Gandhi was a spiritual seeker keen to understand the truth: Shrikrishna Kulkarni

Mahatma Gandhi was a spiritual seeker who was keen on understanding the truth, said Gandhi’s great-grandson Shrikrishna Gajanana Kulkarni here on Thursday.

He was speaking on “Gandhi and World Peace” at the launch of “Gandhi Pajjeda Sadi Patthondu”, the Tulu translation of the Aerya Lakshminarayana Alva-edited “Gandhi Hejjeya Jadinalli Jatthappa Rai Jeevanagathe”. The programme on freedom fighter Jathappa Rai was organised jointly by Kumbra Jatthappa Rai Foundation in association with Gandhi Smaraka Nidhi-Bengaluru, University College-Mangaluru, Tulu Adhyayana Peetha, Mangalore University, and others.

Stating that situations had pushed Gandhi into social and political fields, Mr. Kulkarni noted that his thoughts were deeply rooted in the Upanishads, the Vedas, and the Bhagavad Gita. Explaining Gandhi’s understanding of truth, he said: “If the entire world stands against you and you believe that what you are standing with is the truth, then you must stand only with that.”

He said ego-driven and self-serving narratives cannot be treated as truth, adding that according to Gandhi, truth was not just confined to individual or day-to-day truth, but was the ultimate truth.

Delivering the keynote address, Gandhi Smaraka Nidhi president Wooday P. Krishna said freedom fighters built India on the foundation of service, sacrifice, truth, and non-violence. It was everyone’s responsibility to realise their dreams.

Former Kannada University Vice-Chancellor B.A. Vivek Rai released “Gandhi Pajjeda Sadi Patthondu” on the occasion.

Jathappa Rai Foundation Founder Pramod Kumar Rai, Mangalore University Vice-Chancellor P.L. Dharma, Dravidian University-Kuppam Vice-Chancellor L.C. Mallaiah, Inspector General of Police (Western Range) R. Chethan, and others were present.