In Valley, Gandhi still counts

A debate on Gandhian philosophy and its relevance in the 21st century has generated an overwhelming response in the valley of violence, reports Arun Joshi.

A debate on Gandhian philosophy and its relevance in the 21st century has generated an overwhelming response in the valley of violence.

Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, who mooted the idea of organising the debate, said the response is an indication of the popularity of Gandhian philosophy among the younger generation. Nearly 50,000 students have participated in the contest organised by the state government.

The competition, which began on September 1, was organised at the school, zonal, district and divisional levels. The divisional-level round concluded on September 22. The finals, which will be telecast live by Doordarshan from Srinagar, will be held on October 2 the Mahatma’s birthday.

Eleven college and eight school students have made it to the last round. The first and second prize winners will get Rs 1 lakh and Rs 50,000 respectively. There are two third prizes of Rs 25,000.

About 47,924 students of high and higher secondary schools, including 23,352 from Kashmir, participated in the debate, school education secretary Khizar Mohammad Wani said. And Gandhi’s quote about the “ray of hope in Kashmir” has figured in almost all speeches in the contest. Interestingly, Kashmir remained peaceful when communal passions engulfed the country at the time of Partition. But over the past 20 years, insurgency has left nearly 50,000 dead and more than a million homeless in the state. Attempts are now being made to revive the virtues of peace and co-existence in the state.

- With PTI inputs