Bhubaneswar, Oct 2: A special ceremony was organised at the Odisha Legislative Assembly premises on Friday to mark Gandhi Jayanti at the state level.
Odisha Governor Dr Hari Babu Kambhampati, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Assembly Speaker Surama Padhy and several ministers and legislators attended the programme and paid floral tributes to the statue of Mahatma Gandhi.
A Sarba Dharma prayer meeting and Ramdhun were also organised on the occasion. The programme recalled Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals of truth, non-violence, cleanliness, self-reliance and Gram Swaraj, with an appeal to follow his principles in daily life.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said Gandhi Jayanti marks the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, whom he described as a great leader and paid his respectful tribute to.
He also paid tribute to former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri on his birth anniversary.
The Chief Minister said Mahatma Gandhi not only played a crucial role in India’s freedom struggle but also gave the world new directions through principles such as morality, Satyagraha and non-cooperation.
According to Majhi, Gandhi’s primary vision was to ensure that people at the last rung of society received the benefits of development and public service. He also emphasised Gandhi’s focus on cleanliness and Swadeshi.
Majhi said several initiatives have been undertaken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to realise these ideals. He said cleanliness has now become a mass movement in the country, while the Swadeshi principle is contributing to the vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat.
The Chief Minister also highlighted various welfare measures aimed at extending development to the poorest sections of society, referring to the government’s focus on Antyodaya.
Paying tribute to Lal Bahadur Shastri, Majhi described him as a person who embodied simple living and high thinking. He praised Shastri’s honesty, dedication and selfless service to the nation.
Majhi also recalled Shastri’s iconic call of “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan”, saying it inspired a new sense of enthusiasm and strength among Indians.
Also read: A village where Gandhi never came, yet his name lives in
The Chief Minister said efforts would continue towards building a prosperous Odisha and a developed India by drawing inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals of truth and non-violence and Lal Bahadur Shastri’s dedication and selfless service to the nation.
