Five organisations linked to the diamond industry felicitated Bansakantha MP and Vidyamandir alumnus Haribhai Chaudhary on his recent appointment at Minster of State for Home, Government of India. The function, held at the S.G.Jhaveri Trading Hall of the Bharat Diamond Bourse on November 20, was organised by The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), Bharat Diamond Bourse (BDB), Mumbai Diamond Merchants Association (MDMA), Palanpur Samaj Kendra (PSK) and Vidyamandir Trust, Palanpur.

On behalf of the industry, Arunbhai R Mehta, President (PSK) and Vipul Shah, Chairman GJEPC presented mementoes to Chaudhary.

The current MP from Banaskantha who is now representing the constituency in the Lok Sabha for the fourth time, completed high school from Vidyamandir and subsequently did his graduation and post-graduation from Gujarat and Mumbai University. He was associated with the diamond trade in Mumbai for nearly two decades, working closely with Kantilal Chhotalal, the eponymous company set up by ‘Kanubhai’.

Speaking on behalf of the PSK, Arunbhai Mehta appreciated the work that Haribhai has been doing in the Banaskatha District and expressed the hope that some of the issues faced by the Diamond industry will get resolved with Haribhai's being in Delhi.

Rajiv Mehta, Chairman VMT said that Haribhai is remembered by senior teachers of the school as an outstanding student, with proficiency in Mathematics and particular skills with numbers. His determination to succeed from a very young age is evident in the fact that he walked 5.4 kms each way to attend classes every day. “Vidyamandir is proud of you,” he concluded.

Speaking on a more personal note, Ashish K Mehta, who has been closely associated with Haribhai for over three decades, highlighted three of the outstanding qualities that had helped him to scale such heights. Haribhai has “great determination and confidence, a tremendous capacity for hard work and an unbelievable maturity and sense of responsibility”, he pointed out. It was this that led him to give up his successful foray into the diamond business nearly 20 years ago and return to Banaskantha to work for the progress of the district and its people. “There are always hundreds of people waiting to meet Haribhai when he visits the constituency,” Mehta said, “and he finds the time to listen patiently to each of them.”

In conclusion, Mehta said that the entire industry was proud that one of its own had now assumed such an important position and wished the minister all success.

Other industry leaders who spoke included Anoop Mehta of BDB, Vipul Shah of GJEPC and Mahendra Gandhi of MDMA. All of them congratulated the minister on his success and said that the industry was now confident that it would be well represented in Delhi. They requested him to take up various issues and concerns of the industry at the central level which would help it to become the gem and jewellery centre of the world.

Replying to the felicitations, the minister said that he has always enjoyed the support of the diamond industry in his developmental and social activity in Banaskantha district. Over the last 20-25 years, what was once known as a backward region has seen a lot of change and today it has a huge network of excellent education institutions and the villages have also seen a lot of development. Haribhai pledged to work for the continued development of the constituency and also for the nation and promised the industry his support at all times.