Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi by kicking off the restoration work of Gandhi Bhawan in Beliaghata and laying the foundation stone of Mahatma Gandhi University in Tamluk in East Midnapore.

A rally akin to Dandi March will be taken out in the city next year to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary, said Miss Banerjee and welcomed people to participate in it.

Speaking on the occasion, Miss Banerjee said that a sum of Rs 3.5 crore is being spent on the restoration work. “We have already undertaken restoration of Swami Vivekananda’s house and Sister Nivedita’s house. A museum will be set up at Beliaghata. Calcutta University will set up a Chair in Gandhiji’s name and the higher education department will introduce a merit based scholarship as a mark of honour to him,” said Miss Banerjee.

Mahatma Gandhi is already included in our syllabus, she added.

She said that the state government has set up a committee to celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

Elaborating on the importance of Gandhi Bhawan in Beliaghata, Miss Banerjee said that Gandhiji was present at this place while India attained freedom on 15 August, 1947. “Gandhiji was in Beliaghata from 6 August to 15 September to stop communal violence and riots. Thus Gandhi Bhawan in Beliaghata is the best place,” she said.

“Gandhiji’s name is synonymous with communal harmony, peace and brotherhood. Anyone who loves Gandhiji will love people,” she said.

Miss Banerjee said that Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy is important at a time when the country is going through a crisis with fuel prices rising and people yet to overcome the ill effects of note bandhi. “We have to walk hand in hand with everybody. Dividing people leads to no good. We have to be united. Let’s pledge to ensure communal harmony and unity in the country,” she said.

Meanwhile, Raj Bhavan along with the state higher education department organised a debate cum elocution competition on ‘Gandhian thought and Philosophy’ among the students of eight state-aided universities. The competition is one of the many events being organised within the state as well as in other parts of India to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of the Mahatma.

On this occasion, Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi and said that the uniqueness of Gandhi’s personality, his philosophy and his approach to life was aptly underlined when Albert Einstein remarked, “generation to come will seldom believe that such a man as this one ever in flesh and blood walked upon this Earth”. The Governor also observed that the Gandhian philosophy is primarily based on four basic principles. “The first is concerned with the pursuit of truth which, for Gandhiji meant fighting for a cause… The second essential aspect of Gandhian philosophy is the principle of non-violence or ahimsa.

For Gandhi, ahimsa was not a negative, but a positive attitude based on tolerance, patience, perseverance, self-sacrifice, self-suffering, humility, charity, forbearance and disapproval of hatred… The third principle is self respect, by which the Mahatma meant righteousness and protecting our atmagaurav.

The forth essential element of Gandhian philosophy is belief in God,” he said. For Gandhi, “God is undefinable ~ a mysterious power that pervades everything. His presence is proved not by extraneous evidence but in the transformed conduct and character of those who have felt the real presence of God within,” Mr Tripathi added.