: Gandhiji stressed on secularism and the word secularism cannot be removed from the preamble of the Constitution as being suggested by some, former Personal Secretary to Mahatma Gandhi V. Kalyanam said here on Friday.
He also strongly spoke against the proposals being made by some others to honour Gandhiji’s assassin Godse.
The 93-year-old Gandhian and freedom fighter made these observations while participating in the Martyrs’ Day programmes organised by Andhra University's Gandhian Studies Centre and Uttarandhra Journalists Front, on the occasion of Gandhi's 68th death anniversary.
There was misrule during the last seven years during the Congress regime and the party had not followed the Gandhian principles. He hoped the BJP-led government would follow the Gandhian principles and do good to the country.
He also observed during the meeting that it was not proper to spend Rs. 1 lakh crore to make India clean. Instead we should make the officers and employees of all local bodies and Gram panachayats discharge their duties properly and people should keep their houses clean and tidy. Gandhiji had done so and ‘Swatch Bharat’ was not new.
After describing his four-year association with Gandhiji till his assassination and giving many anecdotes Mr. Kalyanam said it would take another 1000 years to see another Gandhiji who had sacrificed every thing for the country and propagated non-violence and equality. Gandhiji had practiced before he preached and wanted communal harmony to prevail.
