Gujarat has been in the news since past some days, and mostly for the wrong reasons. But being born and brought up in ahmedabad, i can say that the city and the state are among the safest in the country. I am staying out of ahmedabad since past five years, but i miss the genuine warmth of the city. One can never feel alone or left out when in ahmedabad.
The city is my native, so it's natural when i shower praises on it. But this sentiment is echoed by my friends who have come from different parts of the country and settled here or even stayed here for a while. They feel at home here, sometimes even more than their own natives. The people are so friendly that they instantly make u feel at ease. But its not that they intrude into ur life. If u want company they are always there, and if u want to be alone, they'll let u be.
The only regret i've is that amdavadis are not vocal about their love for the city like mumbaikars or even bangaloreans. Perhaps because they (and gujaratis in general ) would rather let their work speak for themselves. Maybe thats the reason the state is progressing even when some people and the media choose to stay stuck up in the past. What's the point in bringing up the same issues time and again, bringing back old memories and hurts? Just look at the way the state and the city have progressed inspite of everything. Storms, earthquakes, floods, droughts, riots, nothing has broken the spirit of the state. It has always risen from the ashes. The people here have moved forward with resilience. They have just kept quite and continued with their work. But this has allowed some people to take potshots at the state time and again.
Resilience is good, but what's the harm in being more vocal?