Gandhian way real, live option to confront challenges: Swaraj

As the world faces growing challenges of terrorism, the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi have become all the more pertinent and the Gandhian way is a ‘real, live option’ to confront the global challenges, India has said here as the UN commemorated his 145th birth anniversary.

‘The question to ask is not whether Mahatma Gandhi is relevant or not. The real issue is whether we have the courage and strength of mind to follow in his footsteps, whether we are prepared to live our lives by what he preached and most importantly, practiced,’ External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said yesterday.

She was speaking on the occasion of the ‘International Day of Non-violence’ which is commemorated annually by the UN on Gandhi’s birthday.

Swaraj said that instead of diminishing in relevance, Mahatma Gandhi has ‘actually become all the
more pertinent’ in the 21st century. ‘Whichever the challenge we confront, you can be sure that the Gandhian way is a real, live option, an option that informs and illuminates,’ she said.

Noting the world today is vastly different from the world that Gandhi lived in, Swaraj however said new threats to peace, harmony and stability have emerged.