Parties have failed in adopting Gandhian path, says CPI leader

Dharwad: All political parties, including the Leftists, have failed to adopt the ideologies of Mahatma Gandhi to bring in social reforms, said state secretary of Communist Party of India Siddanagouda Patil.
Speaking on “Gandhi and Left Parties” at Gandhi Peace Foundation here on Sunday as part of the “Face to Face with Mahatma Gandhi” programme, Patil said that Mahatma Gandhi had advocated comprehensive development of rural areas without harming their roots. “Simplicity was another aspect, Gandhi was pressing for,” he added.

Patil elaborated that during the pre-Independence period, Gandhi was for freeing the country from the British rule while B R Ambedkar’s target was to provide social independence to the people and the Left parties aimed at economic independence.

“Post-Independence, all these three ideologies should have converged to give rise to a better India, but it did not happen,” he said.

Patil said that senior leftist leaders focused on leading a simple life, but did not pay attention to the problems related to the rural lifestyle, food culture and caste system.

“They shifted their focus towards the urban areas. They took up the objective of addressing the problems of the working class and unorganised sector, thus ignoring Gandhian path,” he said.

Presiding over the programme, Gandhi Peace Foundation president Dr Sanjiv Kulkarni said that all living beings, including mankind, are facing the wrath of nature and global warming has severely impacted the biodiversity. “However, Mahatma Gandhi had always batted for eco-friendly activities and sustainable development to protect the flora and fauna,” he said.