Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], October 2 : Leader of Opposition and former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Friday paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi and former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri on their birth anniversaries.
He stated that Gandhi demonstrated that a freedom movement could put forward its demands effectively through peace and non-violence, while Shastri remained an enduring symbol of honesty, simplicity and clean public life.
Speaking with ANI after paying tributes, Thakur said Mahatma Gandhi gave a distinct direction to India's freedom movement by showing that people could put forward their demands peacefully and convince their opponents through dialogue and simplicity.
"Mahatma Gandhi gave a different form to the freedom movement and presented it before the country and the world. He showed that we can put forward our point effectively through peace, and that there is a need to convince the other side through simplicity and peaceful means," Thakur said.
He said the country had only one objective during the freedom struggle: to achieve independence, and Gandhi played a major role in taking the movement towards that goal.
"There was only one goal for the country at that time: that India should become independent. Many people worked with enthusiasm and participated in the movement, but Mahatma Gandhi made a very significant contribution by giving the movement a form based on non-violence," he said.
Thakur also recalled Gandhi's association with Himachal Pradesh, saying the Mahatma visited Shimla several times during the freedom movement.
"During the freedom movement, Mahatma Gandhi travelled across the country and also visited Himachal Pradesh and Shimla not just once but several times. Ultimately, the solution came through dialogue; the British had to leave India and the country became independent," the former Chief Minister said.
Remembering Gandhi's emphasis on cleanliness, Thakur said the message remained relevant irrespective of a person's economic circumstances.
"Cleanliness was a very important message of his life. We may belong to a poor family or live through difficult circumstances, but every person should adopt cleanliness. Even today, when we talk about taking the cleanliness movement forward across the country, Mahatma Gandhi's message remains as relevant as it was then," he said.
Thakur also paid tribute to Lal Bahadur Shastri, describing the former Prime Minister as an embodiment of honesty, simplicity and integrity.
"Lal Bahadur Shastri ji led the country as Prime Minister. His tenure was not very long, but he was an embodiment of honesty, simplicity and straightforwardness. He gave the slogan 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan'," Thakur said.
He said Shastri's life continued to provide inspiration for those seeking to uphold honesty and a clean image in public life.
"Even today, when we talk about leadership with honesty and a clean image, we draw a lot of inspiration from his life," Thakur said.
Governor of Himachal Pradesh Kavinder Gupta, Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri ,former Himachal Pradesh Congress chief Pratibha Singh, Shimla Mayor Surinder Chauhan and other leaders were also present on the occasion.