Mahatma Gandhi was open to new ideas and bringing in changes that would make villages self-reliant, said writer Bhaskar G. Maiya here on Sunday.
Inaugurating a seminar on “Gandhi Chintanegalondige Mukhamukhi”, Mr. Maiya said that in the Hind Swaraj, Mahatma Gandhi debunked many of the popular beliefs, including the perception that he was against development.
“In the Hind Swaraj, Gandhi gave a model of the village that does not have citizens with cholera, where people are hard working and where citizens have a positive outlook on life. This is the imaginary village he proposed and he believed such a village will not exist.”
Mr. Maiya said that Gandhi was open to ideas and believed in looking at old issues with a new perspective. He favoured mass production of essential commodities and wanted people to have ownership over material they wanted.
The writer said that Gandhi believed Independence in 1947 was transfer of power from colonial rulers to capitalist forces that will continue to exercise power over the common man. The capitalist forces sidelined Mahatma Gandhi as the latter’s ideals were coming in the way of establishing the former’s authority, Mr. Maiya said.
Associate Professor, St. Aloysius College, Dinesh Nayak, spoke on “Gandhi and Swaraj” and Vasudeva Belle from Government PU College, Sajipa Mooda, spoke on “Gandhi and Ambedkar”. The programme was organised by Samudaya, Mangaluru.
