Rajshree Birla, Nikhil Goyal and Rajendra K Saboo address the Bhavan's Colloquium
Chandigarh Kendra of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan organised a colloquium on Gandhi@150 at the Chandigarh Judicial Academy here today.
Speaking on the occasion, eminent journalist, Editor-in-Chief and Chairman of ThePrint, Shekhar Gupta said that Mahatma Gandhi is the biggest brand that any country has ever produced in the world. Even personalities like Nelsom Mandela and Martin Luther King could not assume such a brand presence in their respective countries which has primarily had been Gandhi's unique power of communication through symbolism.
Gandhi walked the talked and connected with the masses only through powerful symbolism whether it was shedding the western dress and wearing handwoven khadi or it was the salt-march, his satyagrah and non-violence to effectively convey his message.
He was a true fakir and could associate with the people through simple living, a symbol which many politicians endeavour to emulate without much success, he said. Amongst all the politicians, Shekhar said, Lal Bahadur Shastri was the only one who lived a frugal life.
Responding to a question about the current violence in the country, he remarked that in present time the extent of violence is much less than what it was during communal riots in 70s and 80s.
He commended Modi's magnanimous gesture of writing about Gandhi and his values in the New York Times and projecting Gandhi as a brand to the world, without making any reference to the virulent attack by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in a similar article in NYT a month earlier, where he equated Modi with Hitler and Mousillini.
Smt. Rajshree Birla, a noted social activist engaged in promoting Shasvat Gandhi, and heads the philanthropic arm of Aditya Birla Group shared her father-in-law G.D. Birla's long association with Mahatma Gandhi since 1916 and the bonds grew so strong that Gandhi wrote to him every fortnight on diverse topics and shared one passion for the freedom of India.
She said that the values of non-violence and satyagrah, and his concern for the poor and their upliftment changed the course of Indian history and brought freedom to the nation.
Chairman of Bhavan Vidyalaya Chandigarh Kendra Rajendra K Saboo spoke about Mahatma Gandhi's relevance and his own personal experience of meeting Gandhi ji in his childhood. He recalled how Gandhi's principles of life have received universal acceptance when he as the President of Rotary International in 1991-92 visited South Africa and in Johannesburg where Gandhi was pushed out of the train, the Mayor asked me to unveil his statue in the city.
Nikhil Goyal, a lawyer, alumnus of Bhavan Vidyalaya and who was also selected as Secretary-General for the UN4MUN sub-conference at the WELAND International MUN EXPO 2019 spoke about the challenge before the young generation is to sift out the truth amidst the proliferation of information sources, yet, he said, that information technology can be a great enabler for them to adapt Gandhian principles in their lifes.
Shri Raja Chatterjee of Rama Krishan Mission recited the popular bhajan "Allah Tero Naam", while children from the junior school of Bhavan Vidyalaya also presented a small play on Gandhi's Dandi March.
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