KCR Inaugurates Swatantra Bharatha Vajrotsavalu Celebrations

Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao inaugurated the fortnight-long "Swatantra Bharatha Vajrotsavalu" (Diamond Jubilee celebrations of Independence) at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC) on Monday.

Hoisting the national flag and paying floral tributes to the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi, KCR launched the celebrations.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that the real development of the country was possible only if the prevailing poverty was eradicated.

Even though the country had witnessed remarkable progress in various sectors during the last 75 years, there was still a need to achieve more in certain areas, he said. The prevalence of poverty continued in the country, and the dalits and some other marginalised sections still felt that they were being meted out injustice at various stages in the society, he claimed. The people's struggle and their resentment would continue as long as the poverty existed in the country, the CM said.

"We can call it development only when the people of all sections of the country are happy," KCR opined.

The Chief Minister also said that there was a need to enlighten the present generation about the sacrifices made by the freedom fighters to free the country from British rule.

"India didn't get independence easily. It achieved freedom after a struggle of about 150 years, and the sacrifices of thousands of people. The present generations don't know about the pain of the freedom struggle and the sacrifices of the freedom fighters. We have a responsibility to explain about the Independence movement to the present generation, and to inculcate patriotism among them," the Chief Minister said.

Stating that some of the current bunch of young people were behaving in a way that insulted Gandhi, KCR said that the Mahatma would always remain Mahatma. He was not only the son of India, but also of the world, the CM said.

The Chief Minister said that as a tribute to the Mahatma, the State government had decided to screen Richard Attenborough's movie Gandhi free of cost from August 9 to 22 in 552 theatres in both Telugu and Hindi across Telangana, aiming at 22 lakh school children watching it.

KCR also appealed to the ministers, MLAs, other elected representatives and officials from all the departments to take part in the celebrations in a big way and make them a grand success.