GUWAHATI, Aug 31 - Governor Professor Jagdish Mukhi said that the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan launched by the Prime Minister to face the challenges and threats posed by COVID-19 pandemic is embedded with the virtues of Gandhian economic approach focusing on the spirit of self-reliance and autonomy.
Inaugurating an international webinar themed �Sustainable Technologies and Rural Development: A Gandhian Perspective� jointly organised by Tezpur University and GIC-Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok from Raj Bhavan today, the Governor said considering the fact that India is largely agrarian, the core concepts of self-sustainability and comprehensive rural development are the key approaches to national socio-economic development relevant to both Gandhian philosophy and Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. He also observed that a nation which is strong and self-dependant in core sectors of the economy will stand tall and self-assured in the comity of nations.
Referring to Mahatma Gandhi, Governor Mukhi said that Gandhiji thought of a model consistent with political, economic and social contexts of his time to steer the growth of India which was ridden by the ills of foreign powers. In such a complex scenario, Mahatma Gandhi realised that the greatest need for India was Swaraj, which alone could usher in a paradigm shift in the country�s socio-politico-economic independence, the Governor added.
Governor Mukhi also said that in today�s time when India is facing the COVID-19 situation with fortitude and a spirit of self-reliance, Mahatma Gandhi�s concept of sustainable development which is a natural corollary to swarajya, can steer the country towards self-reliance.
The international webinar was organised as per the direction of the Ministry of Higher Education and University Grants Commission as part of the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi to highlight the relevance of Gandhian philosophy in today�s sustainable technologies and rural development.
