Key Points

Addressing an interfaith prayer meeting organised at Gandhi Bhavan on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti today, Chouhan said, "Today, it is essential that we try to imbibe Gandhiji's ideals in our lives as much as possible."

According to an official release, Chouhan said that today the entire world is gripped with war, unrest, violence, and injustice.

"The situation has become so grave that even trade has been weaponised. People are indulging in arbitrariness of all kinds, and Gandhiji is needed now more than ever. Looking at the prevailing darkness all around, one often feels, "Bapu, if possible, please come back again," he said, as per the release.

Paying his tribute to Gandhi, the Union Minister said that Gandhiji did all his work with the cooperation of society.

"None of his campaigns ever stopped due to lack of resources. People contributed funds for all his constructive efforts. Organisations working for the welfare of people should draw inspiration from this and strive to ensure greater community support for their work," Shivraj Singh Chouhan stressed.

He further said that any organisation can work with true impartiality only when it is not dependent on any government.

Earlier today, on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated that the introduction of the concepts of Swadeshi and Khadi to the country not only improved the lives of impoverished people but also accelerated the freedom movement.

Speaking at a press conference at New Delhi's Khadi India, Shah said that the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi, awakened the people of the country and made them stand against the British.

"It was Mahatma Gandhi who recognised the soul of India. He awakened the people of India and made them stand against the British... In a way, we cannot separate the freedom movement from Khadi and Swadeshi. At that time, India was a market for English textile mills. By introducing the country to the concepts of Swadeshi and Khadi, Mahatma Gandhi not only accelerated the freedom movement but also brought light to the lives of many impoverished people. For a long time, both Khadi and Swadeshi were forgotten. In 2003, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, he launched a major campaign to revive Khadi in Gujarat...From 2014 to today, Khadi has grown hundreds of times. Today, the turnover has reached 1.7 billion rupees. I believe this is a huge achievement," Shah said, addressing the media.

Born on October 2, 1869, Mahatma Gandhi was a leading figure in the Indian freedom struggle. Inspired by the concepts of Satyagraha and non-violence, Gandhi led the Dandi March of 1930, during which thousands walked to the sea to defy the salt law, and the Quit India Movement of 1942, a protest against British rule.

- ANI