“It is necessary to imbibe Gandhi's ideology and his principles to save the concept of a nation”: Tushar Gandhi

"When the darkness deepens then only the importance of the lamp is understood, in the present time it is necessary to imbibe Gandhi's ideology and his principles to preserve the concept of a nation." These views were expressed by Mahatma Gandhi's great-grandson Tushar Gandhi while interacting with reporters during his visit to the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Governance and Social Sciences in Jaipur. Under the “Gandhi Legacy Tour'', Tushar Gandhi visited the institute with the Foreign Gandhian Thinkers delegation. In this 19-member delegation apart from India included representatives from the United States, France, and Israel. This trip, which started from Maharashtra on 29th December, ended in New Delhi on 12th January via Gujarat, Rajasthan. Explaining the 'Gandhi Legacy Tour', Tushar Gandhi said that this trip or yatra was started by his father Arun Gandhi about 22-23 years ago. Every year this yatra goes to those selected places and institutions of the country, especially in the rural areas, where Gandhiji's dream of rural development seems to be coming true.

Tushar Gandhi also appreciated the decision taken by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot to set up the Mahatma Gandhi Directorate of Peace and Non-Violence as a department.  He said that being a descendant of Gandhiji is a matter of pride for him, but there is no difference between him and the common Indian because the whole of India considers Gandhiji the father of the nation and everyone has rights over him. He said that the young generation should understand and adopt Bapu's ideology of non-violence. On this occasion, the Director of Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Governance and Social Sciences, Professor B. M. Sharma said that in the Institute, training related to Gandhi’s philosophy is being imparted to the representatives of Mahatma Gandhi committees, colleges and universities so that Gandhian ideology can be developed among the youth. He said that soon certificate courses based on Gandhi’s philosophy will also be started by the institute. Giving information to the journalists about the Gandhi Museum being built in the institute premises, Professor Sharma said that Gandhiji's life journey will be digitally depicted in the museum, which will be built at a cost of about Rs 100 crore. A Replica of Gandhi Ashrams will also be displayed in the museum. During this, Professor Dr. Sanjay Lodha, Associate Professor Dr. Jyoti Arun, and Dr. Sumitra Nath Jha of Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Governance and Social Sciences were also present.