GUWAHATI: Thoughtful discussion on Gandhian philosophy and its application in present day context ignited the minds of a host of thinkers, academicians and students coming from across the country and abroad at the University of Science & Technology Meghalaya as the International conference on “Mahatma Gandhi’s Vision and Contemporary Political Leadership in North East India” ends here on Saturday.
The two-day conference was addressed by Tushar Arun Gandhi, the great grandson of Mahatma Gandhi apart from others.
Addressing the valedictory session of the conference , Tushar Arun Gandhi said, “If we understand Bapu and believe in him, we have to make his cause our cause. The NE is a melting pot of diverse ethnic communities and cultures and the region has been experiencing militancy problem since decades. Gandhian philosophy and ideals are most relevant in the context of the North East and the mainland India must be sensitive towards the people and problem in the region.”
Since many years, political leadership in India has been party based, instead of broad nationalistic view. Bapu’s ideals must be adopted in our nature and not simply in references. If we cannot do this, it is disrespect to him, he added.
Dr Alaka Sarma, who is also the Director of ICGS and Pro VC, USTM, stated, “This conference will help us to explore the shortcoming of our strategies to reach out to the poorest of the poor of the north-eastern region and way forward to achieve the development based on the vision of Mahatma Gandhi. We feel that Gandhi is most relevant today than ever before and more so in the north-eastern region than anywhere else in India.”
