As India remembered the father of the nation on his 151st birth anniversary commemorative functions were held throughout the nation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi on his birth anniversary and wished that the ideals of the Father of the Nation remain a guiding force helping in building a compassionate India.
The Prime Minister took to Twitter and wrote, “We bow to beloved Bapu on Gandhi Jayanti. There is much to learn from his life and noble thoughts. May Bapu’s ideals keep guiding us in creating a prosperous and compassionate India.”
Modi also shared a two-minute video hailing the principles of Gandhi. In the clip, he can be heard saying “Gandhiji never tried to create his influence through his life, however, his life became an inspiration in itself.” Modi also paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at the Raj Ghat.
Meanwhile, President Ram Nath Kovind also took to the microblogging website to pay his homage to Mahatma Gandhi and said that people should take lessons from his life, particularly when we are facing a pandemic.
“Gandhiji himself never claimed to be a great soul, indeed, he went out of his way to tell the world about his vulnerabilities. Yet, he is the best example of realising the maximum human potential,” the President said.
The states also joined the centre in paying tribute to the great soul. Maharashtra politicians on Friday paid rich tributes to Mahatma Gandhi and former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri on his 116th birth anniversary, as commemoration functions were held all over the state.
Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari offered tributes to the Father of the Nation, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, and Shastri and recalled their contributions to the country.
Koshyari garlanded a bust of Mahatma Gandhi and offered flowers at the portrait of Shastri at a function in Raj Bhavan here, attended by several officials and staff, among others.
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray also paid tributes before the portraits of the two leaders at his private residence ‘Matoshri’.
One of the country’s premier educational institutions, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) paid tributes to the Father of the Nation with a virtual event organised by the Maulana Azad (MA) library.
“Gandhiji protested against oppression and tyranny on all sections of society and communities and promoted the idea of bringing self-reliance in rural areas,” said Tariq Mansoor, the Vice-Chancellor of the university said during the event.
“Mahatma Gandhi always believed that nations can only progress if there is equality and tolerance among populations,” he added.
Mansoor later administered an online pledge to work with dedication for preserving and strengthening the freedom and integrity of the nation.
