Karnataka - Gulbarga   

Benefits of growth must reach all sections: President

New facility: President Pratibha Patil inaugurating the Rangamandira in Gulbarga on Wednesday.

GULBARGA: President Pratibha Patil on Wednesday stressed the need for adopting a strategy of inclusive growth to ensure that the benefits of economic growth reached all sections of society, particularly the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other disadvantaged sections.

Speaking after inaugurating the Prarthana Mandir and the Buddha Vihar on the outskirts of Gulbarga, Ms. Patil said everybody should work relentlessly for the uplift of the vulnerable sections of society and “a life of dignity must be assured to all.”

The President said that deliverance of social justice to the people would be the just tribute to Dr. B.R. Ambedakar, who championed the cause of the oppressed classes.

Ms. Patil said that Buddhism had a tremendous impact on those who embraced it and Emperor Asoka, after embracing Buddhism, gave up violence and accepted Ahimsa as the policy of governance.

She said that the principle of Ahimsa had a great impact on the freedom movement and Mahatma Gandhi won India’s independence by adopting it as the instrument. “This is a unique example in the history of the mankind,” she said.

Ms. Patil said that Lord Buddha laid special attention on adherence of middle path in the life which advocated avoidance of extremes. “In his life, Buddha enjoyed excessive luxury as a prince and also practised austerities as an ascetic”.

The middle path advocated by the Buddha required human activities to be conducted on the basis of high moral values, harmony and kindness to others.

“The middle path is a noble path not only for the personal lives of individuals but could also be basis for activities of nations from economics to politics,” the President said.

Referring to links of Buddhism with the Gulbarga region, the President noted that excavations at Sannati in Chitapur taluk had come out with statues of Buddha, sculptures of Buddhist period and other relicts dating back to the period of Asoka and Satavahanas. “There is a belief that Mahindra and Sangamitra, the son and daughter of Emperor Asoka, went from Gulbarga region to Sri Lanka carrying the message of Buddha.”

The President said that there were large number of followers of Buddhism across the world and said that during her visit to Vietnam, she visited one old Pagoda built in the 6th Century called “Tan Quoc” and in the garden there was a Peepal Tree known as Bodhi tree grown from a cutting of the original Bodhi Tree in India, planted in 1958 by then President Rajendra Prasad.

Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa said the Buddha Vihar was an important monument of the region and a tourist destination in the days to come.

The State Government would provide infrastructure to it. Earlier, reception committee chairman and former Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh welcomed the gathering and Siddhartha Vihar Trust chairman and Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly M. Mallikarjun Kharge made introductory remarks.

Governor Rameshwar Thakur and the former Chief Minister of Maharashtra Vilasrao Deshmukh spoke.

Ms. Patil inaugurated the district Rangamandira named after the internationally reputed artist S.M. Pandit.

The function which began with the famous song “Hachevvu Kannadada Deepa…” penned by D S Karki.

Dressed in traditional dresses, the girls danced to the tunes of the song much to the delight of the President who was seen admiring the dance.

The Chief Minister, who rose to announce that there would not be any speeches in the function, announced the decision to name the Rangamandira after S.M. Pandit to the thunderous applause of the packed audience in the hall.

Later, the President surprised everybody, including Mr, Yeddyurappa by expressing her wish to address the audience after inspecting two paintings of Pandit depicting the scene of the war in Mahabharatha and another painting of Lord Shiva in penance.

In what appeared to be a serious lapse, the officials failed to arrange for the singing of the National Anthem, which is compulsorily played soon after the arrival of the President and again before departure of the President at all the official functions.

No official was available for comment on the lapse.

The State song “Jaya Bharatha Jananiya Tanu Jathe… ” was also not sung in the official function to mark the inauguration of the Rangamandira.

The State song is sung compulsorily in all the official functions.

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