Ahmedabad, August 27, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said Mahatma Gandhi’s ideas would remain relevant even a century from now, urging graduating students of Gujarat Vidyapith to carry his principles into their personal and public lives.
Addressing the 72nd convocation of Gujarat Vidyapith in Ahmedabad, Shah said Gandhi’s message was deeply rooted in Indian values, the country’s way of life and its knowledge traditions.
“Gandhi ji’s message was as relevant then as it is today, and it will remain equally relevant even after 100 years. It will never become irrelevant,” Shah said.
Referring to a statement displayed at Gujarat Vidyapith, Shah recalled Gandhi’s view that he had not propounded anything new but had conveyed principles that had been heard in India for centuries. He said Gandhi’s philosophy was rooted in the country’s own traditions and therefore had enduring relevance.
Shah also recalled that Gandhi founded Gujarat Vidyapith on October 18, 1920, envisioning it as a model of education rooted in Indian traditions. Gandhi believed that political freedom would remain incomplete unless India’s language, culture, labour and national purpose were preserved, Shah said.
Recalling Gandhi’s travels across India after his return from abroad, Shah said the freedom fighter had observed immense diversity in languages, dialects, clothing, food and religions, while also recognising an underlying unity.
He described Gujarat Vidyapith as a laboratory for developing an Indian approach to education, where fields, handicraft workshops, village assemblies and society itself were treated as classrooms.
Shah said education should achieve a balance between the “hand, heart and mind” by developing skills, sensitivity and knowledge accompanied by wisdom.
“A mind filled only with knowledge creates arrogance. A mind that possesses both knowledge and wisdom produces both humility and scholarship,” he said.
The Home Minister urged students to remember Gandhi’s seven social sins, including politics without principles, business without morality, wealth without labour, knowledge without wisdom, indulgence without restraint, knowledge without character and science without humanity. He also mentioned worship without sacrifice as another failing.
Shah said awareness of these principles could help individuals recognise and avoid wrongdoing, adding that where circumstances led someone towards a mistake, repentance should follow.
He also recalled Gandhi’s 11 vows — truth, non-violence, non-stealing, celibacy, non-possession, physical labour, control of the palate, fearlessness, equal respect for all religions, Swadeshi and removal of untouchability — and said they continued to hold significance.
Shah highlighted Gandhi’s emphasis on khadi and village industries, saying khadi represented not merely an economic activity but also a means of caring for fellow citizens through everyday actions.
He said the turnover of khadi and village industries had increased from ₹31,000 crore in 2013-14 to ₹1.87 lakh crore in 2025-26.
Shah also highlighted Gandhi’s emphasis on cleanliness and the importance of one’s mother tongue. While encouraging the learning of other languages, he said people should not feel inferior about speaking their own language because it connects them with their culture, history and roots.
He urged the graduates to remember Gandhi’s vision of Gram Swaraj, village prosperity and cooperation as they entered public and social life.
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