Mural a huge mark of respect for Bapu: Amit Shah

Union home minister Amit Shah inaugurated a mural of Mahatma Gandhi at the Sabarmati riverfront on Sunday. The mural has been made with 2,975 earthen kullads. Shah said that nothing could be a greater mark of respect to Gandhi than the mural made by the artisans which embodies his idea of "Aatmanirbharta" (self-reliance) that has been installed on the bank of the Sabarmati river, where Gandhi had chalked out the contours of the freedom struggle.

Reiterating that the prime minister has decided to celebrate this year, which is the 75th year of independence, with gusto, Shah said the decision has two clear reasons. Firstly, it is to create awareness on the independence struggle among youngsters, and secondly, to decide where India should be in the centenary year of independence in terms of economics, employment, education, infrastructure, climate control and the milestones to be achieved in these areas. Shah said this is the time to decide on these milestones and start working on them.

Shah said that Gandhi not only fought for independence, but weaved several notions within the independence struggle that were not only important for the struggle for freedom but also for the reconstruction of the nation post independence.


"Gandhiji infused the ideas of Swadeshi, swabhasha (own language), satyagraha, prayer, fasting, purity, simplicity in the collective psyche while fighting for independence," Shah said. "Sadly, for years, Bapu was honoured in lectures and photographs but Khadi, language and handicrafts were forgotten," Shah said. After becoming prime minister, Narendra Modi gave a new lease of life to all the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi. The new education policy introduced in the year celebrating Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav made it clear that no other language than the one's own can be the better vehicle for knowledge.