GULBARGA: It is the duty of teachers and parents to make children understand the contribution of freedom fighters, Deputy Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pandey said here on Wednesday.

He was speaking after inaugurating a special series of lectures on freedom fighters organised by the Department of Information in the Rotary Club School.

He said society should not forget the contribution of these great men and women. "We should teach children to respect and emulate them. These great personalities should be role models for children," he added. The series is being organised as part of the 60th Independence Day celebrations.

Mr. Pandey said role models of the present day generation were different. Today's children can recall the names of cinema and cricket stars. I am afraid these people can easily become their role models and not freedom fighters, he said. Providing good role models was part of bringing them up, he said. Citing instances from the life of Mahatma Gandhi, he said, violence was not an answer to any problem. It was the Mahatma who preached that all problems could be solved through non-violence. This message should be spread, he added. India was a secular country and religion should be a personal issue, he said. Government Junior Technical School teacher Giri Malla delivered a lecture on the life and contribution of Mahatma Gandhi. Later, Mr. Pandey distributed certificates to winners in the patriotic songs competition held on Tuesday by the Information Deployment at the District Science Centre here.

Information Department Deputy Director Basavaraj Para, Karnataka State Open University Regional Centre Director Kamble, Assistant Director G. Chandrashekar and others were present. The Information Department is holding a special lecture series in a few selected schools in the city.

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