On the occasion of the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on 2 October, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa offered floral tribute to Gandhiji in a ceremony held at Temple Trees. Deputy High Commissioner of India Mr. Vinod K Jacob represented the High Commissioner, along with other Indian diplomats.
This Birth Anniversary marked the culmination of two years of celebration of 150th year from the birth of Mahatma Gandhi.
After the ceremony, Prime Minister queried about Mahatma Gandhi's famous visit to Sri Lanka. Deputy High Commissioner Mr. Vinod K. Jacob recounted that Mahatma Gandhi had toured Sri Lanka extensively in 1927 from Galle to Point Pedro.
In his address to students at Ananda College, Mahatma Gandhi had spoken about Gautam Buddha: "His was the right path, right speech, right thought and conduct. He gave us the unadulterated law of mercy." The Deputy High Commissioner further noted that Buddhist principles which were a great influence on Mahatma Gandhi are also enshrined in the Indian Constitution.
It has been more than seventy years since Mahatma Gandhi departed from our midst. However, his life and ideals continue to guide humanity transcending national and international boundaries.
The world today recognizes that Mahatma Gandhi’s guiding principles of Ahimsa (nonviolence), Satyagraha (the force born of truth and nonviolence) and Sarvodaya (upliftment of all) illuminate the path to deal with the challenges faced by entire humanity, from terrorism to development, climate change to governance.
A 42-inch bust of Gandhiji in a meditative posture, sculpted by National Awardee of India sculptor Ram Vanji Sutar, was installed at Temple Trees last year to mark the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
(LIN)