
indicates certain specific patterns. By the end of 1971, the old or the inner city zone
housed 77 percent of its total population within an area of 8.18 sq kms. By 1981 within
the same area while an absolute population increase of 64.6 percent was recorded over
the 1971, the area housed 56.8 percent of the city population. By 1991, the old city had
40 percent of the population located within the correspondingly comparable area of the
city. Since by 1991, the city Corporation limits have increased, the proportion of
population distribution too has changed. From the total figure calculated pertaining to the
entire Corporation area as of today, the old city houses 28.3 percent, the inner periphery
and Rander zone 42 percent and the outer suburbs 29.6 percent of the total population. In
terms of trends, the inner city witnessed a high population growth during the 61-71 and
71-81 decades respectively. However by 1991 the rate has seemingly fallen in the area
indicating at a probable residential mobility form the old city towards its inner or outer
peripheries. Data related to the density pattern at the zonal levels show a substantial
growth in population density during the 71-81 periods, but a significant fall during the
81-91 decade within its old city limits. As against this, the figures continued to grow in
the peripheral wards progressively. Figure of 4214 persons per sq.km. In the Inner
periphery and Rander zones during 1971 the population density reached to a figure of
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13.598 persons in 1991. During the corresponding period Rander zone with an area of
55.60 sq kms. Now has a density of 7,739 persons per sq.km. It is however interesting to
note that in spite of substantial growth in its total population, the overall density figures
in the city during the last three decades have broadly remained uniform. This has been
mainly owing to the intermittent but substantial changes in the total area of the city limit
after 1963. Figures related to the distribution of population and density by different zones
in Surat city. Based on the provisional figures of the 1991 Census, a broad pattern of
population density within Surat City has been seen.
Table 2.7
Occupational Composition of Surat City (1921)
Occupation

No. of workers and Dependents
(Per thousand of population)
Pasture and Agriculture 28
Industry 467
Transport 24
Trade 202
Public Administration 21
Professions 72
Private Income 17
Domestic Service 53
Insufficiently described 96
Unproductive 13
Source: As quoted in Haynes, op. cit, from Census of India, 1921, Vol. IX, Cities of the
Bombay Presidency, pp.298.

The Jari and Kinkhab producing units continued to grow through the early
decades of the twentieth century without undergoing any significant institutional or even
technological change in its modern sense. This however was not true of the handloom
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sector, for most of it turned into power looms. The dominant character of the sector,
especially at the production state remained enclosed for they did not go beyond family
enterprises. Weaving skills continued to be passed from one generation to another with
the entire sector being linked variously with large number of job working units.

It was
Gujarat that recorded a continuous growth with the city of Surat having largest share of it
in the state. To be precise from a small number of 4,628 looms in the city in 1942, it
increased to 39,000 in 1968. Such a growth also gave an impetus to other subsidiary
activities such as engineering units, manufacturing, Jari, silk and art silk machinery and
parts, wire drawing and pressing machines, diamond, dying etc.
Table 2.8
Population and Growth Rates of Urban Centres in Surat District
Sex ratio Sr.
No.
Status Size Class Population
(1991)
Growth
Rate 1941-81 1981-91
01 Surat/U.A I 15,17,076 87.40 64.21 839
02 Bardoli/M III 38,349 46.04 36.32 935
03 Vyara/M III 30,861 26.91 28.60 977
04 Ukai/vp IV 17,543 52.31 17.18 902
05 Songadh/NP IV 16,016 14.24 18.68 955
06 Madvi/NP IV 14,297 69.73 31.68 963
07 Kathor/NP IV 11,720 25.83 9.25 975
08 Kosamba/NP IV 11,655 31.30 15.09 946
09 Olpad/VP IV 10,493 -- 24.28 912
10 Kadod/NP IV 10,493 -- 7.17 937
11 Utran/VP V 8,669 -- 35.46 946
12 Sayan/VP V 8,361 -- 59.01 881
13 Chalthan/VP V 8,665 -- -- 813
Source: Census of India 1991, provisional population Total: Rural-Urban Distribution
paper-2 [1991], series-1. U.A. = Urban Aggloments; M = Municipality; VO =
Village Panchayat; NP = Nagar Panchayat.
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That such patterns have largely been caused by the way industries have grown in
the district becomes clear after examining the growth, distribution and concentration
patterns of industrial workers, factories and industrial centre over the region. For
example, the related data on area wise concentration pattern of the industry types and
industrial workers at 1965, 1970, 1975 and 1981 show a high degree of their continued
localizations in the city of Surat and its immediate surroundings (Das, 1994). Surats
economy is characterized by large number of small and medium unorganized industries.
The industrial base is labor intensive. However, the wages are also lower and the workers
are generally deprived of social and other benefits. Surat is known for its textile
manufacturing trade, diamond cutting and polishing industries, intricate zari works,
chemical industries and the gas based industries at Hazira established by leading industry
houses such as ONGC, Reliance, Essar and Shell. The entire industrial sector put together
contributed a gross revenue income of Rs.2975.60 million to SMC in 1997-98. Rs.
18118 million in excise tax, Rs. 2715 million in income tax and Rs. 4215.4 million in
sales tax. As estimated 4 percent of GDP is contributed from the sector. It adds to about
7 to 8% of the gross import bill. Surat is a dominant player in the textile sector. The
traditional handloom weaving industry has given way to power looms, printing and dying
textiles. Surat is one of the largest centers in the world for production of synthetic fiber
fabrics, mainly nylon and polyester. The Indian governments policy since 1956 of
providing incentives and protection to small-scale industries boosted the power loom
industry in the city. Weavers took advantage of the incentives and converted their
handlooms into power looms. At present, there are about 0.45 million power looms
(about 45,000 units) in the city region and the sector provides for over 0.7 million jobs in
115
Surat. Mota Varachha and Bharthana-Vesu have the highest number of workers spread as
in agriculture and other minor works. Surat Municipal Corporation areas have very little
workers as it is public service areas and majority is employers or service class. We find
that Palanpur has the highest amount of workers that are related to household industry.
Whereas Sachin, Parvat Patiya, Bamroli and Amroli have more workers engaged in
industry works or working in factories.
Market is booming in Surat, national retail giants and companies which are
competing over one another to buy huge chunks of land in Surat. And real estate in the
diamond city is becoming costlier than ever. There seems a growing consumer culture in
Surat since recently is reflected in setting up of various in commercial and residential
area shopping malls like, lifestyle, Max, Globus, Foot Mart, Adani, Regent Mall, Jolly
mall, Iscon, Reliance and Pantaloon Retail India Limited, Big Bazaar ,etc. The diamond
and textile merchants of Surat spend crores on swanky marts and luxury homes. This has
triggered the retail price rise in select areas. With industries growing real estate
development in Surat has out spaced demand for housing too has gone up with the
continuous in flux of migrants, land prices have sky rocketed (Vishleshan, Vol. 31 No. 2,
April-June 2006). The Surat city is becoming a concrete jungle. This is compounded by a
huge number of vehicular traffic raising the levels of pollution constantly.
As mentioned earlier Surat is one of the leading cities of Gujarat and is known to
be a major hub for industrial activity in the State. With high economic growth witnessed
by the state, the city is also growing rapidly both in terms of economy and population.
The growth in population along with the increased urbanization has led to significant
straining of civic infrastructure in the city. This also led to surge in the demand for better
116
housing facilities providing modern amenities and livable environment in the city.
Accordingly the proposed township at Surat has to be developed based on the regulations
provided in the Gujarat Township Planning and urban Development Act, 1976. The
proposed township can also avail 100% Foreign Direct Investment incentive as permitted
by the Government of India.
Surat was at its peak in trade in the sixteenth century which gradually declined,
though it took momentum later. The city has been expanding both geographically and
demographically. Surat is mainly characterized by household jari and art silk industries,
diamond cutting and polishing units which operate in unorganized sector. Main
occupation of the people in Surat is business of all kinds and forms starting from a petty
shop a to giant mechanized textile mill while encompassing innumerable number of
several small unorganized industrial units. Today in Gujarat, television is the leading
medium reaching 24% of the population, 49% in the urban and 10% in the rural areas. It
is estimated that the television households in Gujarat are 4.29 million of which 2.37%
million are cable and satellite households. The number of television viewers in the state
22.18 million out of a total population of 50.60 million (Source: National Readership
Survey 2001). Apart from the terrestrial channel DD 11 Gujarati i.e. DD Ahmedabad,
there are other Gujarati satellite channels like ETV Gujarati and Alpha Gujarati.
Interestingly the Gujarati viewers prefer to watch Hindi channels like Star Plus which has
the highest viewership ratings among television channels. The reach of the channels is as
follows: Star Plus 49%, Sony 441%, Zee TV 39%, DD Gujarati 35%, Alpha Gujarati
17% (Source: RK Swamy/ BBDO website).
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From the above discussion we hold that telecommunication industry, information
technology and media in India in general, and Surat in Gujarat in particular is growing at
a fast pace. There are reporters that the telecommunications giants are planning as
investment of Rs. 14 billion in Gujarat while the telephone connections in the state stand
around 6 million, the subscriber base for phones in the country by end March 2004 has
gone up to 76.53 million, internet subscriber base to 4.55 million, cafes/community
internet centers to 10,237 and the village telephones up to 522,263 respectively
(www.trai.gov.in). Telecommunication is poised for growth. Mass media expansion is
also going on with the entry of newspapers chains from the Hindi heartland into Gujarat.
Mass media readership and viewership is associated with increasing literacy in Gujarat,
providing circulation figures, the growth in industrial sector providing advertising
revenue and the general prosperity of the state. On all these parameters, Gujarat has a
relatively high score. Thus within the state, Surat in the past decade has seen a growth in
the media industry and media consumption patterns giving rise to a distinct ethos and
way of life.
From this brief note on socio-economic dimension of the state and Surat at the
macro level we make an attempt to understand the social processes at the micro level
through the empirical analysis in the fourth chapter.