Dubai: Recent incidents of intolerance and violence in India are an aberration; the Indian social structure is still firmly based on Gandhian ideals, Indian Consul General to Dubai Vipul said on Monday.
Speaking to Gulf News on the sidelines of an event held at the Indian Consulate in Dubai to mark Mahatma Gandhi’s 148th birth anniversary, Vipul insisted that there is no cause for concern as the incidents reported are a few isolated cases of intolerance.
“I don’t think Gandhian ideals can ever be under threat. Yes, there is intolerance, but what we have to note is that the vast majority of people are peace-loving and tolerant,” said Vipul, adding that Gandhian values are universal and practised all over the world.
Born on October 2, 1869, Gandhi led India to freedom from colonial British rulers through his non-violent struggle. His birth anniversary is observed by the United Nations as International Day of Non-Violence.
“I think mankind will always believe in these values of love, non-violence and tolerance. There could be aberrations as there will always be some people in a society who try to spread hatred, but India is a cohesive country. It is a nation where all religions and communities live in peace and love each other,” he added.
Asked if the Father of the Nation’s ideals are being restricted to textbooks and speeches, Vipul said that the Government of India is doing as much as it can to promote the values professed by Gandhi through various programmes.
“As we approach Gandhiji’s 150th birth anniversary, we will create special programmes to integrate his ideals into the mainstream. His ideals are not confined to speeches and textbooks. He is completely in the mainstream and everyday more efforts are being made to spread his ideals among the masses,” Vipul said.
Pointing out that programmes like the Swach Bharat (Clean India) mission launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi are based on Gandhian ideals, Vipul added: “If you see any of the Government of India’s schemes, you will see that most are based on Gandhian values. Take for example the Swach Bharat campaign, which is based on the importance given to cleanliness by Gandhiji. Modi has spoken about a new India free from casteism, communism, poverty, corruption and hunger; again this programme is based on Gandhian ideals of non-discrimination and equality.”
On Monday evening, the consulate hosted a programme, which had school children paying homage to Gandhi songs, classical dances and cultural shows.
