BENGALURU: Today’s era belongs to Godse, not Gandhi, said Tushar Gandhi, great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, highlighting how far society has strayed from Gandhian principles.
Expressing a deep concern over the weakening influence of Gandhian values, he noted that divisive forces, similar to those that led to Gandhi’s assassination, are reemerging.
Tushar was speaking at the international seminar “Mahatma Gandhi for the 21st Century” at Gandhi Bhavan, held to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Gandhi Smarak Nidhi, on Saturday.
He emphasised the need to reflect on how Gandhi would have addressed modern issues like unemployment, but lamented that such introspection is lacking. He criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi of only invoking Gandhi’s ideology during his foreign trips, but neglecting it at home, including violence-ridden Assam.
Warning that the country is returning to violence, corruption and envy — issues that were present 75 years ago, Tushar feared that if these divisions continue, the nation can break apart, as Gandhi’s unifying thoughts are being forgotten and leaders seem more focused on dividing rather than uniting people. He condemned the irony that, while Gandhi advocated resolving issues through dialogue, organisations keeping his principles alive are now fighting in court.
The event was inaugurated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who asserted that those who upheld caste inequalities were the ones responsible for Mahatma’s assassination. He expressed concern over growing divisions within society based on caste and religion that are leading to increasing inequality.
He lamented that the educated are increasingly becoming caste-conscious. He emphasised that if Gandhian values are embraced worldwide, society can achieve a lasting peace. He cited Gandhi’s belief that nature can meet human needs, but not human greed and said environmental disasters in Wayanad, Kerala and various parts of Karnataka are consequences of human greed.
He said the centenary of the Belgaum session of Congress, which was presided over by Mahatma Gandhi, will be celebrated in a meaningful way.
The event was chaired by Ramachandra Rahi, president of the Gandhi Smarak Nidhi, and attended by Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil, along with other dignitaries.