Amend Constitution to include ‘nonviolence’ in Preamble: Odisha CM

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday batted for the inclusion of ‘nonviolence’ in the Preamble of Constitution of India as a tribute to Gandhiji.

“I believe the greatest tribute India could pay Gandhiji on his 150^th Anniversary is to include the ‘uniquely’ Indian Idea of Ahimsa, of nonviolence in the Preamble of India’s Constitution,” said the Chief Minister.

He was addressing the first meeting of the national committee for commemoration of 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi chaired by President Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.

“This will ensure that the future generations not just of Indians but also people around the world, will be reminded of the profound truth of this principle,” said Patnaik.

He informed that the most important aspect of Mahatma Gandhi’s doctrine of non-violence is that poverty and social injustice are the greatest violence.

“As Gandhiji said, as long as poverty exists freedom is a wooden loaf. To remove poverty is the greatest task faced by any government. This can not be achieved without nonviolence,” he said.