‘Gandhian philosophy need of the hour for survival of humanity’

Gandhian philosophy based on truth and non-violence is all the more relevant to the contemporary society faced with multifarious problems, Acharya Nagarjuna University Vice-Chancellor P. Rajasekhar has observed.

Addressing a seminar on Mahatma Gandhi, Ideology, Philosphy and Relavance in Contemporary Society at the ANU P.G. Centre here on Saturday, he said the Gandhian philosophy based on morality was the need of hour for survival of mankind.

Corporate Social Responsibility had its roots in the trusteeship concept propounded by Mahatma Gandhi, who stressed on clean India and use of technology for scavenging.

But for Mahatma Gandhi the issues of the downtrodden section would not have been on the agenda of the Indian National Congress and in the literature of pre-Independence era, he said and recalled that Constitution architect B.R. Ambedkar had paid tribute at the time of his assassination that he was the true champion of Dalits’ cause.

Prof. Y. Chinna Rao of Jawaharlal Nehru University underscored the need for returning to some of Gandhi’s ideals and path. This would require a constant state of self reflexivity and commitment to goals of collective good.

“Gandhism has been dissipating steadily in our collective consciousness with selective appropriation of his ideals as in Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, a drive towards cleaner India,” said the Chairperson, Centre for Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy(CSSEIP) from JNU School of Social Sciences.

Thirty-eight papers were presented by scholars at the seminar sponsored by the Indian Council of Social Science Research(ICSSR), said seminar coordinator D. Venketwara Reddy.