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Mahatma Gandhi remembered on his 148th birth anniversary
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, known as The Mahatma
Guyana observed the 148th birth anniversary of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, known as ‘The Mahatma’ yesterday as the United Nations International Day of non-violence was observed worldwide.
Gandhi, who is best known for his efforts which led to India achieving independence from British rule, and inspired movements for non-violence, civil rights and freedom across the world, was assassinated on January 30, 1948 in New Delhi, India.
In honour of his works, the Indian High Commission in Guyana held a ceremony in the Promenade Gardens on Middle Streets, Georgetown where a statue of Gandhi is erected.
The event was attended by Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo; businessman Dr. Yesu Persaud; Mayor of Georgetown, Patricia Chase-Green; Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Venkatachalam Mahalingam, President of the Women’s Progressive Organization, Sheila Veerasammy among others.
Nagamootoo described Gandhi as a prolific man who is remembered for his greatness and what he represented.
“Intrinsic to him was humility. Intrinsic to him was service. And the adulation did not snatch his glory of his greatness nor reflected it. Gandhi was in my opinion, bigger than himself, perhaps as big as the world and perhaps beyond,” the Prime Minister said.
According to the Prime Minister, “Today we are sitting on the edge of a very dangerous world. We are sitting on the edge of a catastrophe. We are looking at the war of words between the United States—the world’s most powerful country and North Korea. The war of words between two leaders—one contemplating a preempt strike and the other a retaliatory strike and vice versa.”
He continued, “They are talking about… not about conventional weapons of war. They are speaking to nuclear weapons—thermo nuclear weapons that have the capacity to destroy our planet.”
Prime Minister Nagamootoo said that Gandhi would have advised the world leaders that “an eye for an eye would leave the world blind, in fact, would leave no world at all.”
The Prime Minster reminded the gathering that Gandhi spoke to the truth of corruption and weaknesses in leadership. He also reminded that Gandhi believed that what was more precious and needed was character.
“If we are to take anything away to influence our own lives from the great Mahatma we should take away the need to build our character, to promote truth even though truth maybe uncomfortable, to promote incorruptibility, to promote our own selves not as who we are in positions of status and in offices that may be bureaucratic but as servants of the people.”
He said that Gandhi believed that all beings, in particularly human beings are equal. The fact that we are observing the birth of Gandhi dispels the myth that he was insignificant, he pointed out.
Nagamootoo recounted that 100 years after the birth of Gandhi—in 1969, he thought there was no peaceful way out for Guyana. “But we (Guyana) won peacefully. We achieved our independence and status as a republican state and we achieved the status of a democratic country proud to stand up with the rest of the world as a people of peace and a people of purpose without violence, without war.”
He urged the gathering to treasure the fact that they are a part of a multi cultural, multi ethnic, multi racial society strengthened by its multiculturalism, strengthened by its diversity.
Dr. Persaud, Mayor Chase-Green and the Indian High Commissioner to Guyana also outlined Gandhi’s achievements.
Born and raised in a Hindu merchant caste family in Western India, and trained in law at the Inner Temple in London, Gandhi inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world.
His birthday in India is commemorated as Gandhi Jayanti, a national holiday.
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