PM Modi infused Gandhian values into the National Education Policy and other government initiatives

*Paromita Das

On the 92nd anniversary of the historic march, our Union Home Minister, Shri Amit Shah, signals off the ‘Dandi Cycle Yatra’ amid a stunning victory in four state assembly elections.

Gujarat Vidyapeeth’s Dandi Cycle Yatra set out from Kocharab Ashram in Ahmedabad for Dandi.

The Minister stated that, if India had followed Gandhiji’s example from the start, the country would not be dealing with the majority of the difficulties it is currently dealing with. “The problem is that we deviated from Gandhiji’s path. PM Narendra Modi has incorporated Gandhiji’s values, such as the importance of mother tongue and national languages, as well as employment-oriented education, into the new education strategy. All of these Gandhian ideas have been woven into the PM’s policy “Mr. Shah stated in his ashram address.

Mahatma Gandhi created the first ashram in India, Kochrab Ashram. It was founded as part of the Independence Movement in 1915. Gandhi then relocated to the city’s Sabarmati Ashram.

“During his night stays in villages during the salt march, Gandhiji became acquainted with the issues of ordinary people. After comprehending the difficulties, he devised solutions and communicated them to the public through his talks. After becoming Prime Minister, Modiji spoke about it “He continued.

“If you study government programmes like Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, which provides toilets, water and power connections in every home, projects for rural uplift, and schemes to establish self-sufficient communities, you will notice a reflection of Gandhian concepts and principles in them,” Mr. Shah added.

Mr. Shah, who stated that he was returning to the ashram after nearly a decade away, advised the participants of the cycling rally to try to communicate with the people during their night halts in order to learn their difficulties and subsequently disseminate knowledge about Gandhian values.

History of Dandi Yatra

Gandhi ji led a historic 24-day Dandi March from his Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, to Dandi, a village on the Arabian Sea, to protesting the British government’s discriminatory Salt Tax on March 12, 1930. The Salt March, which began with 78 satyagrahis, swelled to 50,000 followers in a matter of weeks, inspiring millions across India.

The Salt Satyagraha grew into the Civil Disobedience movement, undermining the foundations of the British Empire and eventually forcing them to bow down.

Gandhi led a party of 80 other Satyagrahis in starting this movement from his base at Sabarmati Ashram and traveled for 24 days to Dandi. People from diverse walks of life and states of India joined him.

Vittal Liladhar Thakkar, a 16-year-old Gujarati student, was the youngest Satyagrahi who accompanied him, while the Mahatma himself was the oldest.

Before embarking on this march, Gandhi sent a letter dated March 2, 1930, to Lord Irwin, British Viceroy (1923-1931), informing him of his intentions and requesting him to change the colonial stance. Gandhi stated in the letter, “If my letter does not appeal to your heart, on the eleventh day of his month; I shall continue with such ashram. co-workers as I can take, to ignore the provision of the salt law.”

Thevarthundiyil Titus, a 25-year-old Indian Dairy Department certificate holder and Cow Service Association employee, also joined the campaign.

Because the Satyagrahis spent most of their waking hours wandering through villages, their diet was simple. The Calcutta-based Lily Biscuit the company offered Gandhi a shipment of biscuits, but Gandhi politely declined because it would be “a luxury.”

While the march continued through Gujarat, a group of housewives led by Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, marched to Mumbai’s Chowpatty, then Bombay.

Despite being attacked with a police lathi, she refused to call off the protest and continued marching.

Despite police efforts, the masses increased quickly, and hordes of housewives with pots and pans joined them.

As they began producing salt, the first packet created by Kamaladevi was auctioned off for Rs 501. The ‘Salt Satyagraha’ then lasted many days in Bombay.

When Gandhi embarked on this march, his intended destination was not Dandi. The aim was to make a stop near Borsad in Gujarat.

However, considering the large number of people that participated and the general fervor of the campaign; Bapu decided to extend the march all the way to Dandi.