‘Let’s resist the forces of division and hatred’: Mahatma Gandhi’s S African granddaughter Ela
Johannesburg (PTI): Hatred, animosity and violence are not part of any religious teachings and those who promote them in the name of religion are misinterpreting their faiths for mischievous reasons and should be shunned, Ela Gandhi, South African peace activist and Mahatma Gandhi's granddaughter, has said.
Her remarks came as she responded to social media posts which claimed that the Gandhi Development and Phoenix Settlement Trust deliberately left out Hindu prayers at an interfaith meeting hosted at the Phoenix Settlement, which her grandfather started during his tenure in Durban.
“All our faiths and our scriptures are there to guide us to be good, compassionate and loving people. Hatred, animosity and violence are not part of our essential religious teachings. Those who promote the acts in the name of religion are misinterpreting their faiths for mischievous reasons and should be shunned,” Ela said.
Ela, who is the chairperson of the Gandhi Development and Phoenix Settlement Trust, said such moves were “an attempt to create division between the Hindu and Muslim communities and alienate Gandhiji and me from the Hindu community”.
It is important to state the facts publicly so that the mischief that is being attempted can be stemmed right now, Ela said in an open letter in the weekly Post.
“To clarify, I personally invited many Hindus individually and a number of Hindu faith leaders collectively, to recite a Hindu prayer at this function,” said Ela, citing invitations to four Hindu organisations which she said could not attend because of other commitments.
“The absence of some or other faith has happened at our interfaith prayer services in the past, never deliberately, but because of circumstances that have prevented a particular faith community from attending the particular function.
“Importantly, to this day, in the 120 years of the existence of Phoenix Settlement, no one has ever accused us of deliberately leaving out a sect or engaging in “mass indoctrination”, as is alleged by the posting, she said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Maharashtra government considers tweaks to Ladki Bahin scheme amid fiscal strain: Reports
Mumbai: A day after the Mahayuti coalition secured a landslide victory in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, attention has turned to the Ladki Bahin Yojana, a flagship welfare scheme that played a pivotal role in attracting women voters.
The scheme, launched in July 2024, offers ₹1,500 per month to economically disadvantaged women aged 18 to 65. The Mahayuti, in its election manifesto, pledged to increase the amount to ₹2,100 per month, a promise now under scrutiny due to fiscal concerns. With the scheme projected to cost the exchequer ₹33,300 crore from July 2024 to March 2025, bureaucrats are exploring ways to revise its provisions to prevent a financial imbalance.
Finance Minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar hinted at the challenges, stressing the need for "financial discipline." A senior bureaucrat confirmed that plans are underway to prune the list of beneficiaries, citing the inclusion of ineligible individuals due to incomplete Aadhaar seeding and lack of required ration cards. According to the finance department, nearly one crore women out of the 2.43 crore registered beneficiaries may not qualify for the scheme.
The state’s debt burden is already projected to reach ₹7.82 lakh crore for the fiscal year 2024-25. Officials warn that continuing the scheme in its current form could impact the government’s ability to pay salaries by January. Despite these concerns, the ruling coalition is hesitant to reduce the beneficiary list, likely due to the upcoming civic elections.
Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik is expected to present renegotiation proposals to the new chief minister soon. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena spokesperson Krishna Hegde credited the scheme for increasing the number of women voters and boosting the coalition’s vote share. NCP (SP) leader Sharad Pawar also acknowledged the scheme’s role in mobilising women voters.
Other welfare measures introduced by the government include an electricity bill waiver for farmers and three free LPG cylinders annually for six million households. However, the financial viability of such initiatives remains a pressing concern.
