With the theme “Environment and Gandhi,” a two-day 9th edition of the Odisha Environment Congress (OEC) was inaugurated on Thursday at the Regional Museum of Natural History, here by Gandhian and freedom fighter Padmashree Bhabani Charan Patnaik.
Finance and Excise Minister Sashi Bhusan Behera and Gandhian scholar Satya Narayan Sahu, besides former Indian Ambassador Abasara Beuria, former Member Board of Revenue Dr Aurobindo Behera and Vice-Chancellor, RD Women’s University Prof Padmaja Mishra were present as guests of honour.
Gandhi was the torch bearer of the freedom movement and he was the reason why I gathered the courage to fight for my country’s independence even though I never got an opportunity to meet him in person,” recalled freedom fighter Patnaik, as he gave his inaugural speech. He told that the country of Gandhi’s dream is linked with nature.
Eminent Gandhian scholar and former OSD and Press Secretary to former President of India Sahu in his keynote address stated, “On 1st January 1918, hundred years back, Gandhi while addressing a meeting in Ahmedabad defined independence of India in terms of three elements- air, water and grain. He defined democracy in terms of access of all citizens to pure air and water. The Time Magazine in its April 9, 2007 issue came out with 51 Global Warming Survival Guides. The 51st Guide earnestly suggests sharing more, consuming less and simplifying life. In other words the Time Magazine, one of the mouth pieces of the western world, is turning to Mahatma Gandhi to save the world.”
Minister Behera praised the initiative and discussion on Gandhi and environment as a timely and important step. Organising secretary, OEC 2018 Sudarshan Das, Dr Babu Ambat from CED, Kerala, Dr Gaurav, Director RMNH, Bhubaneswar, Dr Amit Banerjee, VC SOA University and Dr SN Patro from Odisha Environment Society were present.