Ruing that the importance of `Ahimsa' has been forgotten, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday said the value of non-violence preached by Mahatma Gandhi is relevant even today as a way of life and as a tool to govern the country.
NEW DELHI: Ruing that the importance of `Ahimsa' has been forgotten, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday said the value of non-violence preached by Mahatma Gandhi is relevant even today as a way of life and as a tool to govern the country.
"Many a time I feel that we have forgotten the importance of `Ahimsa'. But it is a weapon that can make anybody powerful and strong," he said flagging off an `Ahimsa Divas Yatra' at the AICC headquarters here to mark the 138th birth anniversary of the Mahatma.
"People may wonder of what use is non-violence in today's times. But it is relevant even today as a way of life and in governing the country," he said, observing that using `Ahimsa', Gandhi had turned the independence movement into a fight of the common man.
Singh expressed happiness over the United Nations deciding to celebrate Gandhi's birth anniversary as the International Day of Non-Violence.
"Today is an important day not just for India but the entire world. October two, which we have celebrated as the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, has been designated by the United Nations as World Non-Violence Day," he said.
Singh recalled the Mahatma's message that non-violence is for the brave and not for the coward and a person should be ready to sacrifice everything but his honour for `Ahimsa'.
He said Gandhi got freedom for the country with the power of non-violence.
"Congress party had a big role to play in the independence movement. And it has a major responsibility in leading people on the path of non-violence," Singh said, adding it was again time for the country to face challenges using `Ahimsa'.
"I am happy that the Ahimsa Divas Yatra will take the message of non-violence to everyone," he said.
Singh flagged off the `Yatra' from the AICC office to Rajghat, the `Samadhi' of the Mahatma, by handing over the Congress tricolour to senior leaders. Hundreds of party workers took part in the march.
Present on the occasion were a large number of senior Congress leaders, Ministers, MPs and Delhi MLAs.
The UN had earlier this year passed a resolution to celebrate Gandhi's birth anniversary as the International Day of Non-Violence.
This was pursuant to a consensus reached at an international conference on Satyagraha held here in January, 2007.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi had then written to the UN Secretary General for declaring October two as Non-Violence Day and also asked the Prime Minister to take up the issue with the world body.
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