The struggle of Ekvir against political degradation

This degradation of Kutch was stopped by the strong voice of late Dr. Mahipatrai Moolshankar Mehta who as an M.P. evoked the clause 371 (2) for Kutch against the Centre and against his own party, the Congress Party. His dream to bring the Kutchis of the World together in Mumbai was defeated by the sudden demise of the Governor of Mumbai, Shri Ali Yavar Jung. The Order of Indira Gandhi for an independant Kutch Vikas Board was revoked by the late Morarji Desai. Dr Mehta as a leader of the Gujrat Pradesh Congress Committee was the first leader to be elected to this post. But due to internal strife he had to leave this post as well as his Congress membership and he had to start a new party in the name of Gujrat Rashtriya Congress which became a state party in 1982.

A sea change in 1975 – Kundanbhai as president.

In 1975 Gujrat witnessed its first non congress government and Shri Kundanlal Jaswantlal Dholakia became the Speaker.

That also because of non congress rule. In return, the 100 days old congress rule gave the post of chief to Shri Harilal Nanji Patel. Kutch could get only a symbolic importance. Ramji Raghavji Thakkar could not become more than a Deputy.

Whenever Kutch meets with success it is at the time of non congress rule. In 1985 Shri Shastri could become cabinet chief for three months only. When Madhavsinh resigned and Shri Amarsinh Chowdhary took over congress, Kutch could not get any significant place in the four and half years of his rule. Not only this but in the 84 nigams, no one from Kutch could become the Chairman or Director.

It is significant to note that from 1985 to 1989 out of the six Vidhan sabha seats five seats went to the congress. Shri Shastri once again became cabinet chief for two months in Madhavsinh cabinet and in the end in 1992 in the cabinet of Chimanbhai.

Miracle in 1995 – Sureshbhai as Chief Minister.

In 1990 the rule of Janta Dal and B J P Combine came, and Shri Chimanbhai Patel became the Chief Minister and Shri Sureshchandra Roopshankar Mehta became the Industries minister of Gujrat. This government appointed

Shri Narendrasinh Jadeja as the Wool and Sheep Minister who was the first Kutchi chief to head this post and Dr Nimaben Bhavesh Acharya was made the state’s chief of Women’s Economic Development Nigam. These two were from the non ruling party.

In Samvat 2051 in the place of Keshubhai Patel, a Kutchi Shri Sureshchandra Roopshankar Mehta is sworn as the Chief Minister. This is a glorified status for Kutch in which Kutch saw its peak in the development.