As complete cynicism takes over, making everything banal, a Gujarat 100 Power List 2005-06 by Gujarati daily Divya Bhaskar on completion of its 1,000 days in office makes the most heartening read in recent times in the state. It signifies the chink of space that can be widened. It has been prepared neither by ratings agencies or the daily’s editorial board, but gleaned from its reporters’ inputs and feedback across the state, deliberately distanced from politicians, bureaucrats and religious figures. The contemporary 100 top achievers don’t include the ubiquitous Modi and Morari Bapu and is dominated not by the state’s traditional achievers — industrialists— but by artists and litt‚rateurs.

The inclusion of Mukul Sinha, the lawyer activist who fights for riot victims, Girish Patel, another veteran lawyer-activist, Mallika Sarabhai, the danseuse who drew flak for her anti-Modi stand, ISRO scientist George Joseph, former High Court Justice B J Diwan, managing editors of rival newspapers Sandesh and Gujarat Samachar and Verghese Kurien amongst others subtly redefines Gujarat Gaurav, even if that is not what the daily might have intended.

The list generated within Gujarat acknowledges perhaps for the first time publicly: space for dissenters, acceptance for achievers, inclusively and impartially, uncoloured by religious or regional biases, as it should be. There can be peaceful space for differences, if only someone dares as creatively.

ayesha.khan@expressindia.com