A Rath carrying books, leaflets, banners on principles of truth and nonviolence propagated by Kasturba-Gandhi-Vinoba fondly called as Ba-Bapu-Baba was jointly flagged off by octogenarian Gandhian Shanti Devi, a Jamunalal Bajaj Award winner, district Collector Pramoda Kumar Behera and SP Dr Sarvana Vivek M on the eve of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in the presence of Sarvoday leaders namely Jayaram Jena, Bijaya Baboo, Pramila Swain, Rajeswari Dalai, Bidulata Huika, Dr Gouranga Raut, Basudeb Patra, Badal Tah, former Municipality Vice-Chairman Dr Niranjan Buxipatro, educationist Gobinda Rathand Rajesh Padhi.
Government functionaries like Municipality Executive Officer Sachidananda Satpathy, DIPRO Basanta Pradhan, DEO Purna Chandra Bariha and corporate leaders Lopamudra Priyadarshini, Sukanta Mohapatra, Sameer Mohanty from UAIL, Sakti Panigrahi from IMFA and SK Nath from JK Papers participated in the ceremony.
The Rath first rolled into the campus of GCD High School where the teachers and the students gave a warm welcome to the yatris and the dignitaries spoke on Gandhian values of truth, nonviolence, cleanliness and women empowerment. Then, the Yatris went to address the Lecturers and students of Autonomous College and Women’s College of Rayagada.
This Yatra, which is jointly organised by Zilla Sarvoday Mandal and district administration will move to fifty schools and colleges of different blocks of the district over the next 15 days. It will culminate on October 2 (Gandhi Jayanti) at the district headquarters town.
Students were encouraged to write essays on Gandhiji-Kasturba-Vinoba by using digital media like google, internet browsing, social media like facebook, instagram and twitter. “Chat with Gandhi and apply at least one Gandhian principle into one’s life,” students were said by the Yatris.
