The Times of India – 21/11/06

‘Munnabhai’ inspires course in Kota Varsity

Jaipur: A six-month certificate course based on the Gandhian philosophy, as shown in Bollywood hit Lage Raho Munnabhai, would be started at the Vardhaman Mahaveer Open University in Kota from January.

Besides preaching Gandhian ideas and philosophy, students would be imparted practical training in holding non-violent protests, sit-ins and rallies at special camps, varsity vice-chancellor Naresh Dadhich said.

The course would cover two major papers of Gandhian ideas and philosophy and non-violent conflict resolution as well as practical training camps, he said.

All plus-two pass-outs would be eligible for admission to the course, said Dadhich, a political science professor who taught Gandhi’s philosophy and non-violence at the Centre for Gandhian Studies here for two decades.

An informal permission was obtained from the Academic Council of the varsity, while a formal meeting would be held in Kota on November 30 to finalize this course, the V-C said.

Adjudging Lage Raho Munnabhai as one of the best movies depicting Gandhi’s lifestyle and values of non-violence and peace, he said a new way of teaching the same to youngsters was needed.

Now a course in “Gandhigiri”

Special Correspondent
Jaipur: With the Gandhian thought back in popular consciousness, the Vardhaman Mahaveer Open University at Kota in Rajasthan has decided to introduce a certificate course in “Gandhigiri” to make the students aware of non-violent methods of conflict resolution.

The university has appointed a core group of experts to formulate syllabus for the six-month course which will have three main sections of introduction to the Gandhian thought, the concept of non-violence, and application of Gandhian philosophy to the daily life.

The newly appointed Vice-Chancellor of the university Naresh Dadhich, told reporters here on Sunday that formal teaching of “Gandhigiri” or Gandhi in action would help young people and police and jail officials, who may also join the course, in understanding the unexplored aspects of Gandhian thought which would make them peaceful, tolerant and liberal.

Prof. Dadhich pointed out that the application of Gandhian thought in other parts of the world by leaders such as Martin Luther King, Lech Walesa, Nelson Mandela and Dalai Lama had brought revolutionary changes. “Indians themselves need to understand the Gandhian principles in a better way to manage and resolve disputes,” he said.

The certificate course, which will start in January 2007 and may later be converted into a diploma or full-fledged degree, is not employment-oriented and will aim at inculcating the spirit of tolerance, determination and endurance in the target groups which will dissuade those getting attracted to violence and terrorism.

The members of the core group, who met here on Sunday to deliberate on the course contents, are former Director of Gandhi Smriti Evum Darshan Samiti, New Delhi, N. Radhakrishnan; Director of Malviya Shanti Anusandhan Kendra, Varanasi, Priyankar Upadhyay; and Chairman of Gandhi Adhyayan Kendra, Garhwal, Himanshu Boraya.

Indian Express 20/11/06

Now, Munnabhai’s Gandhigiri to be taught in college

Palak Nandi
Jaipur, November 19

In efforts to popularize Gandhigiri, the Vardhman Mahaveer Open University in Kota is all set to start a new course on the concept popularized by the Sanjay Dutt – starrer Lage Raho Munnabhai.

According to university authorities, while there are several institutes which offer courses on Gandhian ideas and philosophies, there is no course which deals with the practical implementation of these teachings in everyday life to resolve conflicts peacefully. It was with this aim to bridge the gap between learning and practical implementation that the university decided to launch a certificate course on Gandhigiri.

The course structure will be finalized with the help of subject experts like N. Radhakrishnan of Indian Gandhian Studies, Dr. Himanshu Borai of Indian Association of Gandhian Studies and Priyankar Upadhyay, a professor with the Malaviya Center for Peace Research at Banaras Hindu University.

“One cannot deny that the term Gandhigiri has become popular because of the film and that it has made most people, specially youngsters, realize that it can and has to be implemented in their daily lives to solve even the most common problems. The term Gandhigiri is nothing but practical implementation of Mahatma Gandhi’s ideas and we though the use of the terminology for the course would be perfect,” the university’s vice-chancellor Prof. Naresh Dadhich told The Indian Express.

“What Sanjay Dutt was doing in the film was at a smaller scale and in a simple manner. We, in a gradual manner, hope to break the barriers and use non-violence to resolve larger conflicts like crime, communal or caste related riots,” he added.

The six-month Certificate Course on Gandhigiri or Non-Violent Confliet Resolution will be launched in January and is part of the satyagraha centenary year celebrations undertaken by the university.

The course is specially tailored and will focus on practical implementation. The syllabus would include elementary knowledge of Gandhian philosophies, Gandhian and Non Gandhian non-violent ways of resolving conflicts and practical sessions of implementations. While the eligibility for the course is 10+2, the authorities are particularly hoping to enroll prisoners and policemen.

“We plan to come up with specific modules for teaching prisoners and policemen to minimize violence. This is the first time a course would be talking about how to use the teachings of Gandhiji rather than just explain what they mean and hence, we hope these would have a greater impact on someone,” says Dadhich.

Even tough the course is still at the planning stage, the university claims it has already been flooded with inquiries. “The response has been quite over whelming and we hope to enroll at least 50 students in the first batch,” Dadhich said, adding that they were also planning to approach Sanjay Dutt for the first session of the course.