A non-communal approach was advocated by Mahatma Gandhi to achieve unhindered progress, said G. Sudhakaran, MLA. He was inaugurating the Gandhi Jayanti Week celebrations at Gandhi Smriti Mandapam at the civil station here on Friday.
The meeting paid rich tributes to the late Devadath G. Purakkad, who had been the vice president of the mandapam. M.A. Arif, MLA and District Collector N. Padmakumar spoke.
As part of the celebrations, a khadi expo was launched by the Kerala Khadi and Village Industries Board, in association with the Information Public Relations Department. A rebate of 10-30 per cent will be provided for sale of various items, up to October 12.
As part of the celebrations, competitions for students would be held in painting, essay writing, elocution and quiz on October 3 at Jawahar Bal Bhavan, near Town Hall. Registration will begin at the venue at 9.30 a.m.
Our Special Correspondent writes from Kottayam: The 146th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi was celebrated by various agencies in the district on Friday.
Speaking on the inauguration of district-level celebration of Gandhi Jayanti Day and Week here on Friday, Thiruvanchoor Radhakirshnan, Minister for Transport and Forests, said the realities of modern times had made Gandhiji more relevant than ever.
“Father of the Nation was the foremost among the leaders who taught the people to be strengthened through secularism. The basis of India’s resilience even after repeated attempts by divisive forces to break it up, could be traced to this unflinching commitment to secularism,” he said.
He was never part of the power structure, as he was aware that the only way to be part of the imagination of the common people was to be with them, keeping away from the power structure, Mr. Radhakrishnan said.
Floral tributes
The Minister offered floral tributes at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Gandhi Square in the heart of the city.
The Minister also inaugurated the Anti-Drug Campaign launched by the Kottayam district police.
The campaign is being implemented jointly by the Student Police Cadet, Operation Gurukulam, Clean Campus Safe Campus projects.
SPC project
Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said the Student Police Cadet project have emerged as a model programme for the youngsters everywhere and that they would be able to do much in the anti-drug campaign.
NCC Battalion
Meanwhile, the 15 Kerala NCC Battalion, Kerala Forest Department, Kottayam Nature Society, Changanassery Municipality, and the Merchants Association jointly took out a cleaning operation of the by pass at Changanassery. Inaugurating the campaign, G. Prasad, Wildlife Warden, Munnar Forest Division, said the efforts to revive the traditional varieties of fruit trees and vegetables were gaining momentum.
He hoped the campaign would keep the stray dogs, which had made the bypass road their abode on account of the accumulation of waste on the sides, away from the area. Krishnakumari Rajasekharan, Changanassery Municipal chairperson, presided.
