Indian Consulate in NY joins Indian-Americans to celebrate Gandhi Jayanti

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The Consulate General of India, New York in collaboration with various organizations commemorated the 151st Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. These celebrations marked the conclusion of the two-year long celebration of Gandhi@150.

Consulate General of India, New York along with members of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and International Ahimsa Foundation marked Gandhiji’s birth anniversary and International Day of Non-violence by paying respects to Mahatma Gandhi at Union Square in New York on 2 October 2020. On this occasion, Congressman Gregory Meeks from New York conveyed his greetings.

“Just as Martin Luther King Jr. chose to be a disciple of Gandhi’s philosophy of nonviolent protest, so too must we his disciples. We must never succumb to violence and hatred, and instead use the power of our values to bend the moral arc of history towards justice” Meeks is quoted saying in a press release.

Other U.S. lawmakers at the event included Tom Suozzi D-NY; Frank Pallone D-NJ; Brian Fitzpatrick and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania. Congressmen Brad Wenstrup and Steve Chabot of Ohio sent their wishes and thoughts on Gandhiji’s life through video messages.

Consul General Randhir Jaiswal unveiled a bust of Mahatma Gandhi in upstate New York, at Amherst on Oct. 2, 2020, at an event attended by a number of Indian-Americans as well as students from the various educational institutions in Western New York. Speaking on the occasion, Jaiswal emphasized how teachings of the Mahatma are relevant for the youth today and how Gandhian values can help nurture a harmonious society and a green planet.

Others at the event included Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz, New York Assemblywoman Karen McMahon and Amherst Town Supervisor Brian Kulpa.

A Gandhi Jayant event was held at Gandhi Peace Garden on October 01, 2020. The event was attended by Consul General; Huntington Town Supervisor Chad Lupinacci,; Town Clerk Andrew Raia, (former Assemblyman); Consulate officials and representatives of Shanti Fund.

Consul General Jaiswal also paid his respects at the lifesize statue of Mahatma Gandhi, located in front of H Lee Dennison Building, in Hauppauge, New York.

Online competitions to commemorate Gandhi@150 Grand Finale were also held. In partnership with the Consulate, Gandhi Memorial Society, Columbus, Ohio conducted a virtual speech contest on ‘Mahatma Gandhi – His Life and what I have learned from it’, for three age-groups from 6 – 25 years. Other events includedan online quiz competition; a video competition wherein participant had to send a 1-minute video on themes based on Gandhiji’s life; and a painting competition. Approximately 250 youth participated in the competitions. Winners were awarded with gifts and books written by Mahatma Gandhi. From the New York Consulate’s collection of Mahatma Gandhi books, many books were donated to various organizations. A virtual Gandhi Katha was also organized with Dr. Shobhana Radhakrishna of Gandhian Forum for Ethical Corporate Governance.