Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday stressed on the need to channelise the energy of youth of the country in the right direction and encourage them to become self-reliant as per Mahatma Gandhi’s vision.
The chief minister was speaking at a function, titled ‘Gandhi Yuva Aur Naye Bharat Ki Chunautiya’ (Gandhi, Youth and Challenges of New India) held here to mark Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary.
Addressing the gathering, Baghel said Gandhiji was assassinated by the ideology, which was afraid of his respect for labour and his efforts to ensure dignity to people from backwards sections.
“Gandhiji had high respect for labour. He worked to ensure dignity to farmers, weavers, workers etc. When the ideology which had kept them (workers and people from backward section) as slaves for thousands of years found that Gandhiji was boosting their self-confidence, they got scared and killed him,” the chief minister said.
He further said that today people need to walk on the same path of respecting labour as shown by the father of the nation.
“Gandhiji had said while we have got independence from the British, social and economic freedom is yet to be achieved. That process is still on. All the governments have made efforts (to empower the country socially and economically). I will not criticise anyone,” Baghel said.
The energy of today’s youth needs to be channelised in the right direction and collective efforts have to be made to empower them and give them opportunities, he said.
”As per Gandhiji’s vision, youth should become self-reliant. They should create self-employment with dedication and hard work,” Baghel said in the function attended by youth of Rajiv Yuva Mitan Club.
The chief minister also announced awards named after renowned playwright and theatre director Habib Tanvir and water conservationist Anupam Mishra to be given in the field of art and water recharging works respectively, an official here said.
