Indira Gandhi Centenary Celebrations Conclude, Geetha Wagle New President of DWC
Udupi: The district-level Valedictory ceremony of Late prime minister Indira Gandhi’s centenary celebrations and installation of new Udupi district women’s Congress president was held at Town Hall Ajjarkad here on November 25.
The programme began with Vandematarm, outgoing district women’s Congress president Veronica Cornelio welcomed the gathering. Pramod Madhwaraj district minister in-charge inaugurated the programme by lighting the lamp.
In his inaugural message Pramod Madhwaraj recalled the contribution of the country’s first Woman Prime Minister to the economic development in the form of 20 point programme, nationalization of banks and insurance firms and implementation of land reforms. During her rule there was thrust on agricultural growth which heralded the Green Revolution. She was in favour of the poor and hence she introduced the Garibi Hatavo movement.
She knew that she was going to be assassinated. In her last public speech in Orissa two days prior to her assassination, Indiraji had said, “Even if I died in the service of the nation, I would be proud of it. Every drop of my blood… will contribute to the growth of this nation and to make it strong and dynamic”. It was under her leadership that a slew of reforms were introduced that put India on the world map.
Indira Gandhi functioned in the fairest manner and became a source of inspiration, not just to the party leaders but to every section of the society. She was instrumental in streamlining development through changes like the nationalization of banks and the twenty point programmes. Indira Gandhi was responsible for introducing land reforms. It was she who brought in land reforms, which made poor tillers the owners of the fields which they ploughed. She also gave sites and came up with housing schemes for the poor, he added.
Chief guest of the function state food and civil supplies minister U T Khader addressing the gathering said that Indira Gandhi was one of the powerful leader and still is India’s best known politician. The charismatic and epoch-making personality of Indira Gandhi left her imprint not only in the affairs of her own country but also in international affairs. She belonged to that noble galaxy of great leaders who wielded extraordinary power.
Indira Gandhi, like any other prime minister, must be judged and assessed in the context in which she was PM and the challenges and criticisms she faced as PM. But today if any one criticizes PM Narendra Modi immediately they will go behind bars.
Further Khader said that the women’s Congress workers should engage the public in a dialogue on the achievements of the Congress government in comparison with that of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre. The Siddaramaiah-led government has fulfilled 80% of the promises it made during the elections four years ago.
The department has taken necessary steps to ensure proper distribution of ration cards and to address the issue of fake ration cards in the state. Eligible applicants now get their ration cards by Post. The rations cards will be delivered to the respective homes of the applicants. Till today 8.5 lakh ration cards have been delivered to the homes of the applicants. The remaining cards will be posted by December 31. The Mukhyamantri Anila Bhagya scheme, meant to provide free domestic gas connection to below poverty line (BPL) families, will be launched formally in December, he said.
Social Activist Jayashree Bhat was felicitated with the Indira Priyadarshini Award on the occasion. Geetha Wagle took charge as the new district women’s Congress president from Veronica Cornelio.
G A Bava AICC Secretary, Janardhan Thonse President Udupi District Congress Committee, Gopal Bhandary former MLA Karkala, M A Gafoor President of Minority Development Authority, Shaila Kuttappa, State Mahila Congress Secretary, Sarala Kanchan, Syamala Bhandary, Sarasu Bangera, Meenakshi Madhav Bannanje CMC President, Sandhya Tilakraj, Jayashree Krishnaraj, Naveen Chandra Shetty, Amrith Shenoy, Vishwas Amin, Christine Almeida, Dr Sunitha Shetty, Roshni Olivera, Jyothi Hebbar and others were present.