Thwart attempts to divide society: KCR

Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday called upon people to condemn the alleged attempts to divide society and instead work towards enhancing the spirit of the country's independence.

Inaugurating the Swatantra Bharata Vajrotsavalu (Diamond Jubilee Celebration) fortnight here at HICC on Monday, KCR said, "Some negative forces will always be there. We need not feel disheartened by them. This land has driven away the British rulers who treated us like slaves and used to say that the sun never sets on the British empire." He said he believes that the country has the capacity to throw away "any black sheep that emerges from amongst us". He called upon the people of the State and the country to condemn the conspiracies to divide society and disturb peace.

"We have to safeguard this country. We should move in the direction of enhancing the spirit of independence and the spirit of endeavour for development. I call upon you that we should also get ready from Telangana to work at the national-level, if necessary," he said.

He deprecated incidents and comments showing Mahatma Gandhi in poor light. "All of us should condemn such attempts in one voice and try to raise the greatness of the Father of the Nation." Gandhi would remain the Mahatma and the attempts of "such (divisive) forces" would never succeed, he said.

Talking about the history of the freedom movement, he recalled the comments of world leaders like former US President Barack Obama and the late Nelson Mandela in praise of Mahatma Gandhi. He said it was necessary to tell the present generation about the sacrifices that were made by our freedom fighters both known and unknown.

He called upon the people's representatives to play a major role in creating awareness about the freedom struggle and the leaders who laid down their lives for the country. He asked them to read books and pass on the wealth of knowledge to the next generations. "That is our tradition. We tell our children about the greatness of our fathers and forefathers so that they shape as worthy citizens." Similarly, we should tell the youth about the history of the Independence movement.

He called upon the Chief Secretary to ensure that the students across the state get an opportunity to see the film on Mahatma Gandhi. He said about 20 lakh students are expected to watch the 'Gandhi' movie.

On the occasion, he appreciated pugilist Nikhat Zareen from Telangana for achieving a gold medal in the ongoing Commonwealth Games.

Earlier, Rao unfurled the national flag before the inauguration of the celebrations. Several cultural programmes were organised on the occasion. The programme was attended by State ministers and a number of public representatives.