Belagavi, Jan 21: Hailing Mahatma Gandhi as the soul of India, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar today said that the Mahatma gave the message of peace and co-existence to the world.
“We chanted the Gandhi mantra yesterday, we do it today and we will continue to chant his mantra in the future,” he said while addressing the Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan convention organised to commemorate centenary celebrations of the 1924 Belagavi convention which was presided over by the Mahatma.
“A century ago, Mahatma Gandhi took over the reigns of the Congress and led the Independence movement. A hundred years later, we are organising this convention to spread his message to the future generations,” he said.
“The main objective of this convention is to remember the contributions of Gandhiji and Ambedkar to the nation and to protect the Constitution. Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan is not a mere slogan but shakthi mantra of India,” he noted.
“Karnataka’s son Mallikarjun Kharge is today sitting in the same chair which was adorned by the likes of Mahatma Gandhiji, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Gandhi’s India is self-reliant, united, secular and harmonious,” he said.
“Gandhiji used to say that ‘you can kill a revolutionary but you can’t kill a revolution’. He also said that one can finish him but no one could finish off his thoughts. Similarly, one can die but the philosophy will live on,” he added.
“We have the tricolour shawl on our shoulders and the sacred Constitution in our hearts. The Constitution is our father, mother, kith and kin. The Constitution is our sacred book like Bhagavad Gita, Bibel and Quran,” he said.
“Baba Saheb Ambedkar used to say that he would live on in the form of the Constitution even after his death. He lives amidst us in the form of Jai Bhim. People are spreading falsehood against the very person who fought for truth. It is time we destroy the Godse’s thinking and uphold Gandhiji’s principles,” he called upon.
“This convention must not stop here. We have organised Gandhi Bharat programmes all through the year. Similarly, such programmes must be held in all taluks. Like Gandhiji united the people of the country through the Congress convention, Rahul Gandhi united the people of the country through Bharat Jodo yatra. Communalists killed Gandhiji on Jan 30, but the Congress party has taken his philosophy forward. The 1924 Congress convention of Belagavi had energized the unification efforts of Karnataka also. Our government has given freedom from poverty and financial burdens through the five guarantee schemes. We have delivered as promised. Let us save the democratic principles through the slogan ‘Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan’, he added.
