Statues are symbols of politics in many parts of the world. They are associated with cult politics, subversive politics, authoritarian regime, religion and change both from above and below. Statues stand as symbols of power, as an embodiment of certain philosophy.&nbsp;

With the imposition of colonial rule in the subcontinent, the metropolises, such as Chennai and Mumbai and, particularly, Kolkata, witnessed a plethora of statutes being set up at crucial public places. Maidan, the largest green space of Kolkata which separated the British part of the city from the native quarters, boasted statutes of British governor generals and other eminent personalities of the British Raj, including Lord Curzon, Kitchener, Roberts, Minto, Northbrook and Canning.

While men are mortal, statues are there to stay. For the colonialists, this was the best way to ingrain in the public memory of its subjects the face of its rulers. These statues inspired awe and reverence for the British rule beyond the clutch of draconian laws of the colonial masters.&nbsp;

When eventually the colony struck back at the heart of the empire, a role reversal happened. Not only were some of these vestiges of colonial rule removed but many new statues came up after independence, commemorating the &#39;makers of modern India&#39;. Gandhi, Subhash Chandra Bose, Nehru and statues of women freedom fighters, such as Matangini Hazra was there for us to see and celebrate.&nbsp;

The independent nation-state used these nationalist icons to assert an ideological continuity in the imagination of its citizens.&nbsp;

Thus, while the putting up and taking down of statutes were very much part of the political landscape of modern India, what was absent was the violence and the compulsion of electoral politics. That is something that emerged in more recent times as communities and political groups jostled to remake and redefine, through statutory politics, the political narrative of the country.&nbsp;

We, and the statues that we have built, have come a long way from representing the Indian &#39;us&#39; from British &#39;them&#39;. It has fragmented and splintered into multiple variants of regional political assertion. Consequently, new statues are not simply being built to take the place of the old but political aggression is finding expression in the form of defacement of statues of people who do not fall within our preferred political ambit.&nbsp;

In India, it is not the first time statues have been defaced. Statues of Ambedkar routinely got defaced in Uttar Pradesh. Upper caste saw these as the ugly assertion of Dalit politics. Some saw them as a land grab exercise but statues did not go away. Mayawati went even a step further. She got her statues erected under her supervision only.

More recently, similar incidents of defacing and disfiguring of statues have happened in Tripura, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. In all these cases, there have been forms of physical acts of removal, violence and indecency. The similarity, however, ends here. The violence associated with Lenin, Shyama Prasad Mukherji and Periyar is related to coming of the RSS-BJP combine as the sole national party and their civilizational worldview. It is the same distinction which RSS draws between Gandhi family and the Congress Party. Indian philosophy and western influences. Though the organisation of RSS itself has been modern, the state of Tripura has put on the table the ideological frontier of the RSS-BJP.

&nbsp;It is not about Lenin only. It is about communism&rsquo;s take on religion, internationalism which put the Left in a dock when China invaded India and about a value system which with pro-labour ideas also threatened the cultural vision of India which RSS has. It is for this reason that BJP&rsquo;s engagement with protests in JNU acquired an ideological angle which was pinned to nationalism, commitment to India&rsquo;s border and sense of being &lsquo;true&rsquo; Indian.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Periyar, on the other hand, is the father of Dravidian politics in India. His rationalist thoughts challenged the idea of religion and its hierarchies. It made Tamil Nadu&rsquo;s politics very different from the rest of India. Despite, places of high Hinduism&nbsp;associated with Tamil Nadu, it was Periyar&rsquo;s politics which reshaped the cultural map. He did not believe in God but his supporters made him a God like icon of him.

Though BJP is trying to give Tripura incident a spin of upsurge, we should not forget that Left was not a dictatorship and won elections. Tripura was neither Iraq nor USSR where democracy had a chequered history.

Statues in India, as well as outside, are, primarily, an expression of power and preservation of memories. Most political parties have their leaders enshrined in the form of statues in the Parliament. Every nook and corner of Parliament is littered with them. The present controversy is an expression of the contested idea of India which includes the debate on inclusiveness, nationalism, modernity, tolerance and individual expression.&nbsp;

The violence that has come to surround politics of statues in India can create problems for BJP. Tamil Nadu is one area where BJP wants to have a regional partner. What may benefit them in the North East may hurt them in some other parts of India. The only problem is for Congress which will have to pick sides. The Congress is in no position to argue against the politics of statuary because it has done the same when in power. It ensured that country was littered with statues of Indira and Rajiv. Congress does not belong to the Left but cannot be seen not taking a position against violence.&nbsp;

The statues of politicians or ideologues are here to say. These statues are just like idols; one may not understand the ambiguous philosophical aspect of religion but will bow down in respect to a &#39;murti&#39; of god and goddess. Similarly, in lieu of proper political education, political parties will continue using larger and grandiose statues of their leaders to impress the electorates. Statues, any day, will work more effectively, than political leaflet, particularly in a country like India where the literacy rate is low. But while we accept statutory politics, it is imperative that in a democratic polity, instead of vandalising opposing political insignia, it will serve the interests of the citizens better if we can accommodate statues representing different positions of a political spectrum.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;

New statues are not simply being built to take the place of the old but political aggression is finding expression in the form of defacement of statues of people who do not fall within our preferred political ambit.

Statues are symbols of politics in many parts of the world. They are associated with cult politics, subversive politics, authoritarian regime, religion and change both from above and below. Statues stand as symbols of power, as an embodiment of certain philosophy. With the imposition of colonial rule in the subcontinent, the metropolises, such as Chennai and Mumbai and, particularly, Kolkata, witnessed a plethora of statutes being set up at crucial public places. Maidan, the largest green space of Kolkata which separated the British part of the city from the native quarters, boasted statutes of British governor generals and other eminent personalities of the British Raj, including Lord Curzon, Kitchener, Roberts, Minto, Northbrook and Canning. While men are mortal, statues are there to stay. For the colonialists, this was the best way to ingrain in the public memory of its subjects the face of its rulers. These statues inspired awe and reverence for the British rule beyond the clutch of draconian laws of the colonial masters. When eventually the colony struck back at the heart of the empire, a role reversal happened. Not only were some of these vestiges of colonial rule removed but many new statues came up after independence, commemorating the 'makers of modern India'. Gandhi, Subhash Chandra Bose, Nehru and statues of women freedom fighters, such as Matangini Hazra was there for us to see and celebrate. The independent nation-state used these nationalist icons to assert an ideological continuity in the imagination of its citizens. Thus, while the putting up and taking down of statutes were very much part of the political landscape of modern India, what was absent was the violence and the compulsion of electoral politics. That is something that emerged in more recent times as communities and political groups jostled to remake and redefine, through statutory politics, the political narrative of the country. We, and the statues that we have built, have come a long way from representing the Indian 'us' from British 'them'. It has fragmented and splintered into multiple variants of regional political assertion. Consequently, new statues are not simply being built to take the place of the old but political aggression is finding expression in the form of defacement of statues of people who do not fall within our preferred political ambit. In India, it is not the first time statues have been defaced. Statues of Ambedkar routinely got defaced in Uttar Pradesh. Upper caste saw these as the ugly assertion of Dalit politics. Some saw them as a land grab exercise but statues did not go away. Mayawati went even a step further. She got her statues erected under her supervision only. More recently, similar incidents of defacing and disfiguring of statues have happened in Tripura, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. In all these cases, there have been forms of physical acts of removal, violence and indecency. The similarity, however, ends here. The violence associated with Lenin, Shyama Prasad Mukherji and Periyar is related to coming of the RSS-BJP combine as the sole national party and their civilizational worldview. It is the same distinction which RSS draws between Gandhi family and the Congress Party. Indian philosophy and western influences. Though the organisation of RSS itself has been modern, the state of Tripura has put on the table the ideological frontier of the RSS-BJP. It is not about Lenin only. It is about communism’s take on religion, internationalism which put the Left in a dock when China invaded India and about a value system which with pro-labour ideas also threatened the cultural vision of India which RSS has. It is for this reason that BJP’s engagement with protests in JNU acquired an ideological angle which was pinned to nationalism, commitment to India’s border and sense of being ‘true’ Indian. Periyar, on the other hand, is the father of Dravidian politics in India. His rationalist thoughts challenged the idea of religion and its hierarchies. It made Tamil Nadu’s politics very different from the rest of India. Despite, places of high Hinduism associated with Tamil Nadu, it was Periyar’s politics which reshaped the cultural map. He did not believe in God but his supporters made him a God like icon of him. Though BJP is trying to give Tripura incident a spin of upsurge, we should not forget that Left was not a dictatorship and won elections. Tripura was neither Iraq nor USSR where democracy had a chequered history. Statues in India, as well as outside, are, primarily, an expression of power and preservation of memories. Most political parties have their leaders enshrined in the form of statues in the Parliament. Every nook and corner of Parliament is littered with them. The present controversy is an expression of the contested idea of India which includes the debate on inclusiveness, nationalism, modernity, tolerance and individual expression. The violence that has come to surround politics of statues in India can create problems for BJP. Tamil Nadu is one area where BJP wants to have a regional partner. What may benefit them in the North East may hurt them in some other parts of India. The only problem is for Congress which will have to pick sides. The Congress is in no position to argue against the politics of statuary because it has done the same when in power. It ensured that country was littered with statues of Indira and Rajiv. Congress does not belong to the Left but cannot be seen not taking a position against violence. The statues of politicians or ideologues are here to say. These statues are just like idols; one may not understand the ambiguous philosophical aspect of religion but will bow down in respect to a 'murti' of god and goddess. Similarly, in lieu of proper political education, political parties will continue using larger and grandiose statues of their leaders to impress the electorates. Statues, any day, will work more effectively, than political leaflet, particularly in a country like India where the literacy rate is low. But while we accept statutory politics, it is imperative that in a democratic polity, instead of vandalising opposing political insignia, it will serve the interests of the citizens better if we can accommodate statues representing different positions of a political spectrum. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Why Indians are waging war over statues of Lenin, Periyar, Syama Prasad

A letter written by Mahatma Gandhi, in which he discusses the nature of existence of Jesus Christ, is up for sale and could be purchased for US $50,000.

The letter dated April 6, 1926, is written by Gandhi from his Sabarmati Ashram in India.

Typed in faint ink and with a bold, unaffected signature, the letter was part of a private collection for the past several decades and is now being sold by the Pennsylvania-based Raab Collection.

&quot;Jesus was one of the great teachers of mankind,&quot; Gandhi wrote in the letter to Christian religious elder in the United States, Milton Newberry Frantz.

Nathan Raab, principal at the Raab Collection, described the letter as the embodiment of Gandhi&#39;s vision for a world of religions at peace. &quot;His belief in Jesus as a teacher of mankind shows his efforts to find commonality with his fellow man,&quot; he said.

&quot;This is one of the finest letters on religion that Gandhi ever wrote,&quot; the Raab Collection said in a press statement.

&quot;Our research discloses no other letter of Gandhi mentioning Jesus to have ever reached the public market,&quot; the historical-document dealer said.

The Raab Collection said it located no record of any letter of Gandhi on Jesus to have reached the public market. Gandhi also discusses his hope for peace among religions worldwide, it added.

&quot;Dear Friend, I have your letter. I am afraid it is not possible for me to subscribe to the creed you have sent me. The subscriber is made to believe that the highest manifestation of the unseen reality was Jesus Christ. In spite of all my efforts, I have not been able to feel the truth of that statement,&quot; Gandhi wrote in the letter.

&quot;I have not been able to move beyond the belief that Jesus was one of the great teachers of mankind. Do you not think that religious unity is to be had not by a mechanical subscription to a common creed but by all respecting the creed of each?&quot; he asked.

&quot;In my opinion, difference in creed there must be so long as there are different brains. But who does it matter if all these are hung upon the common thread of love and mutual esteem?&quot; Gandhi wrote in the letter, which is now up for grabs beginning US $50,000.

Typed in faint ink and with a bold, unaffected signature, the letter was part of a private collection for the past several decades and is now being sold by the Pennsylvania-based Raab Collection.

A letter written by Mahatma Gandhi, in which he discusses the nature of existence of Jesus Christ, is up for sale and could be purchased for US $50,000. The letter dated April 6, 1926, is written by Gandhi from his Sabarmati Ashram in India. Typed in faint ink and with a bold, unaffected signature, the letter was part of a private collection for the past several decades and is now being sold by the Pennsylvania-based Raab Collection. "Jesus was one of the great teachers of mankind," Gandhi wrote in the letter to Christian religious elder in the United States, Milton Newberry Frantz. Nathan Raab, principal at the Raab Collection, described the letter as the embodiment of Gandhi's vision for a world of religions at peace. "His belief in Jesus as a teacher of mankind shows his efforts to find commonality with his fellow man," he said. "This is one of the finest letters on religion that Gandhi ever wrote," the Raab Collection said in a press statement. "Our research discloses no other letter of Gandhi mentioning Jesus to have ever reached the public market," the historical-document dealer said. The Raab Collection said it located no record of any letter of Gandhi on Jesus to have reached the public market. Gandhi also discusses his hope for peace among religions worldwide, it added. "Dear Friend, I have your letter. I am afraid it is not possible for me to subscribe to the creed you have sent me. The subscriber is made to believe that the highest manifestation of the unseen reality was Jesus Christ. In spite of all my efforts, I have not been able to feel the truth of that statement," Gandhi wrote in the letter. "I have not been able to move beyond the belief that Jesus was one of the great teachers of mankind. Do you not think that religious unity is to be had not by a mechanical subscription to a common creed but by all respecting the creed of each?" he asked. "In my opinion, difference in creed there must be so long as there are different brains. But who does it matter if all these are hung upon the common thread of love and mutual esteem?" Gandhi wrote in the letter, which is now up for grabs beginning US $50,000.

Mahatma Gandhi's original letter on Jesus Christ up for sale

In this era of global warming and climate change, everyone is striving towards a clean and safe India. The recent initiative led by the Indian government added to its up-scaling. My recent visit to Medh village for a SHG (self help group) meeting gave me an opportunity to analyse the impact of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan or Clean India Mission.&nbsp;

&ldquo;A clean India would be the best tribute India could pay to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150 birth anniversary in 2019,&rdquo; said Shri Narendra Modi as he launched the Swachh Bharat Mission at Rajpath in New Delhi. On 2nd October 2014, Swachh Bharat Mission was launched throughout length and breadth of the country as a national movement.

Its aim is to provide sanitation facilities to every family, including toilets, solid and liquid waste disposal systems, village cleanliness, and safe and adequate drinking water supply by 2nd October, 2019. The campaign of Clean India movement is the biggest step taken ever as a cleanliness drive till date. On the day of the launch of the campaign, around 3 million government employees, including students from schools and colleges, had participated in the event to popularize it globally and make the common public aware of it. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had nominated the name of nine famous personalities from business industries, sports and Bollywood to drive the clean India campaign. He also had requested from all nine personalities to invite another nine persons individually and requested to continue the chain of nine people to take this campaign to every Indian living in any corner all around the country. While leading the mass movement for cleanliness, the Prime Minister exhorted people to fulfill Mahatma Gandhi&rsquo;s dream of a clean and hygienic India.

Lok Sahbhagi Sansthan (LSS), the organisation I am placed in, is working closely with the community with their signature project named &lsquo;SAMMAN&rsquo; which is aimed at transforming the lives of women SHG members by helping them build their own toilets. SAMMAN is the Hindi word for honour/dignity and therefore it is a suitable name for this project.&nbsp;

It was being carried out by LSS with the involvement of, none other than one of previous AIF Clinton Fellow &ndash; Adil. He helped construction of many toilets along with support from this organisation&rsquo;s staff and his mentor.

Our project seeks to transform and improve the quality of the life of the poor in rural Jaipur, Rajasthan, and largely, India, by motivating them to build personal toilets and helping them get loans from banks and the encouragement amount from the government under Swachh Bharat Campaign for construction costs. &nbsp;I carried a small case study of this SHG group named Ganga.

It consists of around 15-20 members. &nbsp;I was able to speak to all the members of this SHG individually and ask them to share their opinion towards sanitation and cleanliness. I was also able to document and record their achievement. For a big surprise, almost all the members in this SHG have constructed their own toilets and are now in a more comfortable situation. It was because they encouraged each other to build those toilets in or near their home. They have also received encouragement amount from the government to their respective bank accounts. Before having toilets they would have to walk miles away into the fields to get relieved, where they would feel insecure and also helpless. During winter seasons, due to the cold climate, it was again a big hurdle for them every day. But after getting the awareness for construction of toilets, they built their own toilets and are now free and happy. This was all possible because of the sincere efforts of LSS staff and the previous AIF Fellow.&nbsp;

Although the problems such as water availability etc. still persist, the women now feel more secure and way better than before having their own toilets at home.

Also, Jaipur district is now in the process of being declared as Open Defecation Free (ODF). It is having 100% ODF villages as of today.

Way ahead to go is to ensure that piped water supply to each and every single household is made available around these villages so that this initiative becomes completely successful and sustainable. Also, this is a major challenge for the government, as it requires a lot of budget and infrastructure to create this facility for all houses in the villages, due to their remoteness and various other issues.

A solution towards this issue can be the design of cost-effective toilets with low water usage and also if possible bio-toilets. Mainly, the poorest of the poor are unable to afford proper construction and maintenance of the toilets in the current design structure. It is also being said that the figures are manipulated since; many toilets are unconstructed or partially constructed with no real time usage at all. So, the challenge now is to ensure proper scrutinize and data collection. There have been efforts to make use of GPS to report the covered areas under this scheme but it needs to be dealt more accurately.

India consists of people of various faiths; Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Parsis, Jains etc, and they follow their faiths very devotedly. But it is a sad reality of our country that all the cleanliness and piousness is only confined to religious activities or kitchen.

Also, many insights can be taken from the book &ldquo;Where India Goes&rdquo; authored by former AIF Clinton Fellow Diane Coffey, which talks about the connection between caste, toilet and development in India and how to address these related issues. It calls for the annihilation of caste and attendant prejudices, and a fundamental shift in policy perspectives to effect a crucial, much overdue change.

I learned that change is possible only if you seek it. Especially rural India needs more of awareness and encouragement from people dedicated to promote sustainable development. People in rural areas are easy to understand, more humble and responsive than urban population. If you are successful in convincing them about which is the right way to do things and how it would benefit all the community, then they will themselves come forward to join any initiative and work towards its success.

To sum up, I realised that &ndash; Real INDIA lies in this 6 lakh plus villages of our country.&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Although the problems such as water availability etc. still persist, the women, having their own toilets at home, now feel more secure and way better than before.

In this era of global warming and climate change, everyone is striving towards a clean and safe India. The recent initiative led by the Indian government added to its up-scaling. My recent visit to Medh village for a SHG (self help group) meeting gave me an opportunity to analyse the impact of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan or Clean India Mission. “A clean India would be the best tribute India could pay to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150 birth anniversary in 2019,” said Shri Narendra Modi as he launched the Swachh Bharat Mission at Rajpath in New Delhi. On 2nd October 2014, Swachh Bharat Mission was launched throughout length and breadth of the country as a national movement. Its aim is to provide sanitation facilities to every family, including toilets, solid and liquid waste disposal systems, village cleanliness, and safe and adequate drinking water supply by 2nd October, 2019. The campaign of Clean India movement is the biggest step taken ever as a cleanliness drive till date. On the day of the launch of the campaign, around 3 million government employees, including students from schools and colleges, had participated in the event to popularize it globally and make the common public aware of it. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had nominated the name of nine famous personalities from business industries, sports and Bollywood to drive the clean India campaign. He also had requested from all nine personalities to invite another nine persons individually and requested to continue the chain of nine people to take this campaign to every Indian living in any corner all around the country. While leading the mass movement for cleanliness, the Prime Minister exhorted people to fulfill Mahatma Gandhi’s dream of a clean and hygienic India. Lok Sahbhagi Sansthan (LSS), the organisation I am placed in, is working closely with the community with their signature project named ‘SAMMAN’ which is aimed at transforming the lives of women SHG members by helping them build their own toilets. SAMMAN is the Hindi word for honour/dignity and therefore it is a suitable name for this project. It was being carried out by LSS with the involvement of, none other than one of previous AIF Clinton Fellow – Adil. He helped construction of many toilets along with support from this organisation’s staff and his mentor. Our project seeks to transform and improve the quality of the life of the poor in rural Jaipur, Rajasthan, and largely, India, by motivating them to build personal toilets and helping them get loans from banks and the encouragement amount from the government under Swachh Bharat Campaign for construction costs. I carried a small case study of this SHG group named Ganga. It consists of around 15-20 members. I was able to speak to all the members of this SHG individually and ask them to share their opinion towards sanitation and cleanliness. I was also able to document and record their achievement. For a big surprise, almost all the members in this SHG have constructed their own toilets and are now in a more comfortable situation. It was because they encouraged each other to build those toilets in or near their home. They have also received encouragement amount from the government to their respective bank accounts. Before having toilets they would have to walk miles away into the fields to get relieved, where they would feel insecure and also helpless. During winter seasons, due to the cold climate, it was again a big hurdle for them every day. But after getting the awareness for construction of toilets, they built their own toilets and are now free and happy. This was all possible because of the sincere efforts of LSS staff and the previous AIF Fellow. Although the problems such as water availability etc. still persist, the women now feel more secure and way better than before having their own toilets at home. Also, Jaipur district is now in the process of being declared as Open Defecation Free (ODF). It is having 100% ODF villages as of today. Way ahead to go is to ensure that piped water supply to each and every single household is made available around these villages so that this initiative becomes completely successful and sustainable. Also, this is a major challenge for the government, as it requires a lot of budget and infrastructure to create this facility for all houses in the villages, due to their remoteness and various other issues. A solution towards this issue can be the design of cost-effective toilets with low water usage and also if possible bio-toilets. Mainly, the poorest of the poor are unable to afford proper construction and maintenance of the toilets in the current design structure. It is also being said that the figures are manipulated since; many toilets are unconstructed or partially constructed with no real time usage at all. So, the challenge now is to ensure proper scrutinize and data collection. There have been efforts to make use of GPS to report the covered areas under this scheme but it needs to be dealt more accurately. India consists of people of various faiths; Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Parsis, Jains etc, and they follow their faiths very devotedly. But it is a sad reality of our country that all the cleanliness and piousness is only confined to religious activities or kitchen. Also, many insights can be taken from the book “Where India Goes” authored by former AIF Clinton Fellow Diane Coffey, which talks about the connection between caste, toilet and development in India and how to address these related issues. It calls for the annihilation of caste and attendant prejudices, and a fundamental shift in policy perspectives to effect a crucial, much overdue change. I learned that change is possible only if you seek it. Especially rural India needs more of awareness and encouragement from people dedicated to promote sustainable development. People in rural areas are easy to understand, more humble and responsive than urban population. If you are successful in convincing them about which is the right way to do things and how it would benefit all the community, then they will themselves come forward to join any initiative and work towards its success. To sum up, I realised that – Real INDIA lies in this 6 lakh plus villages of our country. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Women are building their own toilets in Rajasthan

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India&nbsp;honours Subhas Chandra Bose on Tuesday on his 121st birth anniversary, one of the phalanx of India&#39;s pre-independence leaders who continue to inspire the country&#39;s young.

Subhas Chandra Bose was among the key figures who laid the foundations of modern-day India.

He established the Indian National Army to take on the British. Controversially though -- following the principle of &#39;my enemy&#39;s enemy is my friend&#39; -- he also entered into an alliance with Nazi Germany, hoping it would help overthrow British rule in India.

Here are some lesser-known facts about the patriot of patriots:

Mahatma Gandhi always opposed Bose&#39;s ideology, as he was a believer of non-violence, Bose was opposite of that he believed that Gandhi&#39;s ideology&nbsp;would never be sufficient to secure India&#39;s independence, however, Bose was still admired by Gandhi and was to called&nbsp;&quot;patriot of patriots by Gandhi.&#39;

Subhas Chandra Bose was expelled from Calcutta&#39;s Presidency College for assaulting Professor Oaten for his anti-India comments.

He was influenced by the teachings of Swami Vivekananda and Ramakrishna after reading their works at the age of 16. He felt that his religion was more important than his studies.

Subhas Chandra Bose was elected president of the Indian National Congress twice but he resigned after conflicting ideas of independent India as Bose wanted complete independence while Gandhi and other INC members were trying for dominion status.

Bose was married to an Austrian woman Emille Shinken and his daughter Anita Bose was a popular economist in Germany.

Bose was the editor in Chief of &#39;The Forward&#39;&nbsp;formerly known as &#39;The Jewish Daily Forward&#39;,&nbsp;American magazine published monthly for a Jewish-American audience in New York, but later he left to open his own newspaper called &quot;Swaraj in India.&quot;

Bose, a bright and hard-working student, appeared in the ICS exam and came 4th on the merit list. But he was not happy about the result as he did not wanted to work for the government he grown to hate.

Bose was trying every effort to get freedom for the nation. He sought help from enemy&#39;s enemy, Japan, With Japan&#39;s help Bose formed an Indian National Congress and along with Japanese army, both brought independence to Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

To this day there is no certain explanation of how Bose died, the general belief is that he died in a plane crash Formosa now Taiwan. There are still conspiracy theories surrounding his death such as he lived in Russia and later came back to India and lived anonymously in UP.

Bose was called 'patriot of patriots' by Gandhi

× India honours Subhas Chandra Bose on Tuesday on his 121st birth anniversary, one of the phalanx of India's pre-independence leaders who continue to inspire the country's young. Subhas Chandra Bose was among the key figures who laid the foundations of modern-day India. He established the Indian National Army to take on the British. Controversially though -- following the principle of 'my enemy's enemy is my friend' -- he also entered into an alliance with Nazi Germany, hoping it would help overthrow British rule in India. Here are some lesser-known facts about the patriot of patriots: Mahatma Gandhi always opposed Bose's ideology, as he was a believer of non-violence, Bose was opposite of that he believed that Gandhi's ideology would never be sufficient to secure India's independence, however, Bose was still admired by Gandhi and was to called "patriot of patriots by Gandhi.' Subhas Chandra Bose was expelled from Calcutta's Presidency College for assaulting Professor Oaten for his anti-India comments. He was influenced by the teachings of Swami Vivekananda and Ramakrishna after reading their works at the age of 16. He felt that his religion was more important than his studies. Subhas Chandra Bose was elected president of the Indian National Congress twice but he resigned after conflicting ideas of independent India as Bose wanted complete independence while Gandhi and other INC members were trying for dominion status. Bose was married to an Austrian woman Emille Shinken and his daughter Anita Bose was a popular economist in Germany. Bose was the editor in Chief of 'The Forward' formerly known as 'The Jewish Daily Forward', American magazine published monthly for a Jewish-American audience in New York, but later he left to open his own newspaper called "Swaraj in India." Bose, a bright and hard-working student, appeared in the ICS exam and came 4th on the merit list. But he was not happy about the result as he did not wanted to work for the government he grown to hate. Bose was trying every effort to get freedom for the nation. He sought help from enemy's enemy, Japan, With Japan's help Bose formed an Indian National Congress and along with Japanese army, both brought independence to Andaman and Nicobar Islands. To this day there is no certain explanation of how Bose died, the general belief is that he died in a plane crash Formosa now Taiwan. There are still conspiracy theories surrounding his death such as he lived in Russia and later came back to India and lived anonymously in UP.

Remembering 'patriot of patriots' Subhas Chandra Bose on his 121st birth anniversary

An unidentified person tonight hurled a shoe at AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi while he was addressing a rally at Nagpada in south Mumbai, police said. The Member of Parliament was not hurt in the incident, they said.

Owaisi was voicing his opposition on the triple talaq issue at the rally around 9.45 pm when the incident took place, a senior police officer said.

&quot;I am willing to lay down my life for my democratic rights. These are all frustrated people, who cannot see that the government decision on triple talaq has not been accepted by the masses in general and Muslims in particular,&quot; Owaisi told PTI.

&quot;These people (referring to the person who threw the shoe at him) are the ones who follow the ideology of the killers of Mahatma Gandhi, Govind Pansare and Narendra Dabholkar,&quot; he said.

Owaisi claimed that such incidents were happening at the behest of people, who follow &quot;hate ideologies&quot; and that they are getting emboldened with each passing day.

&quot;This will not stop us from speaking the truth against them,&quot; the Hyderabad MP said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone-III, Virendra Mishra said the police were going through the CCTV footage and probing the matter.

AIMIM MLA Imtiyaz Jaleel said Owaisi was unhurt and continued his speech after the incident.

&quot;We do not care for such incidents. Some people and parties do not want us to speak the truth. Owaisi continued with his speech (despite the incident). We simply ignore these type of acts,&quot; he added.

Owaisi was voicing his opposition on the triple talaq issue when the incident took place

An unidentified person tonight hurled a shoe at AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi while he was addressing a rally at Nagpada in south Mumbai, police said. The Member of Parliament was not hurt in the incident, they said. Owaisi was voicing his opposition on the triple talaq issue at the rally around 9.45 pm when the incident took place, a senior police officer said. "I am willing to lay down my life for my democratic rights. These are all frustrated people, who cannot see that the government decision on triple talaq has not been accepted by the masses in general and Muslims in particular," Owaisi told PTI. "These people (referring to the person who threw the shoe at him) are the ones who follow the ideology of the killers of Mahatma Gandhi, Govind Pansare and Narendra Dabholkar," he said. Owaisi claimed that such incidents were happening at the behest of people, who follow "hate ideologies" and that they are getting emboldened with each passing day. "This will not stop us from speaking the truth against them," the Hyderabad MP said. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone-III, Virendra Mishra said the police were going through the CCTV footage and probing the matter. AIMIM MLA Imtiyaz Jaleel said Owaisi was unhurt and continued his speech after the incident. "We do not care for such incidents. Some people and parties do not want us to speak the truth. Owaisi continued with his speech (despite the incident). We simply ignore these type of acts," he added.

Shoe thrown at Asaduddin Owaisi during Mumbai rally

In a second mammoth talk in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, Prime Minister Modi continued his attack on the Congress.&nbsp;

Modi, who had earlier spoken in the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/opposition-heckles-pm-modi-as-he-speaks-in-lok-sabha-32078" target="_blank">Lok Sabha for over two hours</a>, spoke in the Rajya Sabha this time for over an hour. The first speech too had been vitriolic in content -- and was interrupted again --&nbsp;with Modi saying it was not Nehru who had won India its independence (like the Congress likes to keep reminding us).&nbsp;

This time Modi said the idea of a Congress-mukt Bharat was Gandhiji&#39;s:&nbsp;

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Aapko Gandhi Ji wala Bharat chahaiye mujhe bhi Gandhi Ji wala Bharat chahiye. Gandhi Ji ne kaha tha ab aazaadi mil gayi ab Congress ki zaroorat nahi hai: PM Narendra Modi in Rajya Sabha <a href="https://t.co/Qw1jj8DY2P">pic.twitter.com/Qw1jj8DY2P</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/961187854566207488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Look at what all you mocked- Swachh Bharat, Make in India, surgical strikes, Yoga Day. You are free to mock as you please but why are you blocking the bill for OBC Commission? Why are you blocking Triple Talaq Bill. Are you not sensitive to the aspirations of OBCs?: PM Modi <a href="https://t.co/rG169fwcdQ">pic.twitter.com/rG169fwcdQ</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/961197451519684608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Modi took on the Congress for their opposition to the triple talaq bill.

You say there will be no one to look after the family of a Muslim man who uses triple talaq to leave his wife and is then jailed, said Modi. But what happens when a Hindu man gets married for a second time is jailed?&nbsp;Who will look after his family? &nbsp;

Modi said the opposition was obsessed with him but that in in criticising him, they cross the line.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-takes-on-opposition-during-parliament-speech-highlights-32083" target="_blank">PM Modi takes on opposition during Parliament speech:</a> Top 20 highlights

Mock me, Modi said, mock the BJP -- but don&#39;t hurt India.&nbsp;

&quot;BJP ki burai karte karte aap Bharat ki burai karne lag jaate hain. Modi par hamla bolte bolte aap Hindustan par hamla bolne lag jaate hain,&quot; Modi said.&nbsp;

Congress culture to take credit, refuse responsibility

It is the Congress&#39; culture to take credit, Modi said.&nbsp;

​&quot;You complain that I don&#39;t give enough credit to your party and its legacy. Well, starting projects and then putting them on the backburner is your legacy and I give you credit for it,&quot; Modi said.&nbsp;

Modi&#39;s speech in the Rajya Sabha was interrupted by Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury.&nbsp;

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Sabhapati Ji meri aapse vinti hai Renuka Ji ko kuch mat kahiye. Ramayan serial ke baad aisi hansi sunne ka saubhagya aaj jaake mila hai: PM Modi on Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury laughing during his speech in Rajya Sabha
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/961192558591430657?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
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We were waiting for the PM to make some serious response to the points raised by the opposition, he said nothing. Only Bhashan, no action, no vision so after 15 minutes TMC staged a walkout from Rajya Sabha while the PM was speaking : Derek O&#39;Brien, Trinamool Congress MP <a href="https://t.co/OAz2BbZuuL">pic.twitter.com/OAz2BbZuuL</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/961206886929518598?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

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बहुत लम्बी थी साहेब की बात 
सदन में दिन को बता दिया रात 
 
अपनी नाकामियों पर डाले पर्दे 
अफसोस भाषण से गायब थे देश के मुद्दे 
 
प्रधानमंत्रीजी चुप्पी कब तोड़ेंगे 
राफेल डील पर आखिर कब बोलेंगे?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PradhanMantriJawabDo?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PradhanMantriJawabDo</a>
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/961194197683462144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
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A visibly-angry Modi&#39;s speech in the Lok Sabha had also been interrupted by the Opposition.&nbsp;

Simulatenous elections

Modi again brought up the idea of simulatenous general and state elections. &quot;Let us have a constructive discussion,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

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You said we are Name Changers and not Game Changers but if you notice our mode of operation and working pattern you will realise we are Aim Changers. We plan our action, set the road map so that we take the nation on the path to development: PM Modi <a href="https://t.co/SFyMzRmgee">pic.twitter.com/SFyMzRmgee</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/961189054476963841?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
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I have always said that for the nation&#39;s development so far, all the previous govt&#39;s have made a contribution: PM Narendra Modi in Rajya Sabha <a href="https://t.co/p5wWy7dyCr">pic.twitter.com/p5wWy7dyCr</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/961189440478728192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
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He added that the Congress had ignored Sardar Patel&#39; for years, and had invoked his memory only for political gain.&nbsp;&nbsp;

And he added that it was the BJP which first thought up the idea of Aadhaar. &quot;Congress keeps saying we brought Aadhaar. Let me remind them about a debate in the Rajya Sabha in 1998 and what LK Advani Ji said. It is in his speech that you will find the genesis of Aadhaar,&quot; he said.

After having spoken in the Lok Sabha, Modi was speaking in the Rajya Sabha

In a second mammoth talk in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, Prime Minister Modi continued his attack on the Congress. Modi, who had earlier spoken in the Lok Sabha for over two hours, spoke in the Rajya Sabha this time for over an hour. The first speech too had been vitriolic in content -- and was interrupted again -- with Modi saying it was not Nehru who had won India its independence (like the Congress likes to keep reminding us). This time Modi said the idea of a Congress-mukt Bharat was Gandhiji's: Aapko Gandhi Ji wala Bharat chahaiye mujhe bhi Gandhi Ji wala Bharat chahiye. Gandhi Ji ne kaha tha ab aazaadi mil gayi ab Congress ki zaroorat nahi hai: PM Narendra Modi in Rajya Sabha pic.twitter.com/Qw1jj8DY2P — ANI (@ANI) February 7, 2018 × Look at what all you mocked- Swachh Bharat, Make in India, surgical strikes, Yoga Day. You are free to mock as you please but why are you blocking the bill for OBC Commission? Why are you blocking Triple Talaq Bill. Are you not sensitive to the aspirations of OBCs?: PM Modi pic.twitter.com/rG169fwcdQ — ANI (@ANI) February 7, 2018 × Modi took on the Congress for their opposition to the triple talaq bill. You say there will be no one to look after the family of a Muslim man who uses triple talaq to leave his wife and is then jailed, said Modi. But what happens when a Hindu man gets married for a second time is jailed? Who will look after his family? Modi said the opposition was obsessed with him but that in in criticising him, they cross the line. PM Modi takes on opposition during Parliament speech: Top 20 highlights Mock me, Modi said, mock the BJP -- but don't hurt India. "BJP ki burai karte karte aap Bharat ki burai karne lag jaate hain. Modi par hamla bolte bolte aap Hindustan par hamla bolne lag jaate hain," Modi said. Congress culture to take credit, refuse responsibility It is the Congress' culture to take credit, Modi said. "You complain that I don't give enough credit to your party and its legacy. Well, starting projects and then putting them on the backburner is your legacy and I give you credit for it," Modi said. Modi's speech in the Rajya Sabha was interrupted by Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury. Sabhapati Ji meri aapse vinti hai Renuka Ji ko kuch mat kahiye. Ramayan serial ke baad aisi hansi sunne ka saubhagya aaj jaake mila hai: PM Modi on Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury laughing during his speech in Rajya Sabha — ANI (@ANI) February 7, 2018 × We were waiting for the PM to make some serious response to the points raised by the opposition, he said nothing. Only Bhashan, no action, no vision so after 15 minutes TMC staged a walkout from Rajya Sabha while the PM was speaking : Derek O'Brien, Trinamool Congress MP pic.twitter.com/OAz2BbZuuL — ANI (@ANI) February 7, 2018 × बहुत लम्बी थी साहेब की बात सदन में दिन को बता दिया रात अपनी नाकामियों पर डाले पर्दे अफसोस भाषण से गायब थे देश के मुद्दे प्रधानमंत्रीजी चुप्पी कब तोड़ेंगे राफेल डील पर आखिर कब बोलेंगे?#PradhanMantriJawabDo — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) February 7, 2018 × A visibly-angry Modi's speech in the Lok Sabha had also been interrupted by the Opposition. Simulatenous elections Modi again brought up the idea of simulatenous general and state elections. "Let us have a constructive discussion," he said. You said we are Name Changers and not Game Changers but if you notice our mode of operation and working pattern you will realise we are Aim Changers. We plan our action, set the road map so that we take the nation on the path to development: PM Modi pic.twitter.com/SFyMzRmgee — ANI (@ANI) February 7, 2018 × I have always said that for the nation's development so far, all the previous govt's have made a contribution: PM Narendra Modi in Rajya Sabha pic.twitter.com/p5wWy7dyCr — ANI (@ANI) February 7, 2018 × He added that the Congress had ignored Sardar Patel' for years, and had invoked his memory only for political gain. And he added that it was the BJP which first thought up the idea of Aadhaar. "Congress keeps saying we brought Aadhaar. Let me remind them about a debate in the Rajya Sabha in 1998 and what LK Advani Ji said. It is in his speech that you will find the genesis of Aadhaar," he said.

Modi continues attack on opposition, says Congress-mukt Bharat was Gandhi's idea

On January 30th, 1948, Gandhiji was killed. This year marks his 70th death anniversary. Twice every year, on Gandhi&#39;s birthday on 2nd October and his death anniversary on 30 January, the country remembers the &#39;Father of the Nation&#39;. Both these dates are celebrated amidst much fanfare; there are seminars and conferences across the country. Long lectures abound. Intellectuals and politicians prepare notes of their speeches based on Gandhi&#39;s ideas.&nbsp;

But, sadly, soon with the end of these occasions, Gandhi&#39;s ideas are put into the freezer.&nbsp;

India respects Gandhi but ignores his message

Gandhiji&#39;s unifying role in bringing together a country as diverse as India is beyond question. However, his contribution has been largely forgotten by the state and the society. This collective amnesia is best proven in instances where government employees, unhesitatingly, take bribes in front of the framed pictures of Mahatma Gandhi which adorns almost all government offices of India.

The blood of the common men of India fills up the pocket of these corrupt officials. They lie, prepare incorrect reports and fool the citizens of the nation.

Possibly, all the major crossings of the country have a statue of Gandhiji. But that does not deter anyone from committing some of the heinous crimes on the roads and streets of India.&nbsp;

Gandhi said, see no evil, speak no evil and don&#39;t listen to evil. However, we have learned not to pay heed to the most basic tenets of Gandhi&#39;s teachings. We continue, unhindered, to witness, speak and listen to evil.&nbsp;

The civil society stands in full support whenever it feels the freedom of expression is threatened but no one is willing to take responsibility for expressing the ideas concerned.&nbsp;

Gandhi&#39;s global influence

In the history of human civilisation, Gandhi is unique for devising an unprecedented strategy of protest. He proved that one can oppose a powerful and oppressive regime without shedding a drop of blood. Without hurting anyone physically, through the most peaceful of means, one can bring about a change.&nbsp;

Gandhi&#39;s ideas of non-violence and non-cooperation were an inspiration to the rest of the world. The human rights activist Martin Luther King who fought civil rights of the African-Americans took his political and ideological lessons from Gandhi.

Similarly, South Africa&#39;s Nelson Mandela infused his politics with Gandhi&#39;s ideas and action plans.&nbsp;

It is undeniable, how 70 years after his death, Gandhi continues to be relevant to the rest of the world.&nbsp;

Barack Obama, the former US president, acknowledged Gandhi&#39;s influence on him. We will hardly find a political leader in India who ends his speech without mentioning or quoting Gandhi.&nbsp; Not to mention, one political family in India who retained power through decades using their &#39;Gandhi&#39; surname.

Notwithstanding the profound influence that Gandhi had across space and time, he did not receive the Nobel prize. Perhaps, Gandhi was bigger than the prize. But another question crops up whether there was a secret agenda that denied Gandhi of the Nobel Peace Prize. After all, the politics surrounding the Nobel Prize is pretty well known to anyone who cares to explore.&nbsp;

Why did Gandhi not get the Nobel Peace Prize?

Now, the committee responsible for awarding the Nobel prize regrets that they did not give Gandhi the award when he was alive and fighting for India&#39;s freedom against a mighty opponent. What people, generally, think is that Norway&#39;s Nobel Prize Committee did not want to upset the Britishers who were India&#39;s colonial master.&nbsp;

But in reality, appeasement was not the only reason.

Gandhi was nominated 5 times for the Nobel prize: in 1937, 1938, 1939, 1947 and in 1948.

In the first instance, a member of Norway&#39;s Parliament proposed Gandhi&#39;s name but it was overlooked by the committee.

Our research revealed a letter written by Prof. Jacob Worm-Muller who served as a consultant advisor to the committee. Reading the letter makes it very clear that Worm-Muller praised Gandhi but he also mentioned that he can not trust the latter&#39;s personality.

&quot;He is undoubtedly a good, noble and ascetic person &mdash; a prominent man who is deservedly honored and loved by the masses of India. But there are sharp turns in his policies, which can hardly be satisfactorily explained by his followers. He is a freedom fighter and a dictator, an idealist and a nationalist. He is frequently a Christ, but then, suddenly, an ordinary politician&quot;

Jacob Muller presented his thought in the year 1937 in front of the Committee. There were a lot of people at that time who were unable to understand Gandhi&#39;s ideology. Because, on the one hand, he was living a life of a saint, on the other hand, he was a lawyer. Gandhi while speaking about truth, non-violence and morality, was also fully aware of the working of the colonial machinery. This knowledge of the colonial system enabled Mahatma to counter the colonial rule like a seasoned politician. This is what the Nobel Committee, perhaps, found confusing. Is Gandhi a saint or a politician.

Prof. Muller also wrote that Gandhi was not completely non-violent. Muller said that Gandhi&#39;s nationalism is limited to the Indians. Even in South Africa, Gandhi&#39;s action was limited to the Indian communities living there.&nbsp;

What Prof. Muller mentioned about Gandhiji was unfortunate as Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King got the Nobel prize. And they were themselves a follower of Gandhi. It is very surprising that those who were inspired by Gandhi got the Nobel prize, but Gandhi did not.

Though Gandhi never expected any prize as an acknowledgment for his work.

After 1937, Gandhi was nominated in 1938 and 1939, but his name was not even shortlisted.

In 1947, it was expected that Gandhi will receive the Nobel but again the committee did not consider him.

It was happening because there were many powerful forces that were influencing the decisions of the Nobel Committee and there were some international media houses too behind this who acted against Gandhi&#39;s nomination.

Jens Arup Seip, the advisor of Nobel Prize Committee, supported Gandhi&#39;s case in 1947 but even then he did not receive the prize.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Seip&#39;s report gives a detailed account of the events that happened during 1937 to 1947. In 1947, Gandhiji was one among other 6 listed candidates but over Gandhi&#39;s name, there was a huge conflict among the jury members.

During that time, Gandhiji said in a rally that, &quot;If such practice would continue that India might declare war against Pakistan&quot;

This report was published in Britain&#39;s newspaper &quot;The Times&quot; which went against Gandhi. Consequently, 3 of 5 jury members voted against him and Gandhi did not receive the Nobel Prize.

While the Nobel Committee kept itself busy trying to find violence in the non-violent politics of Mahatma, it did not hesitate to award the Nobel Peace Prize to Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt, a US president, had been a career soldier. He had participated in several wars but Nobel Committee chose to forget all that and focused only on Roosevelt&#39;s effort to stop the war between Russia and Japan in 1905.

In the year 1948, Gandhiji had a huge chance of winning the Nobel prize but 2 days before the announcement, Gandhi was assassinated. There had been no tradition of posthumous awarding of Nobel prize. Even then there was a buzz that Gandhi might be the first one to receive it after death but in absence of a trust or organisation which could have taken the prize in Gandhi&#39;s absence, the idea was aborted.&nbsp;

That year the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to no one. On Gandhi&#39;s 70th death anniversary, the Nobel Committee paid its tribute to Gandhi, stating &quot;That year, the Nobel Committee decided to make no award on the grounds that &quot;there was no suitable living candidate&quot;. This definitely implies that Gandhi was the chosen candidate in 1948 and death robbed him of that honour.&nbsp;

In 1989, while awarding Dalai Lama of the Nobel Peace Prize, the Committee openly admitted that it was a mistake not to award Gandhiji.&nbsp;

Gandhiji, history has proven, does not need the Nobel Prize to exercise his influence across the world. But the Nobel Committee needs Gandhiji to enhance its stature. If the Nobel Committee wants, it can rectify its past mistake easily. Even new laws can be brought about to honour a great man like Gandhiji. Perhaps, it is about time that the Nobel Committee considers Mahatma Gandhi as the first posthumous awardee of the Nobel Prize.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Colonial politics of the time, particularly the prejudice of the Nobel Committee and its lack of understanding of the many contradiction of Gandhi's political career robbed Mahatma Gandhi of Nobel Peace Prize.

On January 30th, 1948, Gandhiji was killed. This year marks his 70th death anniversary. Twice every year, on Gandhi's birthday on 2nd October and his death anniversary on 30 January, the country remembers the 'Father of the Nation'. Both these dates are celebrated amidst much fanfare; there are seminars and conferences across the country. Long lectures abound. Intellectuals and politicians prepare notes of their speeches based on Gandhi's ideas. But, sadly, soon with the end of these occasions, Gandhi's ideas are put into the freezer. India respects Gandhi but ignores his message Gandhiji's unifying role in bringing together a country as diverse as India is beyond question. However, his contribution has been largely forgotten by the state and the society. This collective amnesia is best proven in instances where government employees, unhesitatingly, take bribes in front of the framed pictures of Mahatma Gandhi which adorns almost all government offices of India. The blood of the common men of India fills up the pocket of these corrupt officials. They lie, prepare incorrect reports and fool the citizens of the nation. Possibly, all the major crossings of the country have a statue of Gandhiji. But that does not deter anyone from committing some of the heinous crimes on the roads and streets of India. Gandhi said, see no evil, speak no evil and don't listen to evil. However, we have learned not to pay heed to the most basic tenets of Gandhi's teachings. We continue, unhindered, to witness, speak and listen to evil. The civil society stands in full support whenever it feels the freedom of expression is threatened but no one is willing to take responsibility for expressing the ideas concerned. Gandhi's global influence In the history of human civilisation, Gandhi is unique for devising an unprecedented strategy of protest. He proved that one can oppose a powerful and oppressive regime without shedding a drop of blood. Without hurting anyone physically, through the most peaceful of means, one can bring about a change. Gandhi's ideas of non-violence and non-cooperation were an inspiration to the rest of the world. The human rights activist Martin Luther King who fought civil rights of the African-Americans took his political and ideological lessons from Gandhi. Similarly, South Africa's Nelson Mandela infused his politics with Gandhi's ideas and action plans. It is undeniable, how 70 years after his death, Gandhi continues to be relevant to the rest of the world. Barack Obama, the former US president, acknowledged Gandhi's influence on him. We will hardly find a political leader in India who ends his speech without mentioning or quoting Gandhi. Not to mention, one political family in India who retained power through decades using their 'Gandhi' surname. Notwithstanding the profound influence that Gandhi had across space and time, he did not receive the Nobel prize. Perhaps, Gandhi was bigger than the prize. But another question crops up whether there was a secret agenda that denied Gandhi of the Nobel Peace Prize. After all, the politics surrounding the Nobel Prize is pretty well known to anyone who cares to explore. Why did Gandhi not get the Nobel Peace Prize? Now, the committee responsible for awarding the Nobel prize regrets that they did not give Gandhi the award when he was alive and fighting for India's freedom against a mighty opponent. What people, generally, think is that Norway's Nobel Prize Committee did not want to upset the Britishers who were India's colonial master. But in reality, appeasement was not the only reason. Gandhi was nominated 5 times for the Nobel prize: in 1937, 1938, 1939, 1947 and in 1948. In the first instance, a member of Norway's Parliament proposed Gandhi's name but it was overlooked by the committee. Our research revealed a letter written by Prof. Jacob Worm-Muller who served as a consultant advisor to the committee. Reading the letter makes it very clear that Worm-Muller praised Gandhi but he also mentioned that he can not trust the latter's personality. "He is undoubtedly a good, noble and ascetic person — a prominent man who is deservedly honored and loved by the masses of India. But there are sharp turns in his policies, which can hardly be satisfactorily explained by his followers. He is a freedom fighter and a dictator, an idealist and a nationalist. He is frequently a Christ, but then, suddenly, an ordinary politician" Jacob Muller presented his thought in the year 1937 in front of the Committee. There were a lot of people at that time who were unable to understand Gandhi's ideology. Because, on the one hand, he was living a life of a saint, on the other hand, he was a lawyer. Gandhi while speaking about truth, non-violence and morality, was also fully aware of the working of the colonial machinery. This knowledge of the colonial system enabled Mahatma to counter the colonial rule like a seasoned politician. This is what the Nobel Committee, perhaps, found confusing. Is Gandhi a saint or a politician. Prof. Muller also wrote that Gandhi was not completely non-violent. Muller said that Gandhi's nationalism is limited to the Indians. Even in South Africa, Gandhi's action was limited to the Indian communities living there. What Prof. Muller mentioned about Gandhiji was unfortunate as Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King got the Nobel prize. And they were themselves a follower of Gandhi. It is very surprising that those who were inspired by Gandhi got the Nobel prize, but Gandhi did not. Though Gandhi never expected any prize as an acknowledgment for his work. After 1937, Gandhi was nominated in 1938 and 1939, but his name was not even shortlisted. In 1947, it was expected that Gandhi will receive the Nobel but again the committee did not consider him. It was happening because there were many powerful forces that were influencing the decisions of the Nobel Committee and there were some international media houses too behind this who acted against Gandhi's nomination. Jens Arup Seip, the advisor of Nobel Prize Committee, supported Gandhi's case in 1947 but even then he did not receive the prize. Seip's report gives a detailed account of the events that happened during 1937 to 1947. In 1947, Gandhiji was one among other 6 listed candidates but over Gandhi's name, there was a huge conflict among the jury members. During that time, Gandhiji said in a rally that, "If such practice would continue that India might declare war against Pakistan" This report was published in Britain's newspaper "The Times" which went against Gandhi. Consequently, 3 of 5 jury members voted against him and Gandhi did not receive the Nobel Prize. While the Nobel Committee kept itself busy trying to find violence in the non-violent politics of Mahatma, it did not hesitate to award the Nobel Peace Prize to Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt, a US president, had been a career soldier. He had participated in several wars but Nobel Committee chose to forget all that and focused only on Roosevelt's effort to stop the war between Russia and Japan in 1905. In the year 1948, Gandhiji had a huge chance of winning the Nobel prize but 2 days before the announcement, Gandhi was assassinated. There had been no tradition of posthumous awarding of Nobel prize. Even then there was a buzz that Gandhi might be the first one to receive it after death but in absence of a trust or organisation which could have taken the prize in Gandhi's absence, the idea was aborted. That year the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to no one. On Gandhi's 70th death anniversary, the Nobel Committee paid its tribute to Gandhi, stating "That year, the Nobel Committee decided to make no award on the grounds that "there was no suitable living candidate". This definitely implies that Gandhi was the chosen candidate in 1948 and death robbed him of that honour. In 1989, while awarding Dalai Lama of the Nobel Peace Prize, the Committee openly admitted that it was a mistake not to award Gandhiji. Gandhiji, history has proven, does not need the Nobel Prize to exercise his influence across the world. But the Nobel Committee needs Gandhiji to enhance its stature. If the Nobel Committee wants, it can rectify its past mistake easily. Even new laws can be brought about to honour a great man like Gandhiji. Perhaps, it is about time that the Nobel Committee considers Mahatma Gandhi as the first posthumous awardee of the Nobel Prize. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Why Gandhiji did not get the Nobel Prize

Over a decade after he shocked the country claiming<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/nation-pays-homage-to-mahatma-gandhi-on-his-70th-death-anniversary-31177"> Mahatma Gandhi did not utter the words </a>&#39;Hey Ram&#39; when he was assassinated 70 years ago, his personal attendant today said he was misquoted earlier.

Venkita Kalyanam, who was Bapu&#39;s personal secretary between 1943 and 1948, told PTI: &quot;I never said Gandhiji did not say &#39;Hey Ram&#39; at all. What I had said was I did not hear him saying &#39;Hey Ram&#39;... Mahatma may have said that... I do not know.&quot;

The 96-year-old, who claims to be a witness to the horrific event on January 30, 1948, said he &quot;could not hear anything due to the commotion after the incident&quot;.

&quot;Everybody was shouting when the Mahatma was shot. I could not hear anything in the din. He may have uttered &#39;Hey Ram&#39;. I do not know,&quot; Kalyanam said.

He had stunned the country in 2006 when he told a press conference in Kollam Bapu did not say &quot;Hey Ram&quot; when he fell to the bullets of Nathuram Godse.&nbsp;Mahatma&#39;s great-grandson Tushar Gandhi had rubbished the remark then.

Citing Sardar Gurbachan Singh&#39;s testimony in the assassination trial, Tushar Gandhi had said that after being gunned down, Bapu had folded hands and uttered the words &#39;Hey Ram&#39;.

Kalyanam added Godse killed Gandhiji only once, but political parties were doing it every day by not following his teachings.

Citing Sardar Gurbachan Singh's testimony in the assassination trial, Tushar Gandhi had said that after being gunned down, Bapu had folded hands and uttered the words 'Hey Ram'.

Over a decade after he shocked the country claiming Mahatma Gandhi did not utter the words 'Hey Ram' when he was assassinated 70 years ago, his personal attendant today said he was misquoted earlier. Venkita Kalyanam, who was Bapu's personal secretary between 1943 and 1948, told PTI: "I never said Gandhiji did not say 'Hey Ram' at all. What I had said was I did not hear him saying 'Hey Ram'... Mahatma may have said that... I do not know." The 96-year-old, who claims to be a witness to the horrific event on January 30, 1948, said he "could not hear anything due to the commotion after the incident". "Everybody was shouting when the Mahatma was shot. I could not hear anything in the din. He may have uttered 'Hey Ram'. I do not know," Kalyanam said. He had stunned the country in 2006 when he told a press conference in Kollam Bapu did not say "Hey Ram" when he fell to the bullets of Nathuram Godse. Mahatma's great-grandson Tushar Gandhi had rubbished the remark then. Citing Sardar Gurbachan Singh's testimony in the assassination trial, Tushar Gandhi had said that after being gunned down, Bapu had folded hands and uttered the words 'Hey Ram'. Kalyanam added Godse killed Gandhiji only once, but political parties were doing it every day by not following his teachings.

'I never said Gandhiji did not say 'Hey Ram',' says Mahatma's personal attendant

After 70 years as an agricultural labourer, Gangappa, now around 83, has refashioned himself as Mahatma Gandhi. Since August 2016 he has been dressing up as Gandhi and positioning himself in public places across Anantapur town, in western Andhra Pradesh. The alms he is offered fetch him a better income than what he earned from agricultural labour.

&ldquo;When I am your age, I will also dress like you, swami,&rdquo; Gangappa claims to have told Gandhiji as a child when he met him on a visit to Anantapur. &ldquo;I was with my parents who were working on the Peruru tank as labourers at the time.&rdquo; Chennampalli, where Gangappa was born, is not too far from Peruru.&nbsp; Gandhi&#39;s capacity to achieve whatever he set out to, his ability to command the mightiest, had impressed the young Gangappa.&nbsp;

Although it is difficult to verify Gangappa&rsquo;s claim about the meeting with Mahatma Gandhi, or put a date to it, his memory of Gandhi drives his life. Gangappa loves to travel &ndash; travelling and patience are essential to becoming like Gandhi, he believes.

Gangappa (who goes only by this name) says his name is now Gangulappa because that&rsquo;s what people have been calling him by mistake. He wears a sacred thread across his chest to accentuate his Gandhi look. He applies&nbsp;kumkum&nbsp;to his forehead and on his feet, and sometimes acts priestly by blessing people with his hand, when in Gandhi costume.

His assumed caste identity has opened a local temple&rsquo;s doors to him. He is allowed to rest on the stone bench in the temple premises during the day. He takes a bath and washes off his make-up under the temple&rsquo;s taps.

Gangappa&rsquo;s relationship with his wife Middi Anjanamma and her family has been stressful for a decade. That was when their elder daughter committed suicide. &ldquo;I had gone to Kollapalli to dig pits in a forest. When I returned home my daughter had died.&rdquo; Tears roll down as he remembers his daughter, &ldquo;I still don&rsquo;t know why my daughter died. And no one tells me why she died. How can I go back to that family?&rdquo;

Although Anjanamma has not spoken to Gangappa for two years and hates his unpredictable ways, she misses him and wants him back now. &ldquo;Please ask him to come back. I don&rsquo;t have a mobile phone or money to buy coffee powder for the month. I don&rsquo;t have change for the children [their younger daughter&rsquo;s two sons] when they ask me.&rdquo; Anjanamma&nbsp; lives with her younger daughter in Gorantla, a village around 100 kilometres from Anantapur, where I met her.

After Gangappa left home, he continued labouring in the fields. He started drinking more alcohol. In 2016, he fainted while working in the fields. &ldquo;I stopped doing agricultural labour after Mala Punnami [an annual festival],&rdquo; Gangappa remembers. &ldquo;I braided ropes for a few days, but it didn&rsquo;t pay much.&rdquo;

That was when his memory of Gandhi came to him and he decided to reinvent himself.

Gangappa has improvised his Gandhi costume from everyday objects. He uses a 10-rupee plastic box of Pond&#39;s powder to make himself &ldquo;shine&rdquo; like Gandhi. Cheap sunglasses purchased from a roadside shop are his Gandhi spectacles. A 10-rupee cane from the local market is his walking stick. He uses a bike&rsquo;s rear-view mirror, which he found somewhere, to check his make-up and costume.

Gangappa mostly wore shorts when he worked in the fields. &ldquo;Now I wear a&nbsp;dhoti&nbsp;and shave my head once in three or four days,&rdquo; he says. Although he smokes and drinks, he makes sure he is clean when he dresses up as Gandhi. He travels to fairs and monthly markets in the surrounding villages and towns, earning anything between Rs. 150-600 a day. &ldquo;I made about 1,000 rupees in a day at one&nbsp;parsha&nbsp;[village fair] recently,&rdquo; he says proudly.

&nbsp;&ldquo;I stood for six hours at a stretch today because it is Kadiri Punnami,&rdquo; he says. This is a festival celebrated in the villages in the Kadiri area of Anantapur district once a year, when the full moon is at its brightest.

Some months ago, when travelling to the nearby town of Puttaparthi, Gangappa had a chance meeting with Kuruba Pujamma, a widow in her 70s, who begged for alms on the 35 kilometres stretch between Puttaparthi and Penukonda. &ldquo;One evening when I was going home, I saw him sitting alone,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;I asked him what he does. He told me, and asked me if I wanted to go with him. I agreed. He said, &lsquo;Please come along. Wherever we go, I will show you around&#39;.&rdquo; So Pujamma began to trail along with Gangappa, helping him with his Gandhi costume, applying powder to his back, and washing his clothes.

Pujamma&rsquo;s partnership with Gangappa hasn&rsquo;t been easy. &ldquo;One night,&quot; she says, &quot;he went somewhere, and didn&rsquo;t return for a long time. I was alone. I felt really scared. There were people nearby and I was sitting under a metal shade. I wondered what to do. I felt like crying since I didn&rsquo;t have anyone now. He returned later, with dinner!&rdquo; &nbsp;

Gangappa and Pujamma live on the outskirts of Anantapur town, close to the highway. They sleep outside a restaurant whose owner is an admirer of Gandhi. Gangappa usually wakes up around 5 a.m. and goes to bed by 9, just as he used to when he worked in the fields.

Sometimes Gangappa is provided dinner at the eatery outside which he sleeps. He buys something for breakfast from the roadside shops, and skips lunch. Gangappa makes sure Pujamma eats as well. And when he feels like a hearty meal, he buys ragi, rice and chicken, and Pujamma cooks up a feast of&nbsp;muddha&nbsp;[ragi and rice balls, a staple of the Rayalaseema region] and chicken curry on a makeshift stove on the road.

It&#39;s a simple life. And better than it used to be. Being Gandhi has meant that he no longer has to worry about his meals and shelter. However, Gangappa is saddened that not everybody reveres Gandhi these days. How can they not? &ldquo;A few young boys came to me and asked me to stop dressing like Gandhi,&rdquo; he remembers. &ldquo;The government is trying to remove Gandhi from the currency notes now, they said to me. Why do you want to dress up like him?&quot;

Postscript: Pujamma&nbsp;left Gangapapa to go home a &nbsp;few days ago. &quot;She left around the festival of Ugadi,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;She isn&#39;t coming back. She is going to beg there itself. I gave her 400 rupees. I have to be alone now.&quot;

&nbsp;

This<a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/articles/from-gangappa-to-gandhi" rel="nofollow" target="blank"> article</a> was originally published at <a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/" rel="nofollow" target="blank">PARI</a>

Photo courtesy: Rahul M.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Talcum powder, cheap spectacles, a walking stick, and a thread across his chest – and Gangappa is transformed into Gandhiji.

After 70 years as an agricultural labourer, Gangappa, now around 83, has refashioned himself as Mahatma Gandhi. Since August 2016 he has been dressing up as Gandhi and positioning himself in public places across Anantapur town, in western Andhra Pradesh. The alms he is offered fetch him a better income than what he earned from agricultural labour. “When I am your age, I will also dress like you, swami,” Gangappa claims to have told Gandhiji as a child when he met him on a visit to Anantapur. “I was with my parents who were working on the Peruru tank as labourers at the time.” Chennampalli, where Gangappa was born, is not too far from Peruru. Gandhi's capacity to achieve whatever he set out to, his ability to command the mightiest, had impressed the young Gangappa. Although it is difficult to verify Gangappa’s claim about the meeting with Mahatma Gandhi, or put a date to it, his memory of Gandhi drives his life. Gangappa loves to travel – travelling and patience are essential to becoming like Gandhi, he believes. Gangappa (who goes only by this name) says his name is now Gangulappa because that’s what people have been calling him by mistake. He wears a sacred thread across his chest to accentuate his Gandhi look. He applies kumkum to his forehead and on his feet, and sometimes acts priestly by blessing people with his hand, when in Gandhi costume. His assumed caste identity has opened a local temple’s doors to him. He is allowed to rest on the stone bench in the temple premises during the day. He takes a bath and washes off his make-up under the temple’s taps. Gangappa’s relationship with his wife Middi Anjanamma and her family has been stressful for a decade. That was when their elder daughter committed suicide. “I had gone to Kollapalli to dig pits in a forest. When I returned home my daughter had died.” Tears roll down as he remembers his daughter, “I still don’t know why my daughter died. And no one tells me why she died. How can I go back to that family?” Although Anjanamma has not spoken to Gangappa for two years and hates his unpredictable ways, she misses him and wants him back now. “Please ask him to come back. I don’t have a mobile phone or money to buy coffee powder for the month. I don’t have change for the children [their younger daughter’s two sons] when they ask me.” Anjanamma lives with her younger daughter in Gorantla, a village around 100 kilometres from Anantapur, where I met her. After Gangappa left home, he continued labouring in the fields. He started drinking more alcohol. In 2016, he fainted while working in the fields. “I stopped doing agricultural labour after Mala Punnami [an annual festival],” Gangappa remembers. “I braided ropes for a few days, but it didn’t pay much.” That was when his memory of Gandhi came to him and he decided to reinvent himself. Gangappa has improvised his Gandhi costume from everyday objects. He uses a 10-rupee plastic box of Pond's powder to make himself “shine” like Gandhi. Cheap sunglasses purchased from a roadside shop are his Gandhi spectacles. A 10-rupee cane from the local market is his walking stick. He uses a bike’s rear-view mirror, which he found somewhere, to check his make-up and costume. Gangappa mostly wore shorts when he worked in the fields. “Now I wear a dhoti and shave my head once in three or four days,” he says. Although he smokes and drinks, he makes sure he is clean when he dresses up as Gandhi. He travels to fairs and monthly markets in the surrounding villages and towns, earning anything between Rs. 150-600 a day. “I made about 1,000 rupees in a day at one parsha [village fair] recently,” he says proudly. “I stood for six hours at a stretch today because it is Kadiri Punnami,” he says. This is a festival celebrated in the villages in the Kadiri area of Anantapur district once a year, when the full moon is at its brightest. Some months ago, when travelling to the nearby town of Puttaparthi, Gangappa had a chance meeting with Kuruba Pujamma, a widow in her 70s, who begged for alms on the 35 kilometres stretch between Puttaparthi and Penukonda. “One evening when I was going home, I saw him sitting alone,” she says. “I asked him what he does. He told me, and asked me if I wanted to go with him. I agreed. He said, ‘Please come along. Wherever we go, I will show you around'.” So Pujamma began to trail along with Gangappa, helping him with his Gandhi costume, applying powder to his back, and washing his clothes. Pujamma’s partnership with Gangappa hasn’t been easy. “One night," she says, "he went somewhere, and didn’t return for a long time. I was alone. I felt really scared. There were people nearby and I was sitting under a metal shade. I wondered what to do. I felt like crying since I didn’t have anyone now. He returned later, with dinner!” Gangappa and Pujamma live on the outskirts of Anantapur town, close to the highway. They sleep outside a restaurant whose owner is an admirer of Gandhi. Gangappa usually wakes up around 5 a.m. and goes to bed by 9, just as he used to when he worked in the fields. Sometimes Gangappa is provided dinner at the eatery outside which he sleeps. He buys something for breakfast from the roadside shops, and skips lunch. Gangappa makes sure Pujamma eats as well. And when he feels like a hearty meal, he buys ragi, rice and chicken, and Pujamma cooks up a feast of muddha [ragi and rice balls, a staple of the Rayalaseema region] and chicken curry on a makeshift stove on the road. It's a simple life. And better than it used to be. Being Gandhi has meant that he no longer has to worry about his meals and shelter. However, Gangappa is saddened that not everybody reveres Gandhi these days. How can they not? “A few young boys came to me and asked me to stop dressing like Gandhi,” he remembers. “The government is trying to remove Gandhi from the currency notes now, they said to me. Why do you want to dress up like him?" Postscript: Pujamma left Gangapapa to go home a few days ago. "She left around the festival of Ugadi,” he said. “She isn't coming back. She is going to beg there itself. I gave her 400 rupees. I have to be alone now." This article was originally published at PARI Photo courtesy: Rahul M. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: From Gangappa to Gandhi, a labourer reinvents himself as the Mahatma

The nation on Tuesday remembered Mahatma Gandhi on his 70th death anniversary with President Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading the country in paying homage to the Father of the Nation.

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On Martyrs&rsquo; Day, we gratefully remember Mahatma Gandhi and the countless freedom fighters who sacrificed their all for our Independence <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PresidentKovind?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PresidentKovind</a>
&mdash; President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) <a href="https://twitter.com/rashtrapatibhvn/status/958150269723791360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

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पूज्य बापू की पुण्यतिथि पर उन्हें श्रद्धांजलि. Remembering Bapu on his Punya Tithi.
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/958160026190991360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MahatmaGandhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MahatmaGandhi</a> at Rajghat on his 70th death anniversary. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, General Bipin Rawat, Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba &amp; Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa also present. <a href="https://t.co/2rmw4E6Gm7">pic.twitter.com/2rmw4E6Gm7</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/958209924634300417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Prime Minister Modi in his last &lsquo;Mann ki Baat&rsquo; address said, &ldquo;The path of peace and non-violence, is the path of Bapu and this is applicable not only for India or the world but also for a person or a family or a society. The ideals which Bapu practiced in his life, things that he imparted are relevant even today.&rdquo;&nbsp;

&ldquo;What can be a bigger tribute than taking a vow that we shall tread the path of Bapu &ndash; and walk, as far as possible?&rdquo; he added.

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Delhi: Congress President Rahul Gandhi pays tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Gandhi Smriti on his 70th death anniversary <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MartyrsDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MartyrsDay</a> <a href="https://t.co/9nBrfbyPKA">pic.twitter.com/9nBrfbyPKA</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/958176344717668352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869, in Gujarat&#39;s Porbandar district. He was assassinated on this day in the year 1948 by Nathuram Godse at Birla House in Delhi.

Nathuram Godse fired three bullets into Mahatma Gandhi&#39;s chest while he was standing on the steps of the Birla House, where a prayer meeting was scheduled to take place.

Tributes poured in from leaders, politicians and citizens from across the country on his 70th death anniversary.

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Ahmedabad: People pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Sabarmati Ashram on his 70th death anniversary <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MartyrsDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MartyrsDay</a> <a href="https://t.co/Yz1T7t15Ro">pic.twitter.com/Yz1T7t15Ro</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/958190483074723841?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Tributes poured in from leaders, politicians and citizens from across the country on his 70th death anniversary

The nation on Tuesday remembered Mahatma Gandhi on his 70th death anniversary with President Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading the country in paying homage to the Father of the Nation. On Martyrs’ Day, we gratefully remember Mahatma Gandhi and the countless freedom fighters who sacrificed their all for our Independence #PresidentKovind — President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) January 30, 2018 × पूज्य बापू की पुण्यतिथि पर उन्हें श्रद्धांजलि. Remembering Bapu on his Punya Tithi. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 30, 2018 × Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to #MahatmaGandhi at Rajghat on his 70th death anniversary. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, General Bipin Rawat, Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba & Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa also present. pic.twitter.com/2rmw4E6Gm7 — ANI (@ANI) January 30, 2018 × Prime Minister Modi in his last ‘Mann ki Baat’ address said, “The path of peace and non-violence, is the path of Bapu and this is applicable not only for India or the world but also for a person or a family or a society. The ideals which Bapu practiced in his life, things that he imparted are relevant even today.” “What can be a bigger tribute than taking a vow that we shall tread the path of Bapu – and walk, as far as possible?” he added. Delhi: Congress President Rahul Gandhi pays tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Gandhi Smriti on his 70th death anniversary #MartyrsDay pic.twitter.com/9nBrfbyPKA — ANI (@ANI) January 30, 2018 × Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869, in Gujarat's Porbandar district. He was assassinated on this day in the year 1948 by Nathuram Godse at Birla House in Delhi. Nathuram Godse fired three bullets into Mahatma Gandhi's chest while he was standing on the steps of the Birla House, where a prayer meeting was scheduled to take place. Tributes poured in from leaders, politicians and citizens from across the country on his 70th death anniversary. Ahmedabad: People pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Sabarmati Ashram on his 70th death anniversary #MartyrsDay pic.twitter.com/Yz1T7t15Ro — ANI (@ANI) January 30, 2018 ×

Nation pays homage to Mahatma Gandhi on his 70th death anniversary

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been given a red carpet welcome in Ahmedabad at Gujarat. This is not the first time that a foreign dignitary after an initial stopover at the national capital was taken to Modi&#39;s state of Gujarat. The Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe paid a visit to the western state too. As did the Chinese premier Xi Jinping in 2014.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

It leaves us wondering why these visits to Gujarat is being so strongly encouraged. And, why the foreign dignitaries agree to visit the state amidst a tight itinerary. What appeal does Gujarat, or more specifically, Ahmedabad hold for both the parties?

&nbsp;

Ahmedabad is not India&#39;s political nerve center, New Delhi is. Ahmedabad is not the place where the IT industry flourished as is the case with Bengaluru. Nor is Ahmedabad India&#39;s business capital; a mantle given to Mumbai for a longest possible time now.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Then why Ahmedabad?&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Foreign dignitaries visiting the US limit their stay to Washinton DC. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited NYC after his initial meeting with President Obama in DC. But that is because of the large diaspora of Indians present in the tri-state area of New York-New Jersey-Connecticut. It was not a visit organised by the Obama administration. It was Indian businessmen who organised it. The same thing can be said about Modi&#39;s visit to the Silicon Valley. It was an Indian initiative spearheaded by Indian corporate honchos in the US.

&nbsp;

But Gujarat does not have either a large Israeli, Japanese or a Chinese diaspora. It is cities, such as Mumbai and Delhi which have flourishing Chabad Houses where thousands of visiting Israelis stay put every year.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Decades back when Nehru visited the US, he did take a detour to visit Albert Einstein. Again, a personal visit, undertaken to converse with one of the greatest minds of the twentieth century. Also, the Jewish question needed discussion. Einstein, an active proponent of the Zionist cause, wanted to convince Nehru of the need to support the cause of Israel.

&nbsp;

Many political analysts wonder whether Modi is going back Gujarat to give these powerful heads of state an idea about his root.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

It does not seem so. While the modest youth of Modi makes a good fuel for political quibble within India, it does not have the desirable impact at the international arena. Bilateral relationships function better between equals, involving very powerful people. The Language of Power rather than the sympathy card is more effective under the circumstance. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

If Modi is taking these dignitaries to Ahmedabad, it is to show what he is capable of achieving. Ahmedabad has evolved into swanky city with polished roads, disciplined traffic, shiny public transport. It is a revitalised city, almost creaseless. A poster-boy of Modi&#39;s development model.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Ahmedabad represents Modi&#39;s future plan for India. It shows India&#39;s enterprising nature at its best. Leaving behind its more conflicted past, Ahmedabad emerges as India&#39;s global city with deep cultural roots. Its identity is very much Hindu, very vegetarian, very businesslike.

&nbsp;

This unique combination of cultural nationalism with business success is what distinguishes Ahmedabad from Bengaluru.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Bengaluru is far too cosmopolitan. More importantly, it is not the creation of Modi.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The roadshows with prominent dignitaries on streets of Ahmedabad comes with a strong visual message. Modi is announcing to his fellow citizens and, actually, to the world that India is not going to linger any longer in the waiting room of development. India has, in fact, arrived.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

What better place to announce that other than the city of Ahmedabad-the workplace of the Father of the Nation. In one masterstroke, Modi connects his personal achievement with the most glorious saga of India&#39;s independence movement.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Somewhere, imperceptibly, India and Gujarat, Gandhi and Modi, Gujarati asmita and Indian nationalism get merged.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

That perhaps is the unstated goal. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Ahmedabad represents Modi's future plan for India. It shows India's enterprising nature at its best.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been given a red carpet welcome in Ahmedabad at Gujarat. This is not the first time that a foreign dignitary after an initial stopover at the national capital was taken to Modi's state of Gujarat. The Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe paid a visit to the western state too. As did the Chinese premier Xi Jinping in 2014. It leaves us wondering why these visits to Gujarat is being so strongly encouraged. And, why the foreign dignitaries agree to visit the state amidst a tight itinerary. What appeal does Gujarat, or more specifically, Ahmedabad hold for both the parties? Ahmedabad is not India's political nerve center, New Delhi is. Ahmedabad is not the place where the IT industry flourished as is the case with Bengaluru. Nor is Ahmedabad India's business capital; a mantle given to Mumbai for a longest possible time now. Then why Ahmedabad? Foreign dignitaries visiting the US limit their stay to Washinton DC. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited NYC after his initial meeting with President Obama in DC. But that is because of the large diaspora of Indians present in the tri-state area of New York-New Jersey-Connecticut. It was not a visit organised by the Obama administration. It was Indian businessmen who organised it. The same thing can be said about Modi's visit to the Silicon Valley. It was an Indian initiative spearheaded by Indian corporate honchos in the US. But Gujarat does not have either a large Israeli, Japanese or a Chinese diaspora. It is cities, such as Mumbai and Delhi which have flourishing Chabad Houses where thousands of visiting Israelis stay put every year. Decades back when Nehru visited the US, he did take a detour to visit Albert Einstein. Again, a personal visit, undertaken to converse with one of the greatest minds of the twentieth century. Also, the Jewish question needed discussion. Einstein, an active proponent of the Zionist cause, wanted to convince Nehru of the need to support the cause of Israel. Many political analysts wonder whether Modi is going back Gujarat to give these powerful heads of state an idea about his root. It does not seem so. While the modest youth of Modi makes a good fuel for political quibble within India, it does not have the desirable impact at the international arena. Bilateral relationships function better between equals, involving very powerful people. The Language of Power rather than the sympathy card is more effective under the circumstance. If Modi is taking these dignitaries to Ahmedabad, it is to show what he is capable of achieving. Ahmedabad has evolved into swanky city with polished roads, disciplined traffic, shiny public transport. It is a revitalised city, almost creaseless. A poster-boy of Modi's development model. Ahmedabad represents Modi's future plan for India. It shows India's enterprising nature at its best. Leaving behind its more conflicted past, Ahmedabad emerges as India's global city with deep cultural roots. Its identity is very much Hindu, very vegetarian, very businesslike. This unique combination of cultural nationalism with business success is what distinguishes Ahmedabad from Bengaluru. Bengaluru is far too cosmopolitan. More importantly, it is not the creation of Modi. The roadshows with prominent dignitaries on streets of Ahmedabad comes with a strong visual message. Modi is announcing to his fellow citizens and, actually, to the world that India is not going to linger any longer in the waiting room of development. India has, in fact, arrived. What better place to announce that other than the city of Ahmedabad-the workplace of the Father of the Nation. In one masterstroke, Modi connects his personal achievement with the most glorious saga of India's independence movement. Somewhere, imperceptibly, India and Gujarat, Gandhi and Modi, Gujarati asmita and Indian nationalism get merged. That perhaps is the unstated goal. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Why Modi takes Netanyahu to Ahmedabad?

The Supreme Court on Friday posed searching questions to a petitioner seeking re-investigation in the assassination case of Mahatma Gandhi and asked him to satisfy it on aspects of delay and his locus to raise the issue.

The apex court made it clear that it would go only by law and not the stature of the person involved in the case.

A bench comprising Justices S A Bobde and L Nageswara Rao told the petitioner not to get carried away by the greatness of the person involved as the issue was whether there was any evidence available in the matter.

&quot;You (petitioner) have to answer a couple of very important points. One of them is delay. The other is locus. The third is the fact that because of the delay, every piece of evidence pertaining to the incident is lost,&quot; the bench said adding that almost all witnesses related to the case have passed away.

The court was hearing a plea filed by Mumbai-based Dr Pankaj Phadnis, a researcher and a trustee of Abhinav Bharat, who has sought reopening of investigation on several grounds, claiming it was one of the biggest cover-ups in the history.

Meanwhile, Phadnis requested for time to respond to the report filed by senior advocate Amarendra Sharan, who has been appointed as an amicus curiae to assist the court in the matter.

Sharan, in his report filed in the court, has said there was no need to re-investigate Mahatma&#39;s assassination case as the conspiracy behind the murder and identity of assailant Nathuram Vinayak Godse who had fired the bullets have already been duly established.

The bench granted four weeks time to the petitioner to file his response to the report of the amicus.

During the hearing, the bench told the petitioner that the issue was whether any admissible evidence was available at present.

&quot;Don&#39;t get carried away with the greatness of the person involved. This is about whether there is any evidence available or not,&quot; the bench observed adding, &quot;court will act according to the law and rule and not as per stature of person involved.&quot;

Sharan, in his report filed in the court, has said claims regarding existence of British special intelligence unit by the name &#39;Force 136&#39; and its alleged role in the assassination was not substantiated.

The report has said that records of the case established that an independent judiciary had adjudged the crimes of Nathuram Vinayak Godse and other accused in the matter and justice was served.

Gandhi was shot dead at point blank range in New Delhi on January 30, 1948 by Godse, a right-wing advocate of Hindu nationalism. The assassination case had led to the conviction and execution of Godse and Narayan Apte on November 15, 1949.

&quot;The bullets which pierced Mahatma Gandhi&#39;s body, the pistol from which it was fired, the assailant who fired the said bullets, the conspiracy which led to the assassination and the ideology which led to the said assassination have all been duly identified,&quot; the report has said.

The petitioner has questioned the &#39;three bullet theory&#39; relied upon by various courts to hold conviction of accused Godse and Apte, who were hanged, and Vinayak Damodar Savarkar who was given benefit of doubt due to lack of evidence.

Regarding the claim by the petitioner about the alleged fourth bullet, the amicus has said that as per records of the case, only three empty cartridges and two spent bullets were found at the place of occurrence and no fourth spent bullet or empty cartridge was found from there.

The report has also said Godse was arrested at the spot with the murder weapon, a semi automatic Beretta pistol which could load seven cartridges at a time, and the records suggested that only three bullets were fired.

Phadnis has challenged the decision of the Bombay High Court which on June 6, 2016 had dismissed his PIL on two grounds - firstly, that the findings of fact have been recorded by the competent court and confirmed right up to the apex court, and secondly, the Kapur Commission has submitted its report and made observations in 1969, while the present petition has been filed 46 years later.

A bench comprising Justices S A Bobde and L Nageswara Rao told the petitioner not to get carried away by the greatness of the person involved.

The Supreme Court on Friday posed searching questions to a petitioner seeking re-investigation in the assassination case of Mahatma Gandhi and asked him to satisfy it on aspects of delay and his locus to raise the issue. The apex court made it clear that it would go only by law and not the stature of the person involved in the case. A bench comprising Justices S A Bobde and L Nageswara Rao told the petitioner not to get carried away by the greatness of the person involved as the issue was whether there was any evidence available in the matter. "You (petitioner) have to answer a couple of very important points. One of them is delay. The other is locus. The third is the fact that because of the delay, every piece of evidence pertaining to the incident is lost," the bench said adding that almost all witnesses related to the case have passed away. The court was hearing a plea filed by Mumbai-based Dr Pankaj Phadnis, a researcher and a trustee of Abhinav Bharat, who has sought reopening of investigation on several grounds, claiming it was one of the biggest cover-ups in the history. Meanwhile, Phadnis requested for time to respond to the report filed by senior advocate Amarendra Sharan, who has been appointed as an amicus curiae to assist the court in the matter. Sharan, in his report filed in the court, has said there was no need to re-investigate Mahatma's assassination case as the conspiracy behind the murder and identity of assailant Nathuram Vinayak Godse who had fired the bullets have already been duly established. The bench granted four weeks time to the petitioner to file his response to the report of the amicus. During the hearing, the bench told the petitioner that the issue was whether any admissible evidence was available at present. "Don't get carried away with the greatness of the person involved. This is about whether there is any evidence available or not," the bench observed adding, "court will act according to the law and rule and not as per stature of person involved." Sharan, in his report filed in the court, has said claims regarding existence of British special intelligence unit by the name 'Force 136' and its alleged role in the assassination was not substantiated. The report has said that records of the case established that an independent judiciary had adjudged the crimes of Nathuram Vinayak Godse and other accused in the matter and justice was served. Gandhi was shot dead at point blank range in New Delhi on January 30, 1948 by Godse, a right-wing advocate of Hindu nationalism. The assassination case had led to the conviction and execution of Godse and Narayan Apte on November 15, 1949. "The bullets which pierced Mahatma Gandhi's body, the pistol from which it was fired, the assailant who fired the said bullets, the conspiracy which led to the assassination and the ideology which led to the said assassination have all been duly identified," the report has said. The petitioner has questioned the 'three bullet theory' relied upon by various courts to hold conviction of accused Godse and Apte, who were hanged, and Vinayak Damodar Savarkar who was given benefit of doubt due to lack of evidence. Regarding the claim by the petitioner about the alleged fourth bullet, the amicus has said that as per records of the case, only three empty cartridges and two spent bullets were found at the place of occurrence and no fourth spent bullet or empty cartridge was found from there. The report has also said Godse was arrested at the spot with the murder weapon, a semi automatic Beretta pistol which could load seven cartridges at a time, and the records suggested that only three bullets were fired. Phadnis has challenged the decision of the Bombay High Court which on June 6, 2016 had dismissed his PIL on two grounds - firstly, that the findings of fact have been recorded by the competent court and confirmed right up to the apex court, and secondly, the Kapur Commission has submitted its report and made observations in 1969, while the present petition has been filed 46 years later.

Supreme Court asks petitioner's locus for seeking re-investigation into Mahatma Gandhi's assassination

Google&nbsp;paid tribute to Homai Vyarawalla, India&#39;s first woman photojournalist, with a doodle Saturday.&nbsp;

Vyarawalla was widely known for her photographs of an India transitioning from the British Raj to an independent country.

Hailing from Navsari, Gujarat, Vyarawalla started out as a phootjournalist in the 1930s.

Her first assignments were for the Bombay-based The Illustrated Weekly of India.

Her work portrays a story of the birth and rise of India.

Despite her significant effort at capturing the political life of the nation, Vyarawalla lived most of her life in anonymity.

In the early years of her career, her photographs were published under her husband&#39;s name -- becuase she was a woman.&nbsp;

Later, when she moved to Delhi to work with the British Information Services, Vyarawalla published her work under the pseudonym &quot;Dalda 13.&quot;

The pseudonym was chosen because was born in 1913, she met her husband at the age of 13, and her first car&#39;s number plate read DLD 13.&nbsp;

Vyarawalla&#39;s most well-known photographs are of the first flag-hoisting ceremony at Red Fort, the cremations of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawahar Lal Nehru, and one of Lord Mountbatten leaving the country.

In the early years of her career, Vyarawalla's photographs were published under her husband's name -- becuase she was a woman

Google paid tribute to Homai Vyarawalla, India's first woman photojournalist, with a doodle Saturday. Vyarawalla was widely known for her photographs of an India transitioning from the British Raj to an independent country. Hailing from Navsari, Gujarat, Vyarawalla started out as a phootjournalist in the 1930s. Her first assignments were for the Bombay-based The Illustrated Weekly of India. Her work portrays a story of the birth and rise of India. Despite her significant effort at capturing the political life of the nation, Vyarawalla lived most of her life in anonymity. In the early years of her career, her photographs were published under her husband's name -- becuase she was a woman. Later, when she moved to Delhi to work with the British Information Services, Vyarawalla published her work under the pseudonym "Dalda 13." The pseudonym was chosen because was born in 1913, she met her husband at the age of 13, and her first car's number plate read DLD 13. Vyarawalla's most well-known photographs are of the first flag-hoisting ceremony at Red Fort, the cremations of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawahar Lal Nehru, and one of Lord Mountbatten leaving the country.

Google doodles Homai Vyarawalla, India's first woman photojournalist

A research scholar on Tuesday went to Madras High Court with a plea&nbsp;to remove the word &#39;Mahatma&#39; as a prefix from&nbsp;Gandhi&#39;s name, reports said. The court rejected his plea and&nbsp;slapped a fine of&nbsp;Rs 10,000.&nbsp;

The scholar, S Muruganantham, from Jadavpur University in Kolkata, filed his&nbsp;petition as a&nbsp;public interest litigation (PIL) but was rejected by&nbsp;Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar.

According to reports, they stated that this kind of petitions only lead to wastage of time and trapped the courts business.&nbsp;

Muruganantham argued that the act of the government violates Article 14 and 18 of the constitution and further questioned the gravity of adding &#39;Mahatma&#39;&nbsp;before the name of M K Gandhi in Indian currency notes, says&nbsp;reports.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Moreover, the scholar further said that when RBI uses &#39;Mahatma&#39;, it violates the principle of equality which constitutes a basic foundation of the constitution, reports said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

A research scholar asked the Madras HC to direct the Centre to refrain from using the prefix 'Mahatma' before Gandhi?s name on notes.

A research scholar on Tuesday went to Madras High Court with a plea to remove the word 'Mahatma' as a prefix from Gandhi's name, reports said. The court rejected his plea and slapped a fine of Rs 10,000. The scholar, S Muruganantham, from Jadavpur University in Kolkata, filed his petition as a public interest litigation (PIL) but was rejected by Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar. According to reports, they stated that this kind of petitions only lead to wastage of time and trapped the courts business. Muruganantham argued that the act of the government violates Article 14 and 18 of the constitution and further questioned the gravity of adding 'Mahatma' before the name of M K Gandhi in Indian currency notes, says reports. Moreover, the scholar further said that when RBI uses 'Mahatma', it violates the principle of equality which constitutes a basic foundation of the constitution, reports said.

'Waste of time': Court slams man who wanted 'Mahatma' removed from before Gandhi's name

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was a liberal democrat with an accommodative and liberal worldview. He inherited a divided nation with multiple wounds; some contemporary like the Partition and some civilisational like caste. He tried to heal them to best of his capacity.

His vision was welded in modernity influenced by the West but he did not push it down the throats of millions of Indians. He built a strong foundation for democracy. He ensured that India remained open to global influences. Unlike the Soviet Union and Eastern Block, Nehru did not shut India to the world. He ensured that India did not remain insular after Partition. He built institutions for the study of sciences to development of cottage industry. He built them and allowed them to be free.

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<h5>Nehru ensured that India remained pluralistic despite the fact that the word secular was not enshrined in the Constitution.</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Nehru ensured that India remained pluralistic despite the fact that the word secular was not enshrined in the Constitution." target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
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Nehru allowed his cabinet colleagues, such as Sardar Patel and Abul Kalam Azad to do the job they were intended to do. He was the prime minister but never suffocated or trampled the institutions he built. He ensured that principles on which India&rsquo;s nascent democracy rested were treated well. Unlike many South East Asian, African states or neighbouring Pakistan, Nehru built foundations of a pluralist republic and saw to it that democracy survives when the world was not giving us a decade both as democracy and a nation.

He ensured that India remained pluralistic despite the fact that the word secular was not enshrined in the Constitution. Today, political rights are considered given. During his tenure, they were recently hard-won from the British. He ensured that no one tampered with those values wrenched after years of struggle.

He was able to reform Hindu Personal law. Many of the rights enjoyed by Hindu women in India are a result of the position taken by Nehru. He resisted the conservatives - both within Congress and outside -- who opposed the reforms on the ground that these went against the grain of Indian civilisation. He may get attacked today for not showing the same zeal for Muslims but at least 40 per cent of the Indian population was given the relief under new laws impacting women.

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<h5>Nehru policy has been derided as effeminate and weak in contrast to Sardar Patel. It is the most erroneous comparison.</h5>
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Nehru should be remembered for decent debates in Parliament and tradition of accommodating dissent. Nehru had his temper but it never allowed him to muzzle the Opposition. Nehru could live with Rajendra Prasad whose views on certain issues were diametrically opposed to Nehru. It was for Nehru that despite strong Opposition, he never resorted to hard tactics which could have ruined the democratic parliamentary traditions of the nascent state. Nehru&rsquo;s legacy lies in the democratic institutions and other independent bodies which came into existence during his tenure.

Nehru policy has been derided as effeminate and weak in contrast to Sardar Patel. It is the most erroneous comparison. The contributions of founding father shouldn&rsquo;t be seen one against another but as a cumulative and collaborative in nature.

Remembering Nehru does not belittle the contribution of Sardar Patel who welded different kingdoms and states into a nation. Patel&#39;s strength worked for the Congress and not against Nehru. The credit goes to Nehru also that he allowed heavyweights like Patel and Kalam the freedom, space and respect they deserved in governance.

Beyond doubt, he inspired a fondness for literature in politics which was virtually abandoned by subsequent politicians barring Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He built the state but did not sow the seed of authoritarianism nor disrespect for institutions. Nehru worked at a time when political right was earned by millions through India&#39;s freedom struggle. His credit lay in the fact that he preserved it and ensured that it gets enshrined the Constitution.

Nehru cannot be blamed for Indira&rsquo;s mistakes. Nehru made his own which were primarily in defence and foreign relations. The debate can cut both ways. He took big decisions and made bold contributions, and also ended up making big and costly mistakes. It only proves one thing. Nehru was a mortal and not a God.

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<h5>Nehru should be remembered for what India is today in terms of the robust democratic institutions he left.</h5>
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Nehru should be remembered for what India is today in terms of the robust democratic institutions he left. He can be appraised for his role in inadequate defence planning which ultimately led to a humiliating defeat of India by China. Nehru for all said and done was a thinker and a Democrat.

Personally, I will remember Nehru for building an India that kept itself open to the outside world. He did not build an insular and intensively chauvinistic India. He built a patriotic India. He wanted a modern India steeped in the tradition of modern enlightenment. He was a product of his time and ended up as an excellent specimen of it.

Nehru should be remembered for what India is today in terms of the robust democratic institutions he left.

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was a liberal democrat with an accommodative and liberal worldview. He inherited a divided nation with multiple wounds; some contemporary like the Partition and some civilisational like caste. He tried to heal them to best of his capacity. His vision was welded in modernity influenced by the West but he did not push it down the throats of millions of Indians. He built a strong foundation for democracy. He ensured that India remained open to global influences. Unlike the Soviet Union and Eastern Block, Nehru did not shut India to the world. He ensured that India did not remain insular after Partition. He built institutions for the study of sciences to development of cottage industry. He built them and allowed them to be free. Nehru ensured that India remained pluralistic despite the fact that the word secular was not enshrined in the Constitution. × Nehru allowed his cabinet colleagues, such as Sardar Patel and Abul Kalam Azad to do the job they were intended to do. He was the prime minister but never suffocated or trampled the institutions he built. He ensured that principles on which India’s nascent democracy rested were treated well. Unlike many South East Asian, African states or neighbouring Pakistan, Nehru built foundations of a pluralist republic and saw to it that democracy survives when the world was not giving us a decade both as democracy and a nation. He ensured that India remained pluralistic despite the fact that the word secular was not enshrined in the Constitution. Today, political rights are considered given. During his tenure, they were recently hard-won from the British. He ensured that no one tampered with those values wrenched after years of struggle. He was able to reform Hindu Personal law. Many of the rights enjoyed by Hindu women in India are a result of the position taken by Nehru. He resisted the conservatives - both within Congress and outside -- who opposed the reforms on the ground that these went against the grain of Indian civilisation. He may get attacked today for not showing the same zeal for Muslims but at least 40 per cent of the Indian population was given the relief under new laws impacting women. Nehru policy has been derided as effeminate and weak in contrast to Sardar Patel. It is the most erroneous comparison. × Nehru should be remembered for decent debates in Parliament and tradition of accommodating dissent. Nehru had his temper but it never allowed him to muzzle the Opposition. Nehru could live with Rajendra Prasad whose views on certain issues were diametrically opposed to Nehru. It was for Nehru that despite strong Opposition, he never resorted to hard tactics which could have ruined the democratic parliamentary traditions of the nascent state. Nehru’s legacy lies in the democratic institutions and other independent bodies which came into existence during his tenure. Nehru policy has been derided as effeminate and weak in contrast to Sardar Patel. It is the most erroneous comparison. The contributions of founding father shouldn’t be seen one against another but as a cumulative and collaborative in nature. Remembering Nehru does not belittle the contribution of Sardar Patel who welded different kingdoms and states into a nation. Patel's strength worked for the Congress and not against Nehru. The credit goes to Nehru also that he allowed heavyweights like Patel and Kalam the freedom, space and respect they deserved in governance. Beyond doubt, he inspired a fondness for literature in politics which was virtually abandoned by subsequent politicians barring Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He built the state but did not sow the seed of authoritarianism nor disrespect for institutions. Nehru worked at a time when political right was earned by millions through India's freedom struggle. His credit lay in the fact that he preserved it and ensured that it gets enshrined the Constitution. Nehru cannot be blamed for Indira’s mistakes. Nehru made his own which were primarily in defence and foreign relations. The debate can cut both ways. He took big decisions and made bold contributions, and also ended up making big and costly mistakes. It only proves one thing. Nehru was a mortal and not a God. Nehru should be remembered for what India is today in terms of the robust democratic institutions he left. × Nehru should be remembered for what India is today in terms of the robust democratic institutions he left. He can be appraised for his role in inadequate defence planning which ultimately led to a humiliating defeat of India by China. Nehru for all said and done was a thinker and a Democrat. Personally, I will remember Nehru for building an India that kept itself open to the outside world. He did not build an insular and intensively chauvinistic India. He built a patriotic India. He wanted a modern India steeped in the tradition of modern enlightenment. He was a product of his time and ended up as an excellent specimen of it.

Nehru: The maker of modern India

Tushar Gandhi, the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, today moved the Supreme Court opposing a plea seeking to reopen of the 70-year-old assassination case of the Mahatma.

A bench of Justices S A Bobde and M M Shantanagoudar questioned the locus of Tushar Gandhi in the case.

Senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for Gandhi, said she will explain the locus if the court moves ahead with issuing of notice.

The bench said there were several ifs and buts in the case and will like to wait for the amicus curiae (friend of the court) Amrender Sharan&#39;s report.

Sharan sought four weeks time to file the report, saying he was yet to receive relevant documents from the National Archives.

Jaising said that she is opposing the reopening of the 70-year-old assassination case of Mahatma and also questioned the locus of the petitioner, Mumbai-based Pankaj Phadnis, a researcher and a trustee of Abhinav Bharat.

The bench listed the matter after four weeks.

The apex court had on October 6 appointed senior advocate Sharan as amicus curiae to assist it in the matter.

The bench had raised a volley of questions including how evidence could be collected now to order further investigation into the case which had led to the conviction and execution of Nathuram Vinayak Godse and Narayan Apte on November 15, 1949.

Gandhi was shot dead at point blank range in New Delhi on January 30, 1948 by Godse, a right-wing advocate of Hindu nationalism.

Phadnis has sought reopening of the probe on several grounds, claiming it was one of the biggest cover-ups in the history.

He has questioned the &#39;three bullet theory&#39; relied upon by various courts of law to hold the conviction of accused Godse and Apte, who were hanged, and Vinayak Damodar Savarkar who was given the benefit of doubt due to lack of evidence.

He has also claimed that there could be a third assassin other than the two convicted persons and submitted that there was a need to investigate whether the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), an intelligence agency of the US during World War II and a predecessor of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), had tried to protect Gandhi.

Phadnis has challenged the decision of the Bombay High Court which on June 6, 2016 had dismissed his PIL on two grounds&nbsp;firstly, that the findings of fact have been recorded by the competent court and confirmed right up to the apex court, and secondly, the Kapur Commission has submitted its report and made observations in 1969, while the present petition has been filed 46 years later.

Tushar Gandhi, the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, today moved the Supreme Court opposing a plea seeking to reopen of the 70-year-old assassination case of the Mahatma.

Tushar Gandhi, the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, today moved the Supreme Court opposing a plea seeking to reopen of the 70-year-old assassination case of the Mahatma. A bench of Justices S A Bobde and M M Shantanagoudar questioned the locus of Tushar Gandhi in the case. Senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for Gandhi, said she will explain the locus if the court moves ahead with issuing of notice. The bench said there were several ifs and buts in the case and will like to wait for the amicus curiae (friend of the court) Amrender Sharan's report. Sharan sought four weeks time to file the report, saying he was yet to receive relevant documents from the National Archives. Jaising said that she is opposing the reopening of the 70-year-old assassination case of Mahatma and also questioned the locus of the petitioner, Mumbai-based Pankaj Phadnis, a researcher and a trustee of Abhinav Bharat. The bench listed the matter after four weeks. The apex court had on October 6 appointed senior advocate Sharan as amicus curiae to assist it in the matter. The bench had raised a volley of questions including how evidence could be collected now to order further investigation into the case which had led to the conviction and execution of Nathuram Vinayak Godse and Narayan Apte on November 15, 1949. Gandhi was shot dead at point blank range in New Delhi on January 30, 1948 by Godse, a right-wing advocate of Hindu nationalism. Phadnis has sought reopening of the probe on several grounds, claiming it was one of the biggest cover-ups in the history. He has questioned the 'three bullet theory' relied upon by various courts of law to hold the conviction of accused Godse and Apte, who were hanged, and Vinayak Damodar Savarkar who was given the benefit of doubt due to lack of evidence. He has also claimed that there could be a third assassin other than the two convicted persons and submitted that there was a need to investigate whether the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), an intelligence agency of the US during World War II and a predecessor of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), had tried to protect Gandhi. Phadnis has challenged the decision of the Bombay High Court which on June 6, 2016 had dismissed his PIL on two grounds firstly, that the findings of fact have been recorded by the competent court and confirmed right up to the apex court, and secondly, the Kapur Commission has submitted its report and made observations in 1969, while the present petition has been filed 46 years later.

Tushar Gandhi moves SC opposing reopening of Mahatma's

BJP President Amit Shah said Monday that Rahul Gandhi should wear Gujarati spectacles -- and not Italian ones -- then he will see development in Gujarat.&nbsp;

He also added that if Rahul dreams of Gujarat, then he should visit Porbandar -- and not Italy.&nbsp;

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Agar Rahul ko Gujarat ke sapne aate hain toh unko pura karne ke liye Italy nahi, Porbandar aana padega: Amit Shah in Porbandar <a href="https://t.co/5IY1gKPBGP">pic.twitter.com/5IY1gKPBGP</a>
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Rahul&#39;s mother and Congress President Sonia Gandhi was born Italian; she is now an Indian citizen.&nbsp;

Rahul was recently in Gujarat, which is soon going to the polls this year.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/gujarat-government-is-running-from-a-remote-control-rahul-gandhi-20680" target="_blank">Also read:&nbsp;Gujarat government on remote control: Rahul Gandhi </a>

Shah was speaking in Porbandar, Gujarat.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Shah had on Sunday flagged off the Gujarat Gaurav Yatra -- to highlight development in the state under two decades of BJP rule -- from Karamsad, which is where Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is from.

He also added that if Rahul dreams of Gujarat, then he should visit Porbandar -- and not Italy.?

BJP President Amit Shah said Monday that Rahul Gandhi should wear Gujarati spectacles -- and not Italian ones -- then he will see development in Gujarat. He also added that if Rahul dreams of Gujarat, then he should visit Porbandar -- and not Italy. Agar Rahul ko Gujarat ke sapne aate hain toh unko pura karne ke liye Italy nahi, Porbandar aana padega: Amit Shah in Porbandar pic.twitter.com/5IY1gKPBGP — ANI (@ANI) October 2, 2017 × Agar Rahul ko Gujarat ke sapne aate hain toh unko pura karne ke liye Italy nahi, Porbandar aana padega: Amit Shah in Porbandar pic.twitter.com/5IY1gKPBGP — ANI (@ANI) October 2, 2017 × Rahul's mother and Congress President Sonia Gandhi was born Italian; she is now an Indian citizen. Rahul was recently in Gujarat, which is soon going to the polls this year. Also read: Gujarat government on remote control: Rahul Gandhi Shah was speaking in Porbandar, Gujarat. Shah had on Sunday flagged off the Gujarat Gaurav Yatra -- to highlight development in the state under two decades of BJP rule -- from Karamsad, which is where Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is from.

Rahul should wear Gujarati specs, then he will see development: Amit Shah

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today that issues such as cleanliness and hygiene should not be politicised and asserted that even &#39;1,000 Mahatma Gandhis&#39;&nbsp;could not achieve the goal of a &#39;clean India&#39; without the participation of 125 crore Indians.

Addressing a gathering here to mark three years of the Swachh Bharat mission, he said he had been severely criticised when he had initiated the programme and stepped out with a broom to launch it.

Maintaining that it was essential for children to wash their hands before eating as unhygienic conditions had led to several children dying, the prime minister said when he flagged the issue people asked how they would get soap and water.

People went to the extent of saying that the Prime Minister was making these statements just for the purpose of making a speech, Modi said &quot;...If you have to abuse Modi, there are a thousand (other) issues...But we should neither make fun nor politicise issues which are meant to bring about change in society,&quot; he said.

People, including fellow politicians, had slammed him for &quot;spoiling&quot; children&#39;s October 2 holiday, Modi said.

&quot;We cannot achieve the target (of a Clean India) even if 1,000 Mahatma Gandhis, one lakh Narendra Modis, chief ministers and all governments come together. We can achieve it (only) when all 125 crore countrymen come together,&quot; Modi told the gathering.

Asserting that he was convinced that the path shown by Mahatma Gandhi could not be wrong, he said he had endured a lot of criticism.

&quot;But my nature is such that I endure a lot of things. My responsibility is such that I should endure. Slowly, I am increasing my capacity to endure (criticism)...For three years, without hesitation, I continued. I continued as I was sure that the path shown by the Mahatma and what he had said cannot be wrong,&quot; Modi said.

About five years ago, when children were seen cleaning their schools, it would create controversy with even parents criticising teachers. But now, children helping clean schools is seen as positive news, he added.

Soon, people who participate in cleanliness drives will not make news but pictures of those who stay away from it will be shown on television, Modi said.

The country had come a long way but a lot remained to be done before the &#39;clean India&#39; target could be achieved, Modi said.

He noted that the media and members of civil society had played a key role in propagating the importance of cleanliness. There was need for introspection if the programme had not gained the desired momentum, notwithstanding the support from these sections, he stressed.

Modi said the issue of cleanliness should be looked at from the prism of women, who face difficulties due to lack of toilets, and lauded children for being ambassadors of the key programme.

He said men find it easy to answer nature&#39;s call at any traffic junction. But women hold themselves back till they reach home.

Referring to the need for toilets, he said when women don&#39;t have access to toilets, they go out in the open at the crack of dawn and hold themselves back till sunset to defecate. This could lead to health problems for them.

The prime minister also asked people to not discourage those who were practising cleanliness if the government was telling them to do so.&nbsp;

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/should-introspect-if-swachh-bharat-abhiyan-doesnt-have-desired-momentum-pm-modi-on-gandhi-jayanti-20885" target="_blank">Should introspect if Clean India campaign doesn&#39;t have desired momentum: PM Modi on Gandhi Jayanti</a>

Modi added that issues like cleanliness and hygiene should not be politicised

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today that issues such as cleanliness and hygiene should not be politicised and asserted that even '1,000 Mahatma Gandhis' could not achieve the goal of a 'clean India' without the participation of 125 crore Indians. Addressing a gathering here to mark three years of the Swachh Bharat mission, he said he had been severely criticised when he had initiated the programme and stepped out with a broom to launch it. Maintaining that it was essential for children to wash their hands before eating as unhygienic conditions had led to several children dying, the prime minister said when he flagged the issue people asked how they would get soap and water. People went to the extent of saying that the Prime Minister was making these statements just for the purpose of making a speech, Modi said "...If you have to abuse Modi, there are a thousand (other) issues...But we should neither make fun nor politicise issues which are meant to bring about change in society," he said. People, including fellow politicians, had slammed him for "spoiling" children's October 2 holiday, Modi said. "We cannot achieve the target (of a Clean India) even if 1,000 Mahatma Gandhis, one lakh Narendra Modis, chief ministers and all governments come together. We can achieve it (only) when all 125 crore countrymen come together," Modi told the gathering. Asserting that he was convinced that the path shown by Mahatma Gandhi could not be wrong, he said he had endured a lot of criticism. "But my nature is such that I endure a lot of things. My responsibility is such that I should endure. Slowly, I am increasing my capacity to endure (criticism)...For three years, without hesitation, I continued. I continued as I was sure that the path shown by the Mahatma and what he had said cannot be wrong," Modi said. About five years ago, when children were seen cleaning their schools, it would create controversy with even parents criticising teachers. But now, children helping clean schools is seen as positive news, he added. Soon, people who participate in cleanliness drives will not make news but pictures of those who stay away from it will be shown on television, Modi said. The country had come a long way but a lot remained to be done before the 'clean India' target could be achieved, Modi said. He noted that the media and members of civil society had played a key role in propagating the importance of cleanliness. There was need for introspection if the programme had not gained the desired momentum, notwithstanding the support from these sections, he stressed. Modi said the issue of cleanliness should be looked at from the prism of women, who face difficulties due to lack of toilets, and lauded children for being ambassadors of the key programme. He said men find it easy to answer nature's call at any traffic junction. But women hold themselves back till they reach home. Referring to the need for toilets, he said when women don't have access to toilets, they go out in the open at the crack of dawn and hold themselves back till sunset to defecate. This could lead to health problems for them. The prime minister also asked people to not discourage those who were practising cleanliness if the government was telling them to do so. Also read: Should introspect if Clean India campaign doesn't have desired momentum: PM Modi on Gandhi Jayanti

Even thousand Gandhis cannot clean India, says Modi, without support of 125 crore Indians

Taking a jibe at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah on Tuesday stated that the former is responsible for beginning the process of dissolving the Congress Party and dynasty politics.

Addressing a gathering in Rohtak, Shah said, &quot;Gandhi ji ne kaha tha azadi ke turant baad Congress ko bikhar jana dena chahiye... khair wo Gandhi ne nhi kiya ab koi Gandhi kar rha hai&quot;. (Mahatma Gandhi had said that Congress should be disbanded after Independence. While that Gandhi couldn&#39;t do it, some other Gandhi is doing it now.)

Hailing the saffron party and their development all over the country, Amit Shah stated that after BJP coming to power the country has moved towards development.

&quot;Wherever the BJP Government has come to power, there has been development in that area. When the Congress Government once ruled, the country&#39;s growth rate drastically fell, only after BJP coming to power the growth rate has gone up. The Bharatiya Janata Party has done the task of liberating the country from the politics of dynasty and appeasement. Also a political party which is based on principles can develop the country,&quot; Amit Shah added.

On July 30, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani had said that Congress Party president Sonia Gandhi was sinking the party because of the affection she has towards her son, Rahul Gandhi.

&quot;Sonia Gandhi is immersed in the affection towards her son, which has drowned the Congress party in the entire country,&quot; Vijay Rupani told ANI.

&nbsp;&quot;Today the condition of their party is getting worse as&nbsp;no one wants to accept their rule.&quot;

The Gujarat chief minister also accused the Congress of being insensitive and irresponsible by sending 40 MLAs to stay in a five-star hotel in Bengaluru at a time when Gujarat is facing floods.

Last week, the Congress accused the BJP of horse-trading in Gujarat and using &quot;money, muscle and state power&quot; to engineer defections, after six of its legislators resigned from the party to join the BJP.

The party on July 28 flew 44 of its MLAs to Bengaluru to stop more of them from switching over to the BJP.

The three Congress MLAs, Tejashreeben Patel, Balwantsinh Rajput and Prahlad Patel had resigned and joined the BJP.

Following this, three more MLAs, Thasra MLA Ramsinh Parmar, Balasinor MLA Mansinh Chauhan and Vansda MLA Chhana Chaudhary resigned on July 29.

(ANI)

The BJP president also said that development was taking place only in the areas where the BJP was in power

Taking a jibe at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah on Tuesday stated that the former is responsible for beginning the process of dissolving the Congress Party and dynasty politics. Addressing a gathering in Rohtak, Shah said, "Gandhi ji ne kaha tha azadi ke turant baad Congress ko bikhar jana dena chahiye... khair wo Gandhi ne nhi kiya ab koi Gandhi kar rha hai". (Mahatma Gandhi had said that Congress should be disbanded after Independence. While that Gandhi couldn't do it, some other Gandhi is doing it now.) Hailing the saffron party and their development all over the country, Amit Shah stated that after BJP coming to power the country has moved towards development. "Wherever the BJP Government has come to power, there has been development in that area. When the Congress Government once ruled, the country's growth rate drastically fell, only after BJP coming to power the growth rate has gone up. The Bharatiya Janata Party has done the task of liberating the country from the politics of dynasty and appeasement. Also a political party which is based on principles can develop the country," Amit Shah added. On July 30, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani had said that Congress Party president Sonia Gandhi was sinking the party because of the affection she has towards her son, Rahul Gandhi. "Sonia Gandhi is immersed in the affection towards her son, which has drowned the Congress party in the entire country," Vijay Rupani told ANI. "Today the condition of their party is getting worse as no one wants to accept their rule." The Gujarat chief minister also accused the Congress of being insensitive and irresponsible by sending 40 MLAs to stay in a five-star hotel in Bengaluru at a time when Gujarat is facing floods. Last week, the Congress accused the BJP of horse-trading in Gujarat and using "money, muscle and state power" to engineer defections, after six of its legislators resigned from the party to join the BJP. The party on July 28 flew 44 of its MLAs to Bengaluru to stop more of them from switching over to the BJP. The three Congress MLAs, Tejashreeben Patel, Balwantsinh Rajput and Prahlad Patel had resigned and joined the BJP. Following this, three more MLAs, Thasra MLA Ramsinh Parmar, Balasinor MLA Mansinh Chauhan and Vansda MLA Chhana Chaudhary resigned on July 29. (ANI)

Amit Shah claims Rahul Gandhi 'dissolving' Congress

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to connect the 100th anniversary of Champaran satyagraha with the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India campaign). This initiative attempts to re-envision the theme of the Champaran Satyagraha. The event will be kick started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who will launch a special digital exhibition at the National Archives in New Delhi on Monday.&nbsp;

This has the potential to fuel controversy as the Congress previously had protested the pictures of the prime minister weaving cotton on Khadi advertisements.

&ldquo;The digital exhibition titled, &ldquo;Bapu Ko Karyanjali&rdquo; will be an attempt to leverage this historic occasion to re-emphasise the spirit of cleanliness &ndash; or Swachhta &ndash; which was close to Mahatma Gandhi&rsquo;s heart, and was also a key element of the Champaran movement,&rdquo; said Raghvendra Singh, DG, National Archives.

April 2017 marks the centenary of the Champaran Satyagraha &ndash; Mahatma Gandhi&rsquo;s first satyagraha in India.

Sources told DNA that this effort will dovetail into the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan, and generate greater awareness towards cleanliness in the run-up to the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in 2019. Satyagraha, in this context, will therefore be re-interpreted as Swachhagraha &ndash; where an individual shall pool his efforts towards building a clean India.&nbsp;

The exhibition will feature several sections. Beginning with a recall of the Champaran Satyagraha, it will feature a detailed account of the milestones and progress achieved under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. Subjects such as water, hygiene and sanitation will be elaborated upon. 
&nbsp; 
A special &ldquo;Digital Engagement&rdquo; section will use tools such as video walls and projection techniques to engage visitors on various related historical themes. There shall be a separate section on &ldquo;Swachhagraha &ndash; the way forward.&rdquo;

After inaugurating and going through the exhibition, the prime minister will host a gathering on the lawns of the National Archives.&nbsp;

The facade of the National Archives building will be specially lit in the form of a digital wall said Raghvendra Singh.&nbsp;

PMO sources said that the theme &ndash; &quot;Bapu Ko Karyanjali&quot; &ndash; is a pointer to this spirit &ndash; of a fresh resolve towards the goal of cleanliness, or Swachhta &ndash; that was so dear to Mahatma Gandhi. 
&nbsp;

April 2017 marks the centenary of the Champaran Satyagraha ? Mahatma Gandhi?s first satyagraha in India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to connect the 100th anniversary of Champaran satyagraha with the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India campaign). This initiative attempts to re-envision the theme of the Champaran Satyagraha. The event will be kick started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who will launch a special digital exhibition at the National Archives in New Delhi on Monday. This has the potential to fuel controversy as the Congress previously had protested the pictures of the prime minister weaving cotton on Khadi advertisements. “The digital exhibition titled, “Bapu Ko Karyanjali” will be an attempt to leverage this historic occasion to re-emphasise the spirit of cleanliness – or Swachhta – which was close to Mahatma Gandhi’s heart, and was also a key element of the Champaran movement,” said Raghvendra Singh, DG, National Archives. April 2017 marks the centenary of the Champaran Satyagraha – Mahatma Gandhi’s first satyagraha in India. Sources told DNA that this effort will dovetail into the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan, and generate greater awareness towards cleanliness in the run-up to the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in 2019. Satyagraha, in this context, will therefore be re-interpreted as Swachhagraha – where an individual shall pool his efforts towards building a clean India. The exhibition will feature several sections. Beginning with a recall of the Champaran Satyagraha, it will feature a detailed account of the milestones and progress achieved under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. Subjects such as water, hygiene and sanitation will be elaborated upon. A special “Digital Engagement” section will use tools such as video walls and projection techniques to engage visitors on various related historical themes. There shall be a separate section on “Swachhagraha – the way forward.” After inaugurating and going through the exhibition, the prime minister will host a gathering on the lawns of the National Archives. The facade of the National Archives building will be specially lit in the form of a digital wall said Raghvendra Singh. PMO sources said that the theme – "Bapu Ko Karyanjali" – is a pointer to this spirit – of a fresh resolve towards the goal of cleanliness, or Swachhta – that was so dear to Mahatma Gandhi.

Mahatma Gandhi's Champaran Satyagraha to be reinterpreted as Swachhagraha

India Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday paid tribute&nbsp;to the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi on his 69th death anniversary.

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????? ???? ?? ????????? ?? ???? ??-?? ???...Tributes to beloved Bapu on his Punya Tithi.
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/825876496522698752">January 30, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice-President Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay tributes to Bapu (father) at Rajghat in Delhi. An inter-religious prayer will also be organised to mark the day.

Later in the day, urban development minister Venkaiah Naidu will inaugurate improvement works at Gandhiji Samadhi.

On this day in 1948, Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated at a prayer meeting.&nbsp;

(ANI)

President Pranab Mukherjee and Vice-President Hamid Ansari will also pay their tributes to Bapu at Rajghat in Delhi today

India Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday paid tribute to the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi on his 69th death anniversary. ????? ???? ?? ????????? ?? ???? ??-?? ???...Tributes to beloved Bapu on his Punya Tithi. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 30, 2017 × President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice-President Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay tributes to Bapu (father) at Rajghat in Delhi. An inter-religious prayer will also be organised to mark the day. Later in the day, urban development minister Venkaiah Naidu will inaugurate improvement works at Gandhiji Samadhi. On this day in 1948, Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated at a prayer meeting. (ANI)

Mahatma Gandhi's 69th death anniversary: Indian PM Modi pays tribute

Global e-tailing giant Amazon appears to be headed for another round of confrontation with the Indian government.&nbsp;

Days after it discontinued the&nbsp;sale of doormats with the Indian flag on them -- following an angry reaction from India&rsquo;s foreign minister -- the online retailer once again finds itself in the middle of a brewing controversy, this time over slippers that have a picture of Mahatma Gandhi on them. 
&nbsp; 
Even as the dust had barely settled on the episode involving sale of doormats showing Indian flag on Amazon&rsquo;s Canada portal, flip-flops depicting Mahatma Gandhi&rsquo;s picture, split into two, being sold on Amazon.com for 16.99 US dollars has come as another shocker for India. 
&nbsp; 
Shockingly, Cafepress&mdash;the third party vendor who is selling these flip-flops on Amazon&mdash;has, on its own web portal, a full line of such slippers having pictures that are sure to raise hackles in India.

Consider these:

&middot; In addition to several variants of Mahatma Gandhi&rsquo;s pictures on these flip-flops, the one which may be found even more offending is the one that shows the &nbsp; &nbsp;Mahatma sitting with a gun in his hand.

&middot; There&rsquo;s another pair of flip-flops that has Lord Shiva&rsquo;s picture on them.

&middot; Similar flip-flops having India&rsquo;s tricolor are also up for sale on Cafepress portal. 
&nbsp; 
Only a few days back, Amazon&#39;s Canada portal was in soup for selling doormats depicting the Indian flag, causing India&rsquo;s foreign minister Sushma Swaraj to take to Twitter seeking an unconditional apology and withdrawal of all products insulting India&rsquo;s national flag. &ldquo;If this is not done forthwith, we will not grant Indian visa to any amazon official. We will also rescind the visas issued earlier,&rdquo; Swaraj had warned. 
&nbsp; 
Within hours of Swaraj&rsquo;s warning, Amazon&rsquo;s top brass wrote to her expressing regrets &amp; indicating that the item had been pulled from the website.&nbsp;

But this latest episode appears to have once again ignited the discussion over disrespect to India&rsquo;s national symbols and leaders. 
&nbsp; 
Ever since news of these slippers with Mahatma Gandhi&rsquo;s pictures surfaced, the Amazon page selling these slippers has been flooded with comments from users, mostly Indian, seeking removal and banning of such products. 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;Amazon please ban this seller (and take further action if possible) for spreading hate and hurting sentiments of people of India and his followers around the world. MK Gandhi is a very respected figure in India and around the world, and having flip flops with his face, shows the disgusting and dangerous precedence this seller (sick minded and arrogant ) is setting,&rdquo; one Rahul Lokare wrote on the amazon webpage selling these slippers. 
&nbsp; 
Amazon&rsquo;s Canada portal has been selling doormats depicting flags of Canada, the United States and Britain. Its portals in the US, UK, Germany and France have also been selling doormats depicting the American and British flags. But curiously enough, none of these countries have raised much objection to the sale of these products so far. 
&nbsp; 
The only other case to have surfaced recently is that of a California-based company recalling a model of military-style boots after a customer pointed out that the soles leave imprints of &ldquo;swastika&rdquo;&mdash;a sacred religious symbol in Hinduism and several other religions.&nbsp;

Amazon, where these boots were being sold, has since then removed the product from its listings. 
&nbsp; 
Following the Indian flag doormat episode, India has directed its ambassador in Washington to convey to Amazon that while providing a platform for third-party vendors they should respect Indian sensitivities and sentiments. 
&nbsp; 
A formal reaction on the Gandhi flip-flops from India&rsquo;s Ministry of External Affairs is expected soon.&nbsp;

Amazon, too, is yet to clear the air on the matter. 
&nbsp; 
The last on this, clearly, has not been heard yet.

(WION)

Amazon finds itself in the middle of another controversy, this time over selling slippers that have the picture of Mahatma Gandhi on them

Global e-tailing giant Amazon appears to be headed for another round of confrontation with the Indian government. Days after it discontinued the sale of doormats with the Indian flag on them -- following an angry reaction from India’s foreign minister -- the online retailer once again finds itself in the middle of a brewing controversy, this time over slippers that have a picture of Mahatma Gandhi on them. Even as the dust had barely settled on the episode involving sale of doormats showing Indian flag on Amazon’s Canada portal, flip-flops depicting Mahatma Gandhi’s picture, split into two, being sold on Amazon.com for 16.99 US dollars has come as another shocker for India. Shockingly, Cafepress—the third party vendor who is selling these flip-flops on Amazon—has, on its own web portal, a full line of such slippers having pictures that are sure to raise hackles in India. Consider these: · In addition to several variants of Mahatma Gandhi’s pictures on these flip-flops, the one which may be found even more offending is the one that shows the Mahatma sitting with a gun in his hand. · There’s another pair of flip-flops that has Lord Shiva’s picture on them. · Similar flip-flops having India’s tricolor are also up for sale on Cafepress portal. Only a few days back, Amazon's Canada portal was in soup for selling doormats depicting the Indian flag, causing India’s foreign minister Sushma Swaraj to take to Twitter seeking an unconditional apology and withdrawal of all products insulting India’s national flag. “If this is not done forthwith, we will not grant Indian visa to any amazon official. We will also rescind the visas issued earlier,” Swaraj had warned. Within hours of Swaraj’s warning, Amazon’s top brass wrote to her expressing regrets & indicating that the item had been pulled from the website. But this latest episode appears to have once again ignited the discussion over disrespect to India’s national symbols and leaders. Ever since news of these slippers with Mahatma Gandhi’s pictures surfaced, the Amazon page selling these slippers has been flooded with comments from users, mostly Indian, seeking removal and banning of such products. “Amazon please ban this seller (and take further action if possible) for spreading hate and hurting sentiments of people of India and his followers around the world. MK Gandhi is a very respected figure in India and around the world, and having flip flops with his face, shows the disgusting and dangerous precedence this seller (sick minded and arrogant ) is setting,” one Rahul Lokare wrote on the amazon webpage selling these slippers. Amazon’s Canada portal has been selling doormats depicting flags of Canada, the United States and Britain. Its portals in the US, UK, Germany and France have also been selling doormats depicting the American and British flags. But curiously enough, none of these countries have raised much objection to the sale of these products so far. The only other case to have surfaced recently is that of a California-based company recalling a model of military-style boots after a customer pointed out that the soles leave imprints of “swastika”—a sacred religious symbol in Hinduism and several other religions. Amazon, where these boots were being sold, has since then removed the product from its listings. Following the Indian flag doormat episode, India has directed its ambassador in Washington to convey to Amazon that while providing a platform for third-party vendors they should respect Indian sensitivities and sentiments. A formal reaction on the Gandhi flip-flops from India’s Ministry of External Affairs is expected soon. Amazon, too, is yet to clear the air on the matter. The last on this, clearly, has not been heard yet. (WION)

Another bout of confrontation with Indian govt likely as Amazon hosts slippers with pictures of Gandhi

Anil Vij, a senior member of India&#39;s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, has withdrawn his controversial comments that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a bigger brand than Mahatma Gandhi.

The BJP leader had invoked outrage after he said on Saturday that India&#39;s khadi industry could not progress because of Mahatma Gandhi&#39;s association with the brand. He further said that the father of the nation, as Mahatma Gandhi is popularly called for spearheading India&#39;s freedom struggle, would be removed from currency notes as well.

&quot;Since the time Gandhi&#39;s name got associated with Khadi...it could not progress. The day Mahatma Gandhi came on the rupee, its devaluation started. Gradually, he will be removed from the notes also. It&#39;s good that Gandhi has been replaced with Modi...Modi is a bigger brand name. After Modi&#39;s association with khadi, there has been 14 per cent increase in sale of the products,&quot; Vij had said. 
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Good that Mahatma was replaced by Modi on khadi calendar,Gandhi will also gradually be removed from currency notes says Haryana Min Anil Vij <a href="https://t.co/e8AXr7WJFw">pic.twitter.com/e8AXr7WJFw</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/820183201364574209">January 14, 2017</a></blockquote>
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He commented after India&#39;s khadi sector regulator recently replaced Gandhi&#39;s iconic &#39;charkha&#39; (spinning wheel) picture with Modi on their annual table diaries and calendars -- a change that triggered a cascade of criticism.

The BJP, including Haryana chief minister ML Khattar, &#39;strongly condemned&#39; the minister&#39;s remarks and distanced themselves from him.&nbsp; 
 
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BJP strongly condemns statement of Anil Vij,its his personal remark &amp; not party&#39;s stand. Mahatma Gandhi is our icon: Shrikant Sharma,BJP <a href="https://t.co/WX1IQZUlFo">pic.twitter.com/WX1IQZUlFo</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/820185303541420033">January 14, 2017</a></blockquote>
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It is his personal opinion and has nothing to do with the party: Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar on Anil Vij <a href="https://t.co/Cg9RDv5dG2">pic.twitter.com/Cg9RDv5dG2</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/820186547169345536">January 14, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The Congress, the de facto official party and the party Gandhi was a member of, also excoriated Vij. &quot;One can only expect such kind of objectionable and nonsensical statements from BJP&#39;s leaders and ministers,&quot; Congress leader RS Surjewala said.

The Congress accused the BJP of resorting to &quot;divisive politics&quot; and said Modi was trying to project himself as &quot;bigger than Mahatma Gandhi&quot;.

&quot;BJP believes in hatred and divisive politics. It is unfortunate that now Narendra Modi is trying to portray himself bigger than Mahatma Gandhi,&quot; Surjewala further said.

Meanwhile, sources told ANI on Friday there was no question of replacing Mahatma Gandhi&#39;s picture with that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.&nbsp;

&quot;There was no picture of Mahatma Gandhi on KVIC diary or calendar in the year 1996, 2002, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, so there is no question of replacing his picture with that of Modi,&quot; said unnamed sources. 
 
(WION with inputs from ANI)

Haryana cabinet minister Anil Vij had earlier said that Gandhi would be gradually replaced from currency notes too

Anil Vij, a senior member of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, has withdrawn his controversial comments that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a bigger brand than Mahatma Gandhi. The BJP leader had invoked outrage after he said on Saturday that India's khadi industry could not progress because of Mahatma Gandhi's association with the brand. He further said that the father of the nation, as Mahatma Gandhi is popularly called for spearheading India's freedom struggle, would be removed from currency notes as well. "Since the time Gandhi's name got associated with Khadi...it could not progress. The day Mahatma Gandhi came on the rupee, its devaluation started. Gradually, he will be removed from the notes also. It's good that Gandhi has been replaced with Modi...Modi is a bigger brand name. After Modi's association with khadi, there has been 14 per cent increase in sale of the products," Vij had said. Good that Mahatma was replaced by Modi on khadi calendar,Gandhi will also gradually be removed from currency notes says Haryana Min Anil Vij pic.twitter.com/e8AXr7WJFw — ANI (@ANI_news) January 14, 2017 × × He commented after India's khadi sector regulator recently replaced Gandhi's iconic 'charkha' (spinning wheel) picture with Modi on their annual table diaries and calendars -- a change that triggered a cascade of criticism. The BJP, including Haryana chief minister ML Khattar, 'strongly condemned' the minister's remarks and distanced themselves from him. BJP strongly condemns statement of Anil Vij,its his personal remark & not party's stand. Mahatma Gandhi is our icon: Shrikant Sharma,BJP pic.twitter.com/WX1IQZUlFo — ANI (@ANI_news) January 14, 2017 × It is his personal opinion and has nothing to do with the party: Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar on Anil Vij pic.twitter.com/Cg9RDv5dG2 — ANI (@ANI_news) January 14, 2017 × The Congress, the de facto official party and the party Gandhi was a member of, also excoriated Vij. "One can only expect such kind of objectionable and nonsensical statements from BJP's leaders and ministers," Congress leader RS Surjewala said. The Congress accused the BJP of resorting to "divisive politics" and said Modi was trying to project himself as "bigger than Mahatma Gandhi". "BJP believes in hatred and divisive politics. It is unfortunate that now Narendra Modi is trying to portray himself bigger than Mahatma Gandhi," Surjewala further said. Meanwhile, sources told ANI on Friday there was no question of replacing Mahatma Gandhi's picture with that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "There was no picture of Mahatma Gandhi on KVIC diary or calendar in the year 1996, 2002, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, so there is no question of replacing his picture with that of Modi," said unnamed sources. (WION with inputs from ANI)

BJP leader says Modi bigger brand than Mahatma Gandhi, later retracts

The image of India&#39;s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and not Mahatma Gandhi, dons the cover of table diaries and wall calendars printed by an Indian government-controlled khadi commission, a move that has sparked widespread public criticism.

The government-controlled Khadi and Village Industries Commission&#39;s decision seems surprising because Mahatma Gandhi, the figurehead of India&#39;s independence movement, had imbued special significance to khadi and the country&#39;s freedom struggle. Khadi, a handspun fabric primarily made of cotton, was introduced by Gandhi as a political weapon against Britain&#39;s rule in 1920. &nbsp;

Unlike previous years, KVIC calendars and diaries have replaced the symbolic image of Gandhi weaving khadi on a charkha (spinning wheel) with Modi working on a modern version of the charkha, according to The Economic Times.

The sudden change has been widely condemned on Twitter, with users calling the move &#39;disgusting&#39; and expressing alarm over the upending of the annual tradition.

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PM <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi">@narendramodi</a> Replaces Mahatma Gandhi in Khadi Udyog calender. 
 
&quot;???? ??? ??? ??? ??......!&quot;<a href="https://twitter.com/dilipkpandey">@dilipkpandey</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AnkitLal">@AnkitLal</a> <a href="https://t.co/Jq0AUnWKJW">pic.twitter.com/Jq0AUnWKJW</a>
&mdash; Sourabh Jain ???? (@SourabhJainIET) <a href="https://twitter.com/SourabhJainIET/status/819482395434950656">January 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Sourabh Jain sardonically tweets in Hindi that &quot;his country is changing&quot;.

Karuna Sanghvi (her Twitter handle being @karunasanghvi) was more scathing, saying it is the &quot;biggest insult to Indian nation (sic) and its values&quot;. Other tweets were on similar lines, denouncing KVIC&#39;s decision.

KVIC was formed by the federal government in 1956 to facilitate development of khadi and village industries.

Khadi retains its importance in modern India because it is a labour-intensive industry, a characteristic that suits the country, which boasts of having a population of 1.3 billion.

The federal government keeps providing rebates to the sector. It assists the khadi industry by allowing 10 per cent rebate throughout the year and an additional 10 per cent rebate for 108 days of the year to stimulate the sector&#39;s growth and keep the fabric competitive in the market.

(WION)

&nbsp;

The decision taken by Khadi and Village Industries Commission, an agency formed by the Indian government, has been censured on Twitter

The image of India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and not Mahatma Gandhi, dons the cover of table diaries and wall calendars printed by an Indian government-controlled khadi commission, a move that has sparked widespread public criticism. The government-controlled Khadi and Village Industries Commission's decision seems surprising because Mahatma Gandhi, the figurehead of India's independence movement, had imbued special significance to khadi and the country's freedom struggle. Khadi, a handspun fabric primarily made of cotton, was introduced by Gandhi as a political weapon against Britain's rule in 1920. Unlike previous years, KVIC calendars and diaries have replaced the symbolic image of Gandhi weaving khadi on a charkha (spinning wheel) with Modi working on a modern version of the charkha, according to The Economic Times. The sudden change has been widely condemned on Twitter, with users calling the move 'disgusting' and expressing alarm over the upending of the annual tradition. PM @narendramodi Replaces Mahatma Gandhi in Khadi Udyog calender. "???? ??? ??? ??? ??......!"@dilipkpandey @AnkitLal pic.twitter.com/Jq0AUnWKJW — Sourabh Jain ???? (@SourabhJainIET) January 12, 2017 × Sourabh Jain sardonically tweets in Hindi that "his country is changing". Karuna Sanghvi (her Twitter handle being @karunasanghvi) was more scathing, saying it is the "biggest insult to Indian nation (sic) and its values". Other tweets were on similar lines, denouncing KVIC's decision. KVIC was formed by the federal government in 1956 to facilitate development of khadi and village industries. Khadi retains its importance in modern India because it is a labour-intensive industry, a characteristic that suits the country, which boasts of having a population of 1.3 billion. The federal government keeps providing rebates to the sector. It assists the khadi industry by allowing 10 per cent rebate throughout the year and an additional 10 per cent rebate for 108 days of the year to stimulate the sector's growth and keep the fabric competitive in the market. (WION)

Modi replaces Mahatma Gandhi in govt-controlled khadi agency's diary, calendar

Indian freedom fighter Mahatma Gandhi&#39;s grandson Kanu Gandhi died at the age of 87 late Monday, two weeks after being admitted to hospital in western Gujarat state following a stroke.

One of several grandchildren of India&#39;s famous independence leader, Kanu was a scientist for NASA but spent the final months of his life living in an ashram in Surat, Gujarat.

&quot;Kanu kaka had suffered from (a) stroke and had been in hospital since October 26. Since (the) last couple of days he was on ventilator support,&quot; Parimal Desai from the ashram told AFP.

Prime minister Narendra Modi tweeted his condolences, saying he was &quot;pained by the demise of Kanubhai Gandhi&quot;.

Kanu was born in 1928 to Ramdas Gandhi, Gandhi&#39;s third son, and was 17-years-old when his grandfather was assassinated in Delhi. He appeared in a famous 1937 photograph of Gandhi, showing a then nine-year-old Kanu running ahead of his grandfather, holding his walking stick.

Kanu studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States and worked for NASA for over two decades before returning to India in 2014.

Kanu and his wife Shivalaxmi hit the headlines earlier this year after they were found living in a home for senior citizens and destitutes in New Delhi, causing a public outcry.

The couple had wanted to spend their final years in their ancestral home Porbandar, which is now controlled by the government. They shuttled between various cities before settling in the ashram in Surat.

(AFP)

One of several grandchildren of India's famous independence leader, Kanu was a scientist for NASA

Indian freedom fighter Mahatma Gandhi's grandson Kanu Gandhi died at the age of 87 late Monday, two weeks after being admitted to hospital in western Gujarat state following a stroke. One of several grandchildren of India's famous independence leader, Kanu was a scientist for NASA but spent the final months of his life living in an ashram in Surat, Gujarat. "Kanu kaka had suffered from (a) stroke and had been in hospital since October 26. Since (the) last couple of days he was on ventilator support," Parimal Desai from the ashram told AFP. Prime minister Narendra Modi tweeted his condolences, saying he was "pained by the demise of Kanubhai Gandhi". Kanu was born in 1928 to Ramdas Gandhi, Gandhi's third son, and was 17-years-old when his grandfather was assassinated in Delhi. He appeared in a famous 1937 photograph of Gandhi, showing a then nine-year-old Kanu running ahead of his grandfather, holding his walking stick. Kanu studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States and worked for NASA for over two decades before returning to India in 2014. Kanu and his wife Shivalaxmi hit the headlines earlier this year after they were found living in a home for senior citizens and destitutes in New Delhi, causing a public outcry. The couple had wanted to spend their final years in their ancestral home Porbandar, which is now controlled by the government. They shuttled between various cities before settling in the ashram in Surat. (AFP)

Mahatma Gandhi's grandson dies at 87

India will sign the Paris climate deal today (October 2), according to its environment minister.

India&#39;s ratification is crucial for the climate deal, which seeks to combat global warming.&nbsp;

The climate pact needs approval from 55 per cent of the world&#39;s carbon emitters for it to be legally binding. It currently stands at a little over 47 per cent. Inclusion of India, which is responsible for four per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, will help the deal move closer to the legal threshold.&nbsp;

So far, 61 countries, including the United States and China (they account for 40 per cent of global carbon emissions),&nbsp;have agreed to the deal.

Last week, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to ratify the deal on October 2, the 147th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

&quot;We will ratify the Paris deal in the UN&nbsp;tomorrow. The President has signed it. The Union Cabinet has already approved it,&quot; environment minister Anil Madhav Dave said, admitting there was &quot;international pressure&quot; because India&#39;s carbon emission figures&nbsp;were surging as it is &quot;fast becoming a superpower&quot;.&nbsp;

But India has maintained it will sign the pact but function in the context of its national laws.&nbsp;

&quot;While agreeing to ratify the Paris agreement, the Cabinet has also decided that India should declare that it will treat its national laws, its development agenda, availability of means of implementation, its assessment of global commitment to combating climate change, and predictable and affordable access to cleaner source of energy as the context in which the agreement is being ratified,&quot; an official statement had earlier said.

The Paris agreement doesn&#39;t want&nbsp;global temperatures to increase by more than 2 degrees Celcius. It will also provide $100 billion to developing nations from 2020 onwards to help them cope with the side-effects that are likely to crop up due to less utilisation of carbon-based fuels.&nbsp;&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)

&nbsp;

India's inclusion will help the climate pact move closer towards legislation

India will sign the Paris climate deal today (October 2), according to its environment minister. India's ratification is crucial for the climate deal, which seeks to combat global warming. The climate pact needs approval from 55 per cent of the world's carbon emitters for it to be legally binding. It currently stands at a little over 47 per cent. Inclusion of India, which is responsible for four per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, will help the deal move closer to the legal threshold. So far, 61 countries, including the United States and China (they account for 40 per cent of global carbon emissions), have agreed to the deal. Last week, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to ratify the deal on October 2, the 147th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. "We will ratify the Paris deal in the UN tomorrow. The President has signed it. The Union Cabinet has already approved it," environment minister Anil Madhav Dave said, admitting there was "international pressure" because India's carbon emission figures were surging as it is "fast becoming a superpower". But India has maintained it will sign the pact but function in the context of its national laws. "While agreeing to ratify the Paris agreement, the Cabinet has also decided that India should declare that it will treat its national laws, its development agenda, availability of means of implementation, its assessment of global commitment to combating climate change, and predictable and affordable access to cleaner source of energy as the context in which the agreement is being ratified," an official statement had earlier said. The Paris agreement doesn't want global temperatures to increase by more than 2 degrees Celcius. It will also provide $100 billion to developing nations from 2020 onwards to help them cope with the side-effects that are likely to crop up due to less utilisation of carbon-based fuels. (WION with inputs from agencies)

India will ratify Paris climate deal today

It wouldn&#39;t be an exaggeration to say that we live in an era of protests that are increasingly getting violent. The protests in Kashmir, the violent anti-government protests in Congo and the ones that erupted in Dallas are just a few to name. 
 
Resistance, however, does not always have to be violent to yield results. Here are some non-violent protests from across the world that have led to change in the past.
<h2>1. The Salt March</h2>
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Objective of protest: Independence of India from the British empire 
 
Method adopted: The Salt march, also known as &lsquo;Dandi march&rsquo; or &lsquo;Salt Satyagraha&rsquo;, was a civil disobedience movement led by M K Gandhi. In 1930, Gandhi along with his followers embarked on a non-violent protest march against the British &lsquo;salt tax&rsquo; which went through a 241-mile trek and ended with the protesters breaking the salt law. 
 
Impact: Proved as a watershed event in the long run, although was not immediately successful.

<h2> 
2. Women&rsquo;s Suffrage Parade</h2>
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/source_sliptalk%20(1)-20160920064004.jpg" />
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Source: Sliptalk
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Objective of protest: To achieve voting rights for women in the&nbsp;US. 
 
Method adopted: The Woman Suffrage Procession of 1913, spearheaded by Alice Paul and Inez Milholland, was infused with allegory and symbolism. Clad in a white robe and astride a white horse, suffragist Milholland led the peaceful parade down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington DC. More than 5,000 marchers accompanied her to make this demonstration one of the most important ones in the 82-year long struggle to achieve voting rights for women. 
 
Impact: Successful in drawing attention towards the cause. 
&nbsp;
<h2>3. Delano Grape Boycott</h2>
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/cesar_chavez2-20160921110739.jpg" />
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Image by Joel Levine
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Objective of protest: To achieve migrant farm workers&rsquo; rights in the&nbsp;US 
 
Method adopted: The walkout from the fields staged by US&rsquo; Filipino farm workers, demanding wages equal to federal minimum wage on September 8, 1965 marked the beginning of the grape strike. In an attempt to pressurise the grape growers and the government to give in to the demands of farm workers, civil rights activist and labour leader &lsquo;Cesar Chavez&rsquo; changed the focus from a strike to a complete boycott of California grapes in 1967. 
 
Impact: Five-year long movement ended in a significant victory. 
&nbsp;
<h2>4. Bed-in for Peace</h2>
 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/source%20www.gahetna.nl-20160920064210.jpg" />
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Source: www.gahetna.nl
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Objective of protest: To promote world peace 
 
Method adopted: Beatles legend John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono staged a peaceful protest against Vietnam war by holding a week-long bed-in in the Amsterdam Hilton hotel for the world media. During the protest, Lennon and Ono invited the press to their hotel room every day and talked about peace. The bed-in was staged during the couple&rsquo;s honeymoon between March 25 to March 31, 1969. 
 
Impact: Started a conversation and received attention&nbsp;as a work of art. 
&nbsp;
<h2>5. March on Washington</h2>
 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/march-20160921110124.jpg" />
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Source: commons.wikimedia.org
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Objective of protest: To achieve civil rights for African-American people. 
 
Method adopted: Held on August 28, 1963 in Washington DC, the &lsquo;March on Washington&rsquo; was a political demonstration against racial discrimination. The march, led by Martin Luther King Jr, witnessed participation from over 2,00,000 people in the shadow of the Lincoln Memorial. It was one of the largest public protests of that time. 
 
Impact: Helped in the passage of 1964 Civil Rights Act. 
&nbsp;
<h2>6. Olympics Black Power salute</h2>
 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/source%20flickr%20newtown%20grafitti%20(1)-20160920063608.jpg" />
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Source: Flickr Newtown graffiti
</div>
Objective of protest: To end racial discrimination. 
 
Method adopted: African-American sprinters Tommie Smith (won gold) and John Carlos (won bronze) used the 1968 Olympic victories in Mexico City to show their opposition to the continued oppression of the African-American people in the US. Smith and Carlos stood atop the podium with their heads bowed and black-gloved fists raised in the air. 
 
Impact:&nbsp;Widely criticised at that time; seen as a great act of solidarity now. 
&nbsp;
<h2>7. Montgomery Bus Boycott</h2>
 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/source%20commondream.org-20160920064422.jpg" />
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Source: commondream.org
</div>
Objective of protest: To end racial segregation in public transit system. 
 
Method adopted: On December 1, 1955, an African-American woman named Rosa Parks refused to give her seat to a white man in Alabama. During that time, the African-Americans were allowed to sit only on the latter half of the bus seats as per law, while the seats on the front half were reserved for whites. Hence, this incident led to the arrest of Parks, which sparked off a 13-month long mass protest in the form of Montgomery (Alabama) bus boycott against the racial segregation policy. 
 
Impact: Led to the passage of a ruling in June 1956 which declared Alabama&rsquo;s racial segregation laws in public transit system as unconstitutional.

<h2> 
8. The Singing Revolution</h2>
 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/source_wikicommons_tobreatheasone-20160921113307.jpg" />
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Source: Wikicommons/ToBreatheAsOne
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Objective of protest: Independence of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania from the erstwhile USSR. 
 
Method adopted: As a means of peaceful protest, the Singing Revolution involved thousands of people gathering publicly to sing patriotic songs, which were forbidden by the Soviet Union occupiers. In their effort to attain independence, the people from Estonia risked their lives by making protest speeches. 
 
Impact: The revolution finally became a success, after four years of protest, in 1991.

<h2> 
9.&nbsp;Orange Revolution</h2>
 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/morning_first_day_of_orange_revolution%20(1)-20160921095948.jpg" />
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Source: commons.wikimedia.org
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Objective of protest: To reverse the alleged attempt of authorities to rig 2004 presidential elections in Ukraine 
 
Method adopted: During the Orange Revolution, Ukrainian protesters gathered at the Independence Square in Ukraine&rsquo;s capital &lsquo;Kiev&rsquo;. In a nation-wide non-violent protest, the demonstrators stayed out on streets, staged sit-ins and strikes. 
 
Impact: Ukraine&rsquo;s Supreme Court ordered revote.

<h2>10. #ThisFlag Movement</h2>
 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/pivic4ad-20160921114531.jpg" />
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Source: twitter.com/PastorEvanLive
</div>
Objective of protest: To highlight Zimbabwean government&rsquo;s failure to provide citizens a dignified life. 
 
Method adopted: A 39-year-old man, Pastor Evan, put a Zimbabwean flag around his neck and made a video decrying the state of economy in Zimbabwe. This digital activism also saw the involvement of other people from the country, subsequently. 
 
Impact: The video&nbsp;garnered thousands of hits on Facebook.

<h2> 
11. The Wall Street Movement</h2>
 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/occupy-20160921111955.JPG" />
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Source: commons.wikimedia.org
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Objective of protest: To draw attention towards social and economic inequality and corruption. 
 
Method adopted: Inspired by Spain&#39;s anti-austerity protests, the 2011 Occupy Wall Street movement witnessed peaceful protests by people who claimed to be struggling economically. These people began sleeping in&nbsp;Zuccotti Park in Manhattan&rsquo;s financial district &#39;Wall Street&#39;. The movement, which was initiated by a few people, quickly grew significantly as more and more people were mobilised. 
 
Impact: Received extensive coverage by the media. 
 
Contributions by Shashwat Mittal &amp; Ashna Mishra

Resistance does not always have to be violent to yield results, these protests showed

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that we live in an era of protests that are increasingly getting violent. The protests in Kashmir, the violent anti-government protests in Congo and the ones that erupted in Dallas are just a few to name. Resistance, however, does not always have to be violent to yield results. Here are some non-violent protests from across the world that have led to change in the past. 1. The Salt March Source: AFP Objective of protest: Independence of India from the British empire Method adopted: The Salt march, also known as ‘Dandi march’ or ‘Salt Satyagraha’, was a civil disobedience movement led by M K Gandhi. In 1930, Gandhi along with his followers embarked on a non-violent protest march against the British ‘salt tax’ which went through a 241-mile trek and ended with the protesters breaking the salt law. Impact: Proved as a watershed event in the long run, although was not immediately successful. 2. Women’s Suffrage Parade Source: Sliptalk Objective of protest: To achieve voting rights for women in the US. Method adopted: The Woman Suffrage Procession of 1913, spearheaded by Alice Paul and Inez Milholland, was infused with allegory and symbolism. Clad in a white robe and astride a white horse, suffragist Milholland led the peaceful parade down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington DC. More than 5,000 marchers accompanied her to make this demonstration one of the most important ones in the 82-year long struggle to achieve voting rights for women. Impact: Successful in drawing attention towards the cause. 3. Delano Grape Boycott Image by Joel Levine Objective of protest: To achieve migrant farm workers’ rights in the US Method adopted: The walkout from the fields staged by US’ Filipino farm workers, demanding wages equal to federal minimum wage on September 8, 1965 marked the beginning of the grape strike. In an attempt to pressurise the grape growers and the government to give in to the demands of farm workers, civil rights activist and labour leader ‘Cesar Chavez’ changed the focus from a strike to a complete boycott of California grapes in 1967. Impact: Five-year long movement ended in a significant victory. 4. Bed-in for Peace Source: www.gahetna.nl Objective of protest: To promote world peace Method adopted: Beatles legend John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono staged a peaceful protest against Vietnam war by holding a week-long bed-in in the Amsterdam Hilton hotel for the world media. During the protest, Lennon and Ono invited the press to their hotel room every day and talked about peace. The bed-in was staged during the couple’s honeymoon between March 25 to March 31, 1969. Impact: Started a conversation and received attention as a work of art. 5. March on Washington Source: commons.wikimedia.org Objective of protest: To achieve civil rights for African-American people. Method adopted: Held on August 28, 1963 in Washington DC, the ‘March on Washington’ was a political demonstration against racial discrimination. The march, led by Martin Luther King Jr, witnessed participation from over 2,00,000 people in the shadow of the Lincoln Memorial. It was one of the largest public protests of that time. Impact: Helped in the passage of 1964 Civil Rights Act. 6. Olympics Black Power salute Source: Flickr Newtown graffiti Objective of protest: To end racial discrimination. Method adopted: African-American sprinters Tommie Smith (won gold) and John Carlos (won bronze) used the 1968 Olympic victories in Mexico City to show their opposition to the continued oppression of the African-American people in the US. Smith and Carlos stood atop the podium with their heads bowed and black-gloved fists raised in the air. Impact: Widely criticised at that time; seen as a great act of solidarity now. 7. Montgomery Bus Boycott Source: commondream.org Objective of protest: To end racial segregation in public transit system. Method adopted: On December 1, 1955, an African-American woman named Rosa Parks refused to give her seat to a white man in Alabama. During that time, the African-Americans were allowed to sit only on the latter half of the bus seats as per law, while the seats on the front half were reserved for whites. Hence, this incident led to the arrest of Parks, which sparked off a 13-month long mass protest in the form of Montgomery (Alabama) bus boycott against the racial segregation policy. Impact: Led to the passage of a ruling in June 1956 which declared Alabama’s racial segregation laws in public transit system as unconstitutional. 8. The Singing Revolution Source: Wikicommons/ToBreatheAsOne Objective of protest: Independence of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania from the erstwhile USSR. Method adopted: As a means of peaceful protest, the Singing Revolution involved thousands of people gathering publicly to sing patriotic songs, which were forbidden by the Soviet Union occupiers. In their effort to attain independence, the people from Estonia risked their lives by making protest speeches. Impact: The revolution finally became a success, after four years of protest, in 1991. 9. Orange Revolution Source: commons.wikimedia.org Objective of protest: To reverse the alleged attempt of authorities to rig 2004 presidential elections in Ukraine Method adopted: During the Orange Revolution, Ukrainian protesters gathered at the Independence Square in Ukraine’s capital ‘Kiev’. In a nation-wide non-violent protest, the demonstrators stayed out on streets, staged sit-ins and strikes. Impact: Ukraine’s Supreme Court ordered revote. 10. #ThisFlag Movement Source: twitter.com/PastorEvanLive Objective of protest: To highlight Zimbabwean government’s failure to provide citizens a dignified life. Method adopted: A 39-year-old man, Pastor Evan, put a Zimbabwean flag around his neck and made a video decrying the state of economy in Zimbabwe. This digital activism also saw the involvement of other people from the country, subsequently. Impact: The video garnered thousands of hits on Facebook. 11. The Wall Street Movement Source: commons.wikimedia.org Objective of protest: To draw attention towards social and economic inequality and corruption. Method adopted: Inspired by Spain's anti-austerity protests, the 2011 Occupy Wall Street movement witnessed peaceful protests by people who claimed to be struggling economically. These people began sleeping in Zuccotti Park in Manhattan’s financial district 'Wall Street'. The movement, which was initiated by a few people, quickly grew significantly as more and more people were mobilised. Impact: Received extensive coverage by the media. Contributions by Shashwat Mittal & Ashna Mishra

11 peaceful protests from across the world

An animated&nbsp;music video on YouTube, which shows India&#39;s preeminent independence&nbsp;leader&nbsp;Mahatma Gandhi perform&nbsp;mean street-style dance moves and daring headstands, has embroiled the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and opposition party&nbsp;Congress in another war of words. 
 
The video published on Saturday comes close on the heels of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi accusing&nbsp;Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the parent organisation of BJP, of being involved in the Mahatma&#39;s assassination. 
 
The song performed by acclaimed rapper&nbsp;Babu Haabi has lyrics that say:&nbsp;&ldquo;Satyagraha se kuch na mila, jhoot ka jhanda lehraya (When satyagraha failed to yield results, I was forced to hoist the flag of deceit).&rdquo; Satygraha was the Mahatma&#39;s idea&nbsp;of nonviolent resistance during India&#39;s freedom movement. 
 
The video also has Gandhi, regarded in India as the Father of the Nation,&nbsp;shaking his booty in the foreground of Parliament bursting into flames.&nbsp; 
 
The rap song has further&nbsp;inflamed tension between the Congress and the BJP. 
 
 
 
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KV1wzW92bCg" width="560"></iframe> 
 
The Congress was quick to criticise the BJP for not acting against Haabi.&nbsp;Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam said he denounced people&nbsp;who disrespect Gandhi. 
 
&ldquo;I stand by Rahul Gandhi&#39;s statement about the RSS&#39; hand behind Gandhi&#39;s assassination...Merely invoking Gandhi when it suits them will not help. If the government is serious they should act against those responsible for this video,&quot; he said. 
 
The BJP fought back, with their chief spokesperson Madhav Bhandari saying, &quot;These are all shenanigans of the Congress and Left parties who want to keep creating tension over some subject or the other and reap political dividends.&rdquo; 
 
He also took strong exception to the video being linked to either the RSS or the BJP. 
 
&ldquo;If the Congress is serious about the outrage,&nbsp;why are they not making an official complaint under the new cyber laws to get the person responsible booked for this video,&rdquo; he asked.
&nbsp;

The man at the centre of the controversy, Babu Haabi, said he was stunned with what he called &ldquo;an unnecessary overreaction&rdquo;. 
 
&ldquo;Unlike my anti-establishment rap which asks serious questions of the polity and society, other well-known rappers can&#39;t seem to think beyond women and booze. Yet people are questioning me and not them,&rdquo; he said.

His artiste management company Milesahead Moviedom also felt too much was being made of the video. Director Hira Bulani asked, &ldquo;Doesn&#39;t Shiva dance the taandav when furious about the chaos around? This is an equivalent. So what&#39;s the fuss about?&rdquo; 
 
(DNA)

Local rapper Babu Haabi released his video amid growing tension between country's two main political parties over Gandhi's assassination

An animated music video on YouTube, which shows India's preeminent independence leader Mahatma Gandhi perform mean street-style dance moves and daring headstands, has embroiled the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and opposition party Congress in another war of words. The video published on Saturday comes close on the heels of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi accusing Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the parent organisation of BJP, of being involved in the Mahatma's assassination. The song performed by acclaimed rapper Babu Haabi has lyrics that say: “Satyagraha se kuch na mila, jhoot ka jhanda lehraya (When satyagraha failed to yield results, I was forced to hoist the flag of deceit).” Satygraha was the Mahatma's idea of nonviolent resistance during India's freedom movement. The video also has Gandhi, regarded in India as the Father of the Nation, shaking his booty in the foreground of Parliament bursting into flames. The rap song has further inflamed tension between the Congress and the BJP. The Congress was quick to criticise the BJP for not acting against Haabi. Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam said he denounced people who disrespect Gandhi. “I stand by Rahul Gandhi's statement about the RSS' hand behind Gandhi's assassination...Merely invoking Gandhi when it suits them will not help. If the government is serious they should act against those responsible for this video," he said. The BJP fought back, with their chief spokesperson Madhav Bhandari saying, "These are all shenanigans of the Congress and Left parties who want to keep creating tension over some subject or the other and reap political dividends.” He also took strong exception to the video being linked to either the RSS or the BJP. “If the Congress is serious about the outrage, why are they not making an official complaint under the new cyber laws to get the person responsible booked for this video,” he asked. The man at the centre of the controversy, Babu Haabi, said he was stunned with what he called “an unnecessary overreaction”. “Unlike my anti-establishment rap which asks serious questions of the polity and society, other well-known rappers can't seem to think beyond women and booze. Yet people are questioning me and not them,” he said. His artiste management company Milesahead Moviedom also felt too much was being made of the video. Director Hira Bulani asked, “Doesn't Shiva dance the taandav when furious about the chaos around? This is an equivalent. So what's the fuss about?” (DNA)

Rap video on Mahatma Gandhi deepens political row in India

The Supreme Court of India rapped the 46-year old vice-president of the Congress party, Rahul Gandhi,&nbsp;in connection with a defamation case filed against him by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Right wing Hindu nationalist organisation.&nbsp; 
 
The apex body denounced Gandhi&#39;s remarks on RSS and said that the Congress politician must face trial.&nbsp;The Congress vice-president has maintained that his statement on RSS involvement in Mahatma Gandhi&#39;s killing was a historical fact and his counsel has asserted that his statement was within his right to free speech. 
 
Gandhi had earlier urged the Supreme Court to quash the proceedings against him, but his request was denied by the court. &nbsp; 
 
The Supreme Court remained firm on Gandhi facing trial and said that the case must be decided on merit.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;You can&#39;t make wholesale denunciation of an organisation. Purpose of law is not to turn citizens into litigants,&quot; the court observed. 
 
The Supreme Court has given him time till next Wednesday to detail his arguments. 
 
RSS worker Rajesh Kunte had filed the case against Gandhi in a court in India&#39;s western state, Maharashtra. The apex court had stayed the proceedings against the Congress vice-president last year, pending before a magisterial court in Bhiwandi of Maharashtra&#39;s Thane district. 
 
Kunte had alleged that the Congress politician told an election rally at Sonale in Maharashtra on March 6 that &quot;RSS people killed Gandhiji&quot;. He said the Congress politician had sought to tarnish the reputation of the RSS through his speech. 
 
Following the complaint, the magistrate&#39;s court had initiated proceedings and issued notice to Gandhi directing him to appear before it.&nbsp; 
 
The Congress leader took the matter to the High Court seeking exemption from appearance and quashing of the complaint.&nbsp; 
Gandhi&#39;s lawyers maintained that Kunte&#39;s complaint was motivated and malafide and deserved to be quashed, but led to failed attempts.&nbsp; 
 
(ANI) 
 
&nbsp;

The Congress vice-president had alleged in a public rally that 'RSS people killed' Mahatma Gandhi which was followed by a defamation suit

The Supreme Court of India rapped the 46-year old vice-president of the Congress party, Rahul Gandhi, in connection with a defamation case filed against him by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Right wing Hindu nationalist organisation. The apex body denounced Gandhi's remarks on RSS and said that the Congress politician must face trial. The Congress vice-president has maintained that his statement on RSS involvement in Mahatma Gandhi's killing was a historical fact and his counsel has asserted that his statement was within his right to free speech. Gandhi had earlier urged the Supreme Court to quash the proceedings against him, but his request was denied by the court. The Supreme Court remained firm on Gandhi facing trial and said that the case must be decided on merit. "You can't make wholesale denunciation of an organisation. Purpose of law is not to turn citizens into litigants," the court observed. The Supreme Court has given him time till next Wednesday to detail his arguments. RSS worker Rajesh Kunte had filed the case against Gandhi in a court in India's western state, Maharashtra. The apex court had stayed the proceedings against the Congress vice-president last year, pending before a magisterial court in Bhiwandi of Maharashtra's Thane district. Kunte had alleged that the Congress politician told an election rally at Sonale in Maharashtra on March 6 that "RSS people killed Gandhiji". He said the Congress politician had sought to tarnish the reputation of the RSS through his speech. Following the complaint, the magistrate's court had initiated proceedings and issued notice to Gandhi directing him to appear before it. The Congress leader took the matter to the High Court seeking exemption from appearance and quashing of the complaint. Gandhi's lawyers maintained that Kunte's complaint was motivated and malafide and deserved to be quashed, but led to failed attempts. (ANI)

India's Supreme Court raps Congress party's Rahul Gandhi over his comment on Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh

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