Guwahati: Pitching for a Gandhian approach to prevent recurrence of violence in the country, President Pratibha Patil said on Monday that such incidents should not be repeated as it was not the "way of life" in the country.

"We must not allow incidents that have occurred in some parts of the country to be repeated as they are not the way of life, as we in India know and we must reject them," she told a function here.

If there is any dispute it should be resolved through dialogue, the president asserted.

Presenting the fourth Nirmal Gram Puraskar award to winners of 1,599 gram panchayats from 13 eastern and north eastern states here, the president urged gram panchayats to take an oath to prevent violence.

"Villages also have an important role in maintaining peace and be a unit of tolerance and harmonious living ... Panchayats must look for a solution to all conflicts within the parametres of democratic institutions," she said.

"If the world is today enthusiastic to adopt Mahatma Gandhis ideals, we in his land of birth have the first duty to abide by these principles," the First Citizen said.

On educating girl child, the president said, "imparting education to the girl child is of great importance in making our nation progressive and I call upon panchayats to take steps in this respect."

Many studies, she said, have pointed out that one of the main reasons of high dropout rates among adolescent girls in the country was lack of sanitation facilities in school.

"Womans role in changing the face of rural India can be immense. Sanitation has a bearing on the dignity, health and security of women. They benefit most and, therefore, can be the prime movers of sanitation movement throughout the country," President Patil said.

About empowerment of women, the first woman president of the country said, "half of our population consists of women. Empowering them will mean empowering the social, economic and political aspects of the nation. Their capacity to bring change in society has always been acknowledged."

"A womans role is a multi-dimensional one, ranging from being a home-maker to a pillar of stability in society and with great potential to contribute to the economic welfare of the nation."

Pointing out that a major chunk of population lives in villages, she said, "our objective of inclusive development will not be achieved unless villages do not prosper."

Underlining the pivotal role of gram panchayats in development of villages, Patil said, "today we can be satisfied that we have been able to take democracy to the grassroot level through the Panchayati Raj constitutional amendment, 1993."

With regard to the focus areas of panchayats, the First Citizen said they should create awareness on eradication of social evils, ensure students attendance in schools and support women to become self-sufficient.

Source : DNA