Nehru’s Contribution to Building Modern India Remains Immense: Padmaraj R Poojary
Mangaluru: Dakshina Kannada District Congress Committee President Padmaraj R Poojary has said that former Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru made an immense contribution to building modern India by initiating ambitious programmes aimed at bringing about economic, social and political reforms.
He was speaking after paying floral tributes to the statue of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru at Nehru Maidan in Mangaluru on Saturday, November 14, on the occasion of the former Prime Minister’s 137th birth anniversary.
Poojary said Nehru established the Planning Commission and introduced Five-Year Plans to accelerate the country’s economic development. He prioritized establishing heavy industries, steel plants, dams, medical colleges, technical education institutions and universities.
He noted that most of India’s Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and research institutions were established during the first 15 years after the country attained independence. He said the benefits of Nehru’s vision would continue to be enjoyed not only by the present generation but also by generations to come.
However, he expressed concern that efforts were being made to obscure the Nehru family’s contributions and erase important aspects of history.
Former Minister B. Ramanath Rai, MLC Ivan D’Souza, former MLA J.R. Lobo, MUDA Chairman Santhosh Kumar Shetty, and Block Congress Presidents Prakash Salian, J. Abdul Saleem, Nagesh Gowda of Belthangady, Mohan Kotian, Satish Kashipatna and U.T. Tausif of Uppinangady were among those present.
Congress leaders Lancelot Pinto, Naveen D’Souza, Shamshuddin Kudroli, Neeraj Chandrapal, Shubhodaya Alva, T.K. Sudhir, Ibrahim Nawaz and Dinesh Muluru were also present, along with other party members.
Former Mayor Shashidhar Hegde welcomed the gathering.
