4km peace walk to mark celebrations
PEOPLE from all walks of life will participate in a 4km peace walk in Dubai today to mark Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary.
The Consulate-General of India will roll out events involving members of the community, and government departments, including Dubai Sports Council and Dubai Municipality, the Khaleej Times reported.
Apart from the peace walk, planned activities include painting and debate competitions, and a workshop for children to assemble solar lamps.
The celebrations will continue until January in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
“The celebrations kicked off in 2018, with the display of Mahatma Gandhi’s teachings on Burj Khalifa, the inauguration of the Gandhi-Zayed Museum, release of a special stamp commemorating Gandhi’s 150 birth anniversary, and various other events organised at the consulate,” Vipul, the Consul-General of India to Dubai, said.
“Gandhi’s message of truth, peace and non-violence is of special relevance in the UAE because there are so many Indians who live here.”
Vipul said three main Gandhian principles, including swachata or cleanliness, environmental degradation, and the use of renewable energy, were adopted by the present Indian government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He said the consulate was also trying to follow these teachings at its premises. The consulate will also host a photo exhibition featuring 100 pictures of Gandhi.
The images will be flown from the National Museum of Gandhi, in New Delhi, to be displayed in Dubai.
● AUSTRALIA will host week-long exhibitions and interactive discussions at various universities.
Madhavi Mehndiratta, a masters student at the University of New South Wales, said Gandhi would be celebrated at the university “to commemorate his ideals of peace and non-violence, and his transformational contribution to India’s freedom struggle”.
A bronze statue of Gandhi, sculpted by Ram Sutar, was installed at the university in 2010.
Earlier this year, the university hosted an annual Gandhi Remembrance Ceremony and Gandhi Oration. | IANS