Bhubaneswar: A national conference on “Remembering Mahatma Gandhi: Compassion and Relevance for Our Times” will be held on January 30 and 31 at Xavier Univeristy campus here. The two-day conference is being organised by the Centre for Humanities and Compassion studies department of Xavier University.
The conference is part of preparations for the 150th birth anniversary of the Mahatma Gandhi in 2019, informed Fr Paul Fernandes Vice Chancellor of Xavier University Bhubaneswar, Saturday. He said that the conference aims and hopes to initiate countrywide discussions on the renewed relevance of Gandhiji at this point of time when various issues, affecting the nation.
Sessions on Gandhi’s political thought, economic model of development, land grab and Gramdan-bhoodan movement and its relevance at this juncture will be held during the cionference.
The two-day conference will host several philosophers, economist, political scientists, academicians, besides Gandhian scholars, who will try to create new interpretation of his ideas and thinking said Subrat Beura, the organsing coordinator of the event.
Governor SC Jamir will inaugurate the conference and will be the chief guest along with Chris J Eze, the High Commissioner of Republic of Nigeria.
Besides the discussions and deliberations by the scholars, the conference will also feature a debate on the topic “7 deadly social sins” that Gandhiji had thought need to be countered, wherein eight students would present their perspective.
This apart, Odissi maestro and Padma Shri Aruna Mohanty will present an ode to the Father of the Nation, titled Ahimsa through Odissi. In her ode the path breaking struggle to attain freedom and many other aspects of his life will be depicted by Aruna Mohantya and her disciples.
Besides, a Dastangoi, Form of Urdu storytelling, will be presented by Ankit Chadha, where he will share his experience and story on Sabarmati Asharam.
There are plans to host another such conference between October 1-3, 2018 and the papers presented in two conferences will be compiled and will be released as a book October 2, 2019 to coincide with the 150th anniversary of Gandhiji. (PNN)