To propagate Mahatma Gandhi’s values and introduce his ideology to the younger generation, the Gandhi Global Family and Gandhi Gyan Pratishtan have decided to install Mahatma Gandhi’s statues in all the mandal headquarters of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The first to be installed will be inaugurated by people’s activist Anna Hazare at the Mahatma Gandhi College of Education in Hayatnagar mandal on January 20. A team of the Gandhi Global Family met him at his village, Ralegan Siddhi seeking his consent.
Chairman of the Gandhi Global Family, Gunna Rajender Reddy said that orders for making 1,100 Gandhi statues have been given and the idea was to reconnect his ideology to the younger generation that is losing touch with his contributions. The relevance of Gandhi’s values are being recognised by several countries in the world now. His presence is seen in 206 countries in the form of statues or Gandhi study centres while 150 countries have released his stamps. However, in his own country the younger generation is just fed with information on his contribution in the freedom struggle.
“But there is lot more to his contribution to the world in terms of promoting non-violence and fighting on behalf of the suppressed. It is time for people to rediscover Mahatma Gandhi when the world is going through a crisis,” Mr. Reddy said.
A committee has been on tour visiting all mandal headquarters seeking land for the statues and the response has been tremendous, Mr. Reddy said. The statue will have 11 principles of Gandhi etched on a plaque and the other discourses on moral values.
The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi too has been focussing on this aspect in his public speeches as well as interactions with common people on his ‘Mann Ki Baat,’ Mr. Reddy said. “We hope Mahatma Gandhi is devoted more space at the school level to ensure that youngsters are exposed to his message of non-violence.”
The Gandhi Global Family has been in forefront of 150th birth celebrations. A massive gathering of 5,000 students dressed in Gandhi’s attire was held at Nalgonda and the Guinness Book of World Records also issued a Certificate of Appreciation. In the recent Hyderabad Book Fair too the GGF set up a stall where a collection of Gandhi’s photographs from different phases of his life including those in his days from London and South Africa were put up.
