Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Jan 31: Well-known Kannada litterateur, Fakir Muhammed Katpadi, lamented the fact that the people have now forgotten Gandhiji, and also the power to resist injustice, which is a potent weapon. He was speaking after presiding over the ‘Gandhi Smriti’ programme organized by the district unit of Komu Sauharda Vedike on Sunday January 30, at MGM College here.

“It is but ironic that we lost Gandhiji, harbinger of non-violence, to violence. Even today, we see that violence continues to overshadow non-violence. Gandhiji’s concept, ‘Hind Swaraj’ has turned into ‘Himsa Swaraj’, he said sarcastically. He pointed out that activists in Egypt and  the Middle East have been using non-violence as a tool to fight unjust rulers, and that writers there have been inspiring the people to adopt non-violence as a potent weapon. “This kind of movement is very necessary for us now. No one is raising voice against shameless criminal governance, price hike, and scams,” he lamented.

Lecturer, Pattabhirama Somayaji, spoke about Gandhiji’s work, ‘Hind Swaraj’.

On this occasion, prizes were handed over to the winners of essay contest. G Rajshekhar proposed vote of thanks. Prof Phaniraj presented the programme.