BENGALURU: “There are two ideologies in this country. One is the family that has accepted Gandhian principles; the other is the group that opposes Gandhism. The country is witnessing the conflict between these two,” said Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Friday.
As part of Gandhi Jayanti celebrations, Shivakumar offered floral tributes to Gandhi’s portrait near the Gandhi statue at Vidhana Soudha, honoured pourakarmikas at the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) office, unveiled a Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Pillar at the Government Arts College, and spoke at the Mahatma Gandhi Seva Award ceremony at Gandhi Bhavan.
“Gandhiji is like the soul of India: a great personality who gave the message of peace and coexistence to the world. No political party should hesitate to accept Gandhiji’s ideology. Today’s generation must seriously discuss this matter,” said Shivakumar.
The chief minister also alluded to Gandhi, saying that he imbibed his philosophy of fearlessness. “Just as Mahatma Gandhi said, ‘To be free, one must first be fearless,’ I am not someone who gets scared when doing any work. When we read Gandhi’s letter to Hitler, we understand his message of peace. He conveyed the monumental message that violence should never be our goal,” Shivakumar said.
Shivakumar also mentioned the Gandhi family’s lineage, and its enduring legacy in the Indian polity, saying, “This is the party that brought freedom to the country. Rajiv Gandhi said that leaders should be nurtured from the panchayat level up to Parliament, and that a true leader is one who creates leaders. We are all working toward nurturing leaders.”
He added that his induction into politics was also through a Gandhian, S Kariyappa.
“When I was 12-13 years old, there was a Gandhian MLA named S Kariyappa in Kanakapura. My parents took me to him and had me touch his feet in respect. They told me he was a freedom fighter who helped win independence for this country,” he recalled.
Bangalore University (BU), to commemorate Gandhi Jayanti, announced on Friday that a diploma course on Gandhi’s ideals and philosophies would be introduced at the Gandhi Study Centre from the next academic year (2027-28). “Study centres should not remain limited to their namesake.
There should be continuous study and research on the ideals and contributions of great personalities.
The university will undertake necessary supportive measures in this direction,” said Vice-Chancellor C Shivaraju. BU Registrar (Evaluation) Prof R Shivappa added, “We must give renewed life to his ideas and strive to realise Gandhi’s dreams. His ideals will always remain relevant to the progress and well-being of humanity.”
