Jaipur: Rajmohan Gandhi, a biographer and historian, on Wednesday said that Mahatma Gandhi was always against the division of India.
While delivering the keynote address on ‘Understanding Gandhi’ on the occasion of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and Founders’ Day of the Clarks Group of Hotels at Hotel Clarks Amer here, he said: “His efforts to prevent the Partition were incomparable to any other. He always tried to spread happiness and eradicate hatred.”
“In this mission, he visited villages, various parts of India to spread the message of friendship and unity among the people. Gandhi left behind the power of Satyagraha, taught people to think of the poor when in conflict and made people realise that not only should India be free but every Indian should also be free. He taught people to be fearless, brave and educated them about the true meaning of ‘Ahimsa’ (non-violence).”
Gandhi said that there is some truth to the statement that Gandhi did not devote as much time to his own family. This was perhaps because he adopted all of India as his family. But Gandhi loved his family and his grandchildren very much.
“As the ‘Father of the Nation’, he considered all the children of the country his own children and had to sacrifice spending time with his own family. As his family, we also realised that although Gandhi is in our blood, his soul lives in all children of the nation,” he added.
Governor of Rajasthan Kalraj Mishra said that Gandhi taught us that we are not lesser than anyone else and giving inferiority complex any space in our minds is a crime. He forced the decolonisation of a huge empire through the power of Satyagraha and Ahimsa.
Mishra said: “Satyagraha is not for the weak it is for the brave and the strong. Gandhi has always instilled Swabhlamban (self-reliance) among the youth and Indians. This was a combination of Swabhiman (self-respect), Swadeshi (indigenous) and Gram Swaraj.”
Bapu taught us the sins of our society – politics without principles, business without ethics, deeds without character and science without humanity, Mishra said.
The programme witnessed the attendance of around 1000 students from 30 schools.
