Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday sent a message to the people that his government would work on the path of non-violence and brotherhood as preached by Mahatma Gandhi.

He also called upon the people to join hands to make India strong with the message of peace, non-violence and brotherhood.

On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, Naveen planted a peepal tree on the premises of Lok Seva Bhavan (the Odisha secretariat) and named it Freedom Tree.

While planting the tree, Naveen put sacred soil and water collected from different places of the state where the tree was planted.

As the nation is celebrating the 75th year of Independence, the state is emphasising on celebration of peace, non-violence and freedom, officials maintained.

The chief minister said the tree would be a messenger of peace, freedom and non-violence for all.

He added that the peepal tree signifies knowledge,

enlightenment, happiness and auspiciousness. Since ages, it continues to represent the collective conscience of a pan-Indian cultural heritage, he said.

From the ancient Indus Valley civilisation to the sacred pages of Bhagawat Geeta to the enlightenment of Lord Budhha, the chief minister said, the peepal tree has

always been an inseparable part of our socio-cultural life.

“The saga of peepal belongs to our past, our present and our future too. It is the epitome of our intellectual and moral freedom,” he said.

The Ahimsa Rath, that was moving across the state disseminating the message of peace and non-violence, reached Lok Seva Bhavan on Sunday. Welcoming the rath, the chief minister thanked all for the kind of response it received from the people of the state.

He released special editions of Utkal Prasang and Odisha Review on the occasion. He also released a special commemorative publication on the visit of Mahatma Gandhi to Odisha. Editor Utkal Prasang and Odisha Review, Dr Lelin Mohanty, ministers Pradeeep Amat and Ashok Chandra Panda and private secretary to the chief minister, V.K. Pandian, were present.

Veteran freedom fighter and the president of the State Freedom Fighters’ Association, Nilamani Samal, presented a Charkha to Naveen. He honoured Samal by gifting a shawl.

Naveen also launched the Biju Janata Dal (BJD)’s one-month-long Jana Samparka Yatra (mass contact programme) and the Yatra would come to an end on November 2. Naveen asked party workers to reach out to people and spread the message of different welfare schemes of the government.