Gandhian philosophy can stir mass movements: RP Sisodia

Vijayawada (NTR District): Special Chief Secretary to Governor RP Sisodia said that when India gained independence the entire world was suspicious on the success of India as an independent country, as the British declared that Indians were not capable of self-rule. He said mass movements for complete independence took shape only in 20th century after the advent of Mahatma Gandhi.

He delivered a lecture virtually on 'Philosophy of Independence Movement in India' as part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav lecture series, organised by Visakhapatnam-based Institute for Development Studies Andhra Pradesh (IDSAP) here on Thursday.

Sisodia said Mahatma understood the fact that we are a huge country divided mostly on regional, caste, religious lines and economically very weak and a balance was to be made between moderates and the rebels, he said. "Gandhiji undertook several journeys holding meetings, agitation programmes and later withdrew them at the tip of success and the philosophy behind such action was to first bring unity among people and inculcate the idea of India as a nation."

'It was the philosophy of mass movements like Salt Satyagraha, Swadeshi movement, Quit India that finally led the country to gain freedom. The spirit of the nation lies in the fact that India gave universal suffrage immediately after gaining independence, whereas it was only in 1928 that the women in Britain got the right to vote, we should feel proud of it,' said Sisodia.

He said that even though India became politically dependent in 1947, it depended on other countries for food and the country gained economic independence with the Green revolution, followed by Operation Flood and became food self-sufficient after 1961 and today the country is a major rice exporter and many nations are now dependent on India for food. The movements led by Dr BR Ambedkar led the country towards social independence and then every citizen of country became independent.

Director and Vice-Chancellor of Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research (IGIDR) and chairman of IDSAP Prof S Mahendra Dev chaired the programme in which Prof S Galab, Director and Prof E Nagabhushana Rao, Registrar of IDSAP also participated.