The relevance of M.K. Gandhi can only be understood by practising tolerance, non-violence and humanism enunciated by him but not by hollow gestures, J.P. Vaidya of Gandhi Mission Hospital, Aurangabad, has said.
Delivering the Prof. Dr. Nemani Krishnamurthy and Prof. Rukmini Endowment lecture on “Relevance of Gandhi for Contemporary Society” organised by Rasagna Vedika on Sunday, he said the system should undergo a sea change to ensure good education and medical care to all. Gandhi’s relevance was underlined by the widening gap between the power of technology and social wisdom, Dr. Vaidya observed.
Gandhiji was all the more relevant in the crime-prone society where women live with a lot of insecurity, fake god men rule the roost and economy was threatened by rise of black money, he said pointing out the ills plaguing the system. Dr. Vaidya said the essence of his teaching like being good and giving back to society must be practised.
Chancellor of Gitam University and Director of its Gandhi Studies Centre Koneru Ramakrishna Rao said Gandhiji provided true, significant insights into human nature based on our classical traditions. Gandhiji saw a constant struggle going on between the brute and the divine in the human nature and the eternal endeavour of the divine to overcome the devil. Prof. Ramakrishna Rao said Gandhiji believed truth and god were the same in which even an atheist would believe. Non-violence was the instrument he gave for truth to prevail.
Gandhiji also opposed heavy industry and the basic principle held good even now with big business donating to charity to make up for exploitation of other human beings, Prof. Ramakrishna Rao said. His teachings were more relevant now than they were 100 years ago with humans racing towards destruction and would be even more relevant after another 100 years, he asserted.
District Collector S. Solomon Arokia Raj responded favourably to Rasajna Vedika founder-president G. Raghurama Rao’s suggestion that to create awareness on Gandhiji programmes should be organised and expressed his readiness to participate. Dr. Rao described Dr. Vaidya as a multi-faceted personality. Prof. Krishnamurthy, a brilliant scientist and artist, gave the opportunity to the vedika to organise the first endowment lecture.
Earlier, Mr. Arokia Raj inaugurated an exhibition of sketches on Gandhiji and cartoons by Dr.Vaidya. He also honoured K S Sastry and C S Rao who Dr. Rao described as “true Gandhians.” Prof. Krishnamurthy spoke.
