Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao noted that there have been insidious attempts to whip up a fanatic frenzy, ignoring the dissatisfaction breeding in certain sections of the society who have been pushed into margins for a long time.
Likening such forces to ‘Corona poisonous gases’, Mr. Rao said intellectuals in the society must not ignore or condone such situation.
“Society will have glorious progress only when the brave, and intellectuals turn torch-bearers and show the way,” he said, while addressing the valedictory of the fortnight-long celebrations marking the 75 years of Indian Independence, on Monday.
Paying rich tributes to the universal precept of ‘Non-violence’ propagated by Mahatma Gandhi towards achievement of Independence from the colonial rule, the Chief Minister said Mahatma is revered across the world owing to his stand against violence.
India is a country with abundant natural and human resources, yet unable to progress in the way it should. There is a need for the present generation to recognise this fact, and work towards betterment of the country by erasing differences of caste, class and religion, he said, explaining propagation of such thinking as the aim of the celebrations.
Appreciating all the efforts taken by the ‘Vajrotsava Committee’ headed by MP K. Keshava Rao to make the celebrations grand success, Mr. Rao paid special compliments to the initiatives of chorus of the National Anthem, and free screening of the film Gandhi for school children. He thanked everyone who has been part of planning the celebrations.
The Chief Minister felicitated the kin and descendants of freedom fighters and martyrs such as Suravaram Prathap Reddy, Komram Bheem, Bhagya Reddy Varma and Colonel B. Santhosh Babu, sportspersons Nikhat Zareen and Sreeja Akula, among others.
The cultural programmes preceding the Chief Minister’s address included performances by noted singer-composer Shankar Mahadevan, and Warsi Brothers.
