Vice President of India M. Venkaiah Naidu
Says Gandhiji’s principle of non-violence included non-violence in words and thoughts too
New Delhi: Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu today emphasised the need to maintain civility of words and decency of language in public discourse and said that it is necessary for a healthy and strong democracy.
Naidu’s remarks assume significance in view of the leaked video, where Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was recently shown using invective after giving a sound byte to a television news agency, was recorded on camera and had gone viral, leading to sharp reactions in the public.
Addressing the concluding ceremony of the 25-day long ceremonial ‘Dandi March’ organised as part of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ in the historic Dandi village of Gujarat, the Vice President asked everyone to take inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi who always used polite and respectful language even for his opponents. “Gandhi Ji’s principle of non-violence was not limited to physical violence alone, rather it encapsulated non-violence in words and thoughts too”, he said adding that political parties should treat each other as rivals not as enemies.
“Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav”—a 75 week festival to commemorate 75 years of India’s Independence, was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Sabarmati Ashram, on March 12, 2021. The festival celebrates the rapid strides India has taken in the past 75 years. The Vice President said that it is a festival that encourages us to rediscover our hidden strengths and prompts us to take sincere, synergistic action to regain our rightful place in the comity of nations.
Terming Mahatma Gandhi’s iconic Dandi Salt March as a watershed moment in our freedom struggle, Naidu said that it altered the course of history. “The Dandi March we are symbolically revisiting today signifies our nation’s ability to stay united when we are faced with challenges”, he said. Noting that this ability to walk together on the path of development has yielded many positive outcomes, he underlined the need to consistently follow this path in future as well.
The Vice President further said that the message of iconic leaders like Gandhiji and Sardar Patel provided the inspiration to work together to build a dream India.
– global bihari bureau
