Bhatti calls for Gandhian path

Metro India News | Hyderabad :Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said on Thursday that Mahatma Gandhi's principles of non-violence, Satyagraha, equality and social justice continue to provide guidance to the world. He stressed the need to build a society free from discrimination, inequality and humiliation by following the path shown by Gandhi. He was speaking at a program organized jointly by the Gandhi Global Family and the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) at LB Stadium in Hyderabad to mark Gandhi Jayanti.

The Deputy Chief Minister said it was unfortunate that tendencies supporting the ideology of Nathuram Godse, who assassinated Gandhi, were visible in the country. He said patriots should not accept a culture that criticizes Gandhi while portraying Godse's approach as correct. He called upon people to oppose attempts to promote an ideology contrary to Gandhi's principles.

Gandhi's role in freedom movement

The Deputy Chief Minister said that Gandhi's leadership and his principles of Satyagraha and non-violence played a crucial role in India's freedom struggle. He alleged that some BJP leaders who had no association with Gandhi or the freedom movement of that period were now attempting to distort history. Recalling Gandhi's experiences in South Africa, he said the discrimination Gandhi faced there became a turning point in his life.

After returning to India, Gandhi studied the problems faced by farmers, poor people and disadvantaged communities and led several Satyagraha movements, he said. From the Champaran Satyagraha to the Dandi March, Gandhi brought the concerns of ordinary people to the center of the freedom movement. His campaigns using symbols such as salt and the spinning wheel demonstrated the power of collective public action against British rule, he said.

Government policies inspired by Gandhian values

Bhatti Vikramarka said the state government was attempting to formulate policies based on people's needs and the principles associated with Gandhi. Providing equal opportunities, education and social dignity to all sections of society was the objective of people-centric governance, he said. He cited the proposed Young India Integrated Residential Schools as an example of this approach. According to him, the schools are intended to bring students from SC, ST, BC, minority and OC communities together without discrimination based on caste, religion or social background. The government is planning to establish more than 100 such schools, he said, adding that each campus is proposed to be developed on around 25 acres with infrastructure conforming to international standards, he said.

Gandhi's contribution to social equality

The Deputy Chief Minister said Gandhi fought not only for India's independence but also against social inequality and untouchability. He worked to bring disadvantaged communities into the mainstream and sought to strengthen Hindu-Muslim unity, thereby transforming the freedom struggle into a broad-based people's movement, he said.

TPCC president and MLC Mahesh Kumar Goud said Gandhi Jayanti was an occasion of significance for people across the world and an inspirational day for those who seek peace. He said that Gandhi's path was a safeguard for the nation and that putting his ideals into practice could further strengthen democratic values. Democracy, he said, would remain stronger and more people-oriented when Gandhi's principles were followed.