October 3, 2024
3 mins read

Mahatma’s legacy celebrated in London

The event saw participation from members of the Indian diaspora and local school students, all uniting in tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on this significant occasion…reports Asian Lite News

The Indian High Commission in the United Kingdom organised an event today at the Gandhi Statue in Tavistock Square, London, to commemorate the 155th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and High Commissioner of India Vikram Doraiswami led the tribute to the Father of the Nation, honouring his enduring legacy of peace and non-violence.

The High Commission also shared on X (formerly Twitter) that celebrations were held at Parliament Square, where Lord Desai and High Commissioner Doraiswami reflected on Gandhi’s messages of peace, non-violence, and religious harmony.

The event saw participation from members of the Indian diaspora and local school students, all uniting in tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on this significant occasion.

The annual Indian diaspora gathering at the iconic Gandhi statue at Tavistock Square in London, assembled by the Indian High Commission in London and India League, included floral tributes at the memorial and addresses embodying Gandhiji’s message of peace and non-violence.

Besides it being marked as International Day of Non-Violence, the minister also highlighted the tenth anniversary of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched on Gandhi Jayanti by Prime Minister Narendra Modi back in 2014.

“We often hear about Mahatma Gandhi’s great thoughts such as truth and non-violence. But another great thought, I feel, was about public participation in pursuit of cleanliness and sanitation,” said Meghwal, in his address in Hindi.

“His idea was simple: that wherever we are in society, whichever part of the planet, we should maintain cleanliness. Mahatma Gandhi was the best communicator, giving the world such a simple and enduring message that it is our responsibility to clean up our own mess,” he said.

“The whole world knows of this man, who was unlike another. No wonder, the United Nations decided to mark International Day of Non-Violence as a tribute to the Mahatma on his birth anniversary,” the minister added.

Councillor Eddie Hanson, the Deputy Mayor of Camden – the borough where Tavistock Square is located, used his address to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi for his inspiration to movements of civil rights and social change across the world.

“Mahatma Gandhi remained committed to his belief in non-violence even under oppressive conditions and in the face of insurmountable challenges. Today, we commemorate the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi, who through his example proved that peaceful protest could accomplish much more than military aggression,” said Hanson.

Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami reflected upon the trajectory of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi’s life that led to him to acquiring the status of a Mahatma.

“His life is a lesson for all of us, that if we care to make the effort, if we care to understand other people, if we care to learn from the environment around us, there is the inner Mahatma within all of us,” said Doraiswami.

“When he talked about the charter of rights, Mahatma Gandhi said that duties must come first because if you do not have a sense of obligation towards other people, do not care about the lives of other people, then you will never be able to transcend the boundaries of religion, language, caste… and that leads of conflict,” he added. The event concluded with students of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in London delivering their rendition of ‘Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram’ and ‘Vaishnava Jan’, followed by a Buddhist prayer for global peace and harmony.

The gathering at Tavistock Square then moved to the Gandhi statue at Parliament Square for another round of floral tributes, led by British Indian peer Lord Meghnad Desai.

Meanwhile, British High Commissioner to India, Lindy Cameron, joined a interfaith prayer ceremony at Rajghat on the occasion. “A privilege to join a beautiful interfaith prayer ceremony at Rajghat this morning and watch PM @narendramodi and President Murmu @rashtrapatibhvn pay respects on Gandhiji’s birth anniversary. In a troubled world, his legacy is needed now more than ever,” Cameron stated in a post on X.

ALSO READ: EU and UK agree to strengthen cooperation

Previous Story

UK PM to meet sceptical investors in attempts to woo them

Next Story

Boris claims late Queen had bone cancer

Latest from -Top News

Khaled Zia Back in the Race

Earlier in May, Khaleda Zia returned to Dhaka after four months of medical treatment in London…reports Asian Lite News Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Vice Chairman Abdul Awal Mintoo on Wednesday announced that

Philippines President Due in India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Marcos are scheduled to hold bilateral talks on August 5….reports Asian Lite News Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will pay a State Visit to India

Trump’s 25% Shock for India

Trump says he will impose 25 pc tariff on ‘our friend’ India as negotiations appear to stall…reports Asian Lite News Even as he called India “our friend”, US President Donald Trump threatened

Taiwan Mulls Chip Curbs on South Africa

Although Taiwan is not a major chip supplier to South Africa, it plays a dominant role in global semiconductor production, and even limited restrictions may serve as a diplomatic warning. Taiwan’s Ministry

Bangladesh, US Begin Tariff Talks Round 3

Bangladesh has already signed a deal to purchase 700,000 tonnes of wheat annually from the US. The third round of Bangladesh-US talks on tariff issues officially began at 2:00 pm (US local
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Navy’s P-8I lands in Bahrain for Operation Compass Rose

Following their arrival, the team had productive conversations with representatives

‘Gill has got the style to play all formats’

Gill’s 126 not out, laced with 12 fours and seven