‘I am a state level worker, he (Togadia) works at the international level now, his canvas is wider’

• Looking back at your six years in power, is there a sense of satisfaction? Or do you feel it was too short a period to fulfil the goals you had set for yourself?

In our set-up, one gets only a five-year term. But one can start implementing one’s dreams, provided there is a level building field. It is our misfortune that after Independence, after Gujarat came into existence in 1960, no one thought about the basic infrastructure for development. Much of my effort has gone into filling up that gap. For 10 years Gujarat had banned the recruitment of teachers. We had to recruit one lakh teachers to fill up this gap. So, much of my efforts during the last five years were diverted towards creating this basic infrastructure which ought to have been done by my predecessors. In that sense, I find the five-year term a little too short.

As far as my new initiatives and innovative schemes are concerned, whether it is in social infrastructure or physical infrastructure, you will find a fresh approach. I have tried to bring in real democracy. We have taken the path of people’s participation. After the 2001 earthquake we had to rebuild this state. How could the Government build thousands of schoolrooms? So we formed a committee of villagers, gave them designs, created a material bank, gave them money. And they built the school buildings much before the stipulated time. They built better and bigger schools, and even returned the money they saved.

Some schemes have brought immense satisfaction to me. For example, my ‘Beti Bachao’ movement. Gujarat was very bad in the sphere of gender equality. Now there is an awakening. Then there is the...