'Swacch Bharat scheme should deal with nuclear waste'

Former governor of West Bengal Gopalakrishna Gandhi said Swacch Bharat scheme should also address the issue of nuclear waste.

He was speaking after inaugurating a seminar on ‘Gandhian Thought is in Tune with Times - Politics is a Sacred Mission’ organised jointly by Mangalore University, University College, Gandhi Smarak Nidhi (Bengaluru), Rashtrakavi Govinda Pai Samshodhana Kendra (Udupi) and Kumbra Jathappa Rai Prathishthana (Kajemar, Puttur) at Ravindra Kalabhavana in University College in Mangaluru on Thursday.

Appreciating the efforts of the Union government in implementing the Swacch Bharat programme, he said it should not be confined to the cleaning of streets and collection of garbage. A wider perspective of the Swacch Bharat programme should deal with nuclear waste. In the wake of possible nuclear pollution, citizens have the right to ask what happens to nuclear waste produced in the country, he observed.

He said that the idea of clean nation needs to be seen through the eyes of Gandhiji. Cleanliness should also imply to the cleaning process which is ‘internal’. If Gandhiji were alive, he would have commented saying that we are still in the nursery level as far as Swacch Bharat is concerned whereas he would want the nation to be at the postgraduation level, he felt. He lauded the cleanliness in Mangaluru.

Paying tributes to freedom fighter and social reformer Kamaladevi Chattopadhyaya, Gopalakrishna Gandhi said she was the true daughter of Mangaluru and a true socialist.

Expressing concern over illegal mining of resources and tightening grip of plastic industry lobbies in the country, he said lobbyists have gone to the extent of exerting pressure on the administration to prevent the system of governance from imposing ban on them, even though plastic waste is resulting in the clogging of drains which are in turn creating artificial floods.

“It is a matter of high level of intervention by the government of India to stop the  monopoly of plastic industries,” he said.

Lamenting on the use of money power and muscle power in elections, he said everybody wants to be in the hierarchy of power. With the lure of high office, also comes the power to misuse it, he remarked.

He said India has been family lineage respecting for a long time. But, an individual should be recognised by his actions and not because of the name. ‘Mahatma’ or great souls do not have lineage. No descendent of Gandhiji can claim of knowing Mahatma more than others do, he said.

Books released

The books ‘On the trail of Gandhiji’s Footsteps - Odyssey of Jathappa Rai’ and its Kannada version ‘Gandhi Hejjeya Jaadinalli - Jathappa Rai Jeevanagathe’ were released by former Lokayukta Justice N Santhosh Hegde on the occasion. The book is the compilation of articles written by journalists, writers, poets, judges, bureaucrats, politicians and social workers on freedom fighter Kumbra Jathappa Rai. The book is edited by writer Erya Lakshminarayana Alva and published by Rashtrakavi Govinda Pai Samshodhana Kendra, Udupi.

After releasing the book, Santhosh Hegde lamented about the colossal scale of corruption in the country. While money amounting to several lakhs of crores of rupees is swindled in scams starting from Bofors to 2G, poor people are deprived of basic amenities, he regretted.

Mangalore University Vice Chancellor K Byrappa presided over the programme. Writer Erya Lakshminarayana Alva made introductory remarks. Kumbra Jathappa Rai’s son Elanthaje Pramod Kumar Rai, Rashtrakavi Govinda Pai Samshodhana Kendra (Udupi) Director Heranje Krishna Bhat and University College Principal Uday Kumar M A were present.