‘Sabka saath, sabka vikas’ slogan part of Gandhian thought: Jagdeep Dhankhar

“Today people are considered equal. Mahatma Gandhi’s thinking is now ground reality. What the government says — ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas, sabka prayas’ —is Gandhian thought. This is not political; this is national [ideal]. This is rising above all politics,” Dhankhar said at the inauguration of Harijan Sevak Sangh’s ‘Sadbhavana Sammelan’, which is commemorating the organisation’s 90th anniversary.

The organisation was founded by Mahatma Gandhi in 1932.

Dhankhar said: “Gandhi never instantly dismissed other ways of thinking. He was always open to the other point of view. Today, among some sections of people, there is a culture…that only their view is correct. This is a very dangerous trend. Before the law, no matter how big the person is, no matter what their history, strength (is)…everybody is in the grip of the law. The law will do its work.”

Dhankhar said, “It is gratifying to note that in recent years, an ecosystem of consensus with Gandhian philosophy has emerged, ensuring full exploitation of potential and talent of all, particularly of the marginalised sections of society.”

He said that ways of dealing with crises such as war, famine and climate change can be found in Gandhian philosophy.

Dhankhar quoted the Mahatma in his inaugural address: “It has been a passion of my life to serve the untouchables because I have felt that I could not remain a Hindu if it was true that untouchability was a part of Hinduism.” He said that Gandhi’s dream is now reality, and keeping the Mahatma’s principles in mind, ration was given to people during Covid-19 pandemic.

“People who were at the bottom are now at the top in various fields,” he said. “This is the work of getting Gandhi’s philosophy out on the ground. I have seen that in the past few years…every section is getting opportunities.”