There is one more specialty about Madhya Pradesh. In MP, no one is from outside, no one is from the east, west, north or south. Everybody is aapla manoos (our people), said Chouhan, while speaking during the ongoing Make in India week at the Madhya Pradesh Investment Promotion Seminar on Wednesday.
In a snub to nativist, sons-of-soil parties, including those in Maharashtra that often target people of specific linguistic identities, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan pitched his state as an ideal place for doing business, as it lacked regional chauvinism and was a melting pot for cultures. He also held up the lack of labour unrest as another attraction for investors.
"There is one more specialty about Madhya Pradesh. In MP, no one is from outside, no one is from the east, west, north or south. Everybody is aapla manoos (our people)," said Chouhan, while speaking during the ongoing Make in India week at the Madhya Pradesh Investment Promotion Seminar on Wednesday.
"No slogans of 'he is from here' or 'he is from there' can be heard in MP. It is the heartland of India and fits everybody into its heart. Those who come to MP are assimilated into it. Like sugar dissolves in milk and becomes one with it," he added.
While pitching MP as a "peaceful state" to enhance its appeal for investors, Chouhan, however, did not blame any state or political formation for stoking regional sentiments in the country. While listing the state's investment-friendly policies, Chouhan said MP also had a peaceful labour scene.
"There are no man days lost. No slogans of 'chahe jo majboori ho, maang hamari poori ho (regardless of the problems, fulfill our demands)', are ever heard in MP," he stressed.
"We have the number one land bank with us. The hurdle to investment in India is the question of land. Land acquisition is such a problem that people break into a sweat," said Chouhan. The information about land available, lease rents, rates, and even its allotment could be accessed and made available online.
"(We have) 24x7 power. We have no electricity shortage. Power is available at comparatively cheaper rates," he said, adding that ample water was also available. "The law and order situation is peaceful and fast decision making is also an advantage for investors, who want to set up shop in MP," he said.
In his address, Chouhan also referred to how MP had been able to develop and shed its tag of a Bimaru (sick) state and added that the rate of growth in agricultural sector was among the best globally. "We have a habit of being number one, we do not rest easy without it," he said.
Meanwhile in Maharashtra, parties such as the Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) have stoked anti-outsider sentiments, primarily directed at migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. In 2008, MNS activists had attacked north Indian migrants, and the resultant exodus of workers led to local industries facing a shortage of labourers for some time.
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