• Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said that Father of Nation Mahatma Gandhi's vision of Nationalism has place for every section of the society. “His nationalism includes respecting the disagreement of even the weakest of the weak people. Mahatma Gandhi's idea of nationalism was inspired by saintly teachings and holy preaching of great thinkers, Mahavir Swami, Gautam Buddha, Gurunanak, Kabir, Guru Ghasidas and many great personas, which are beneficial for all”, said Chief Minister while addressing a massive general assembly at Dunda, Raipur district, on the seventh day of Gandhi Vichar Padyatra held on the occasion of 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

    Chief Minister said in his address to the general assembly that first civil disobedience movement was held in village Kandel of Chhattisgarh, during freedom movement. Under the leadership of Freedom fighter late Babu Chhotelal Shrivastava, Kandel Nahar Satyagrah was launched in protest of irrigation tax imposed by British rulers.  Farmers had refused to pay irrigation tax. To join this Nahar Satyagrah, Mahatma Gandhi was about to reach Kandel. But as soon as British rulers received this news, they had to withdraw the tax imposition. To preserve the memory of Kandel Nahar Satyagrah and to promote the thoughts and principles of Gandhi ji among masses, Gandhi Vichar Padyatra was started from Kandel village.

    He added that the padyatra is not concluding today, as the next phase of padyatra would begin at block-level soon after. In this Padyatra in Dunda led by Chief Minister, Agriculture Minister Ravindra Choubey, Home Minister Tamradhwaj Sahu, Health Minister TS Singhdeo, School Education Minister Dr Premsai Singh Tekam, MLA Mohan Markam, Kuldeep Juneja, Vikas Upadhyay, Member of Rajya Sabha Mrs. Chhaya Verma, Mayor Raipur Municipal Corporation Pramod Dubey and many public representatives and a large number of citizens participated. People accorded warm welcome to Chief Minister and the procession at various places.