Karnataka - Bidar   

‘Gandhiji had an emotional attachment with the State’

BIDAR: S.N. Sahu, Director, Prime Minister’s office, has said it is important to recall the writings of Mahatma Gandhi, especially when there is an attempt to distort history.

He was speaking after inaugurating a two-day national seminar on “Gandhian Philosophy” here on Saturday. The seminar was organised by Gandhian Studies Centre of the Karnataka Arts, Science and Commerce College, Bidar.

During his address, Mr. Sahu traced Gandhiji’s association with Karnataka through his writings, particularly with the erstwhile Maharajas of Mysore. He said that Gandhiji had an emotional attachment with the State. Mr. Sahu said that Gandhiji and Karnataka were connected with certain significant events. His first visit was to Bangalore after he returned from South Africa. Moreover, the State had been connected with the Satyagraha movement launched by Gandhiji in 1906 and the Belgaum convention in 1924.

Mr. Sahu said, “Karnataka should feel proud that the State was associated with the movement. He had written a piece in ‘Indian Opinion’, a newspaper that the erstwhile Maharaja of Mysore had assisted him with, along with the Maharaja of Bikaner.”

Gandhiji had also congratulated the Maharajas of Mysore for their initiative to popularise Khadi and had written a special piece in a newspaper, he said.

Mr. Sahu said that Gandhiji had written that he wanted to learn Kannada and that he would be able to speak the language fluently if given eight days time. He had also backed the demand for a separate State for Kannadigas based on linguistic lines.

Mr. Sahu said that Gandhiji had visited the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, twice and had interacted with scientist C.V. Raman.

Mr. Sahu felicitated Gandhians Brijpal Singh, Manikrao Pulekar, Madhavrao Basavanale and Govardhandas Tiwari.

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