Mysuru: We should lay a strong foundation for economic development by focusing on producing domestic products, which in turn will help agriculture development and strengthen small and medium scale industries, said Economist and Swadeshi Jagran Manch National Coordinator Prof. B.M. Kumaraswamy.

He was speaking after inaugurating the five-day Swadeshi and Organic Farming Expo-2018, organised by the Swadeshi Jagran Manch, at Maharaja’s College Grounds here last evening and said, the very word Swadeshi means love for the nation. This word encapsulates the lifestyle of the people, a country’s cultural, historical origins and its economic conditions.

After the country got Independence, Nehru became India’s first Prime Minister and soon after Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated.  Gandhiji’s Swadeshi stand and his thoughts were also given a burial, he said.

In 1991 facing an economic crisis, the government was forced to go to the World Bank for loan and at that time liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation (LPG) was unleashed. “The introduction of LPG was the gravest mistake committed on the nation. Because of this, foreign companies established their footprints here. Understanding the skewed policy of the then government of handing over the country to foreigners in the name of globalisation, Dattopant Hegde revived the Swadeshi Jagran Manch,” he said.
Swadeshi Manch has its own history and to encourage people to use the domestic products, Swadeshi Movement was started. Gandhiji during the freedom struggle had taken the fight of Swadeshi movement to a different level. If we have to   gain Independence, then we have to weave our own cloth, Gandhiji had said, recalled    Prof. Kumaraswamy.

In the wake of globalisation, America for its benefits took advantage of other countries. “America did a U-turn the moment it came to realise that there was opposition in the country to this move. Vajpayee reacted to the World Trade Organisation’s promise as ‘a bounced cheque.’ As a result of the 25 years fight, a stage has come where WTO is forced to join ICU, he said.

The Swadeshi Jagran Manch is growing from strength to strength. It is creating awareness among the people in the country regarding the use of Swadeshi goods, he said.

Earlier CREDAI National Vice-President K. Sriram hoisted the flag. City BJP General Secretary H.V. Rajeev, District Kannada Sahitya Parishat President Dr. Y.D. Rajanna, Swadeshi Jagran Manch State Coordinator N.R. Manjunath, Swadeshi Mela President Prasanna N. Gowda and others were present.

Later, Sriharsha of Sarigamapa-fame and his team  entertained the audience with Kannada songs.