While the country is facing tough challenges of poverty, unemployment, terrorism and communalism, Gandhism is the only key to solve all problems, said Gandhi Peace Foundation president Kumar Prashant, who was on a three-day visit to Odisha recently.
Gandhism encompasses MK Gandhi’s ideas, principles, philosophy and ideologies of truth and nonviolence, said he.
The problems would be sorted out automatically if both the Centre and the States across the party lines apply the Gandhian principles in proper way with open heart, Prashant said.
Prashant highlighted on country’s economy, law and order, fraternity, farmers’ issues, unemployment and foreign policy. He expressed disappointment over the political leaders’ actions, saying, “The leaders are like the deer, which searches for the perfume of musk that is inside his body.
The leaders, instead of applying the Gandhian ideologies for development and growth, are seeking the help from foreign countries.
Criticising the Smart City idea, he said that 80 per cent of the problems could be resolved if all the villages are turned smart on the basis of a “Gram Swaraj”, an idea by Gandhi.
“This can be possible with strong willpower. While the developed nations like America and Germany are getting the solutions from the Gandhian ideologies, India is far off its root cause due to cheap politics that is currently based on violence, corruption, communalism and caste system,” he said.
He also criticised NDA Government’s bullet train idea saying it cannot solve the transport problem. Before thinking of developing such a transport system, the Government should take initiatives for making a clean toilet system in all the trains, he said.
If the country’s own plans and schemes are conceived keeping development of a poor man in mind, each village could be self-dependant and poverty could be eradicated from the villages and villagers would not move out to cities in search of better life and work.
He also spoke about the growing trend of alleged intolerance, which is a big threat to the nation.
The indiscipline that is growing within the nation could be removed if political leaders and administrators consider themselves as the trustees of people changing their present mindset to grab power, he said.
He also emphasised on the khadi, rural and cottage industries in the country.