|
The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, joined the nation in saluting the patriotic ancestors for the heroism they showed at Dandi 75 years ago and the Father of Nation Mahatma Gandhi for the courage of his conviction and the power of his symbolism. While releasing a set of four Special Postage Stamps, here today, commemorating the 75th Anniversary of Dandi March, Dr. Manmohan Singh said, “The Dandi March was not only a march for Independence. It was also a march for the upliftment of the poorest of the poor; the emancipation of women and their empowerment; the removal of untouchability; the assertion of the right of our people over the natural resources of which they are the inheritors and owners; the establishment of unity of people professing diverse faiths; and above all, it was a march for our spiritual regeneration”. The function was attended by Smt. Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson, National Advisory Council, Shri Dayanidhi Maran, Minister of Communications & Information Technology, Dr. Shakeel Ahmad, Minister of State for Communications & Information Technology and several other Ministers & Senior Government Officers.
Dr. Manmohan Singh further said that we can build the India of Gandhi’s dream by following his life and deeds and by recapturing the spirit of Dandi March. In celebrating the anniversary of the Dandi March one should remember that our leaders wanted to free us from foreign rule and from a mindset of dependence, he said.
In her address, Smt. Sonia Gandhi said that the re-enactment of the epic journey provided another opportunity for the people to follow the path of Gandhiji, the causes, he championed and the ideals he espoused.
Speaking on the occasion Shri Dayanidhi Maran said that the Department of Posts has so far, on 22 occasion issued stamps on the Father of the Nation. He recalled the great qualities of Mahatma Gandhi and how the Dandi March played a significant role in changing the destiny of the nation in its Freedom Struggle. He said that salt not only remained a symbol but it served as an icon and social expression.
The stamps, in the denomination of five rupees each, depict the glimpses of the marchers led by Mahatma Gandhi on the move; Mahatma Gandhi in the backdrop of News headline appeared in Bombay Chronicle in its 13th March 1930 edition; Mahatma Gandhi’s own handwritten lines on 5th April 1930 saying “I want world sympathy in this battle of Right the might”; and the map depicting the route of the historical Dandi March
RM/AMA- 050405 Dandi March
|
