Indian National Congress to celebrate 75th Anniversary of Dandi March

The Indian National Congress is celebrating the 75th anniversary of Bapu's historic Salt Satyagraha that was launched on March, 12, 1930 from Ahmedabad and that culminated at Dandi on April 6th, 1930. The objective is to recall and recapture the spirit of this Dandi March. The Indian National Congress will be reaffirming its commitment to the welfare and well-being of all people across our country. The Indian National Congress will also be re-establishing its resolve to protecting and promoting Gandhian values and the values enshrined in our Constitution, especially those relating to social harmony and social justice. The Mahatma Gandhi Foundation is joining the Indian National Congress in this endeavour.

To prepare for this momentous occasion, an organizing committee has been formed with Smt. Sonia Gandhi, President of the Indian National Congress as the Patron-in- Chief. The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh will be its Patron. The committee will be chaired by Shri Sunil Dutt, MP. Shri Tushar Gandhi, Managing Trustee of the Mahatma Gandhi Foundation will be its vice-chairman. Shri Ashok Gehlot and Shri Mukul Wasnik, General Secretaries of the All India Congress Committee will be its coordinators. Smt. Sonia Gandhi, Dr. Manmohan Singh and many other Congressmen and women will take part in the March which will be flagged off by Smt. Sonia Gandhi from Sabarmati Ashram on March 12, 2005.

The Indian National Congress sees this re-enactment of the Dandi March as an opportunity of making our younger generation better appreciative of the great legacy that we have inherited from the Father of the Nation and his dedicated band of colleagues who made us a free country. This legacy is constantly under threat from forces who seek to divide and polarize our people.

The Indian National Congress enjoins all organizations and people who share its commitment to the values bequeathed to us by Gandhiji, particularly the values of religious tolerance, understanding and amity, to participate whole-heartedly in these anniversary celebrations. This will also be an occasion for rededicating ourselves to realizing Poorna Swaraj through Gram Swaraj.

(Motilal Vora)

Treasurer