BELAGAVI: A hundred years ago on this day, Mahatma Gandhi gave a call to the youth to participate in the freedom struggle during the 1924 Congress Session, which he presided over, here.
Inspired by this, a large number of people from the region joined the freedom struggle and many of them laid down their lives for the country’s Independence. Belagavi city has been decked up for the two-day event to mark the centenary of the 1924 Congress session.
While this session gave a new direction to the freedom struggle, the Congress party believes that its CWC meeting to be chaired by AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge at the same venue, Veera Soudha, would give a fillip to the country’s politics and help strengthen the party.
According to KPCC working president DK Shivakumar, top leaders of the party will decide the agenda of the CWC meeting to be held at Veera Soudha.
A public meeting to be held on Friday at the CPEd Ground has been named as “Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim and Jail Samvidhan”. “We have named the venue as Mahatma Gandhi Navanagar,” he said.
Local leaders and all MPs from state invited to Belagavi event: Shivakumar
DyCM DK Shivakumar said a book containing documents related to the 1924 session will be released on Thursday. A statue of Mahatma Gandhi will be unveiled at Veera Soudha at 10 am. Later, a photo exhibition will be inaugurated, followed by a “Khadi Mela” at 10.45 am.
At 11.15 am, he and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will unveil a memorial of freedom fighter Gangadhar Deshpande at Ramteerth Nagar in the city. An exhibition of pictures of Deshpande, who was instrumental in organising the 1924 session, will be inaugurated. The CWC meet will be held at 3 pm. A dinner will be hosted by Kharge at 7 pm.
On Friday, Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi will unveil the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha at 10.30 am.
Siddaramaiah will preside over the function to be held under the leadership of Assembly Speaker UT Khader and Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti. Leaders from all parties will be invited. “We have invited local leaders and all MPs from the state to the function. A banquet will be hosted by the chief minister at noon. A public meeting will be held at 1 pm,’’ he Shivakumar said.
Gandhi Bharat programme
The state government and the Congress party will organise “Gandhi Bharat programme” across the state for a year to mark the centenary of the 1924 session.
Debate competitions will be held in schools and colleges. Discussions on Gandhi’s principles will be held.