The 147th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi was observed in New York with floral tributes, singing of Gandhi’s favorite bhajans and garlanding of his statue in Union Square Park in Manhattan.
The Indian Consulate in New York celebrated Gandhi Jayanti Oct. 2 in association with the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan at Union Square Park where Consul General Riva Ganguly Das along with community members paid tribute to Gandhi. Bhavan’s students sang Gandhi’s favorite bhajans to mark the occasion.
The Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations organized a special event to commemorate Oct. 2 which is also observed as the International Day of Non-Violence. This year’s celebrations were held at the ECOSOC chamber of the United Nations Oct. 2. The gathering at ECOSOC was addressed by President of General Assembly Peter Thomson, deputy secretary general Jan Eliasson, Finance Minister of Bangladesh Abul Maal A. Muhith, and professor Barry L. Gan, director of Center for Non-Violence, St. Bonaventure University.
The opening segment was followed by a recital of songs emphasizing virtues of peace and non-violence by Sudha Raghunathan a renowned Indian classical singer in the Carnatic music tradition.
As a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi’s focus on preserving the environment, India submitted its certification of the instrument of ratification of the Paris Agreement on the same day to the United Nations. On the same day last year, India announced its climate action plan and declared its intended nationally determined contribution. “Every year on the International Day of Non-Violence, we re-commit ourselves to the cause of peace, as exemplified by the life of Mahatma Gandhi who was born on this day 147 years ago,” Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in his message for the Day.
“We know that a culture of nonviolence begins with respect for others, but it does not end there. To nurture peace, we must respect nature. I am pleased this year’s International Day of Non-Violence puts the focus on sustainability and the environment,” Ban said.
“In all he did, Gandhi honored our obligation to all living things. He reminded us that ‘Earth provides enough to satisfy everyone’s needs, but not everyone’s greed.’ Gandhi also challenged us to ‘be the change we wish to see in the world,’” the Secretary-General noted.
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