To commemorate the 146th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and the International Day of Non Violence, the Embassy of India in Jakarta in association with the Gandhi Memorial International School organized Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Lecture at the Gandhi Memorial International School on Friday.
H.E. Irman Gusman, Chairman of Dewan Perwakilan Daerah (Regional Representative Council) of Republic of Indonesia was the Chief Guest on the occasion and delivered the keynote address.
On arrival he was received by Ambassador Gurjit Singh, Suresh Vaswani, Chairman of Gandhi Memorial International School, and members of the Gandhi Seva Loka.
H.E. Gusman, Ambassador Gurjit Singh and other dignitaries paid floral tributes at the bust of Mahatma Gandhi. The program began with rendition of popular hymns of Mahatma Gandhi by students of the Gandhi school to an appreciative audience.
In his keynote address, Gusman described Mahatma Gandhi as an extraordinary statesman. Quoting Mahatma Gandhi extensively, he said that Gandhian principles are necessary for harmony in society and body politic. Gusman said that had the world followed Gandhian ideals, it would have been much better place to live in with far less social and economic problems.
Ambassador Gurjit Singh said that apart from Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday today we are also celebrating Batik Day. He said that there is no better example of Gandhian model of production than Batik manufacturing as it gives employment to millions of people, use local resources and skills and preserve the local culture thus creating harmony between man and nature.
Singh said that Mahatma gave high priority to cleanliness, sanitation and hygiene and therefore the Government of India launched a nation-wide cleanliness drive titled “Swachh Bharat” meaning “Clean India” on his 145th birthday in 2014.
A photo exhibition encapsulating life of Mahatma Gandhi was also displayed. A film, “Gandhi Lives” which foregrounds the relevance of Gandhi’s ideas that continue to have relevance for growth in various sectors and services of the modern Indian economy, was also screened on the occasion.
About eight hundred persons attended the event from all walks of life including Ambassadors of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Bangladesh, members of Indonesian diplomatic corps, Indian Community, think tanks, academia, charitable organizations and the like.
As part of Gandhi Jayanthi celebrations over the week, several organizations in Indonesia volunteered to hold charitable activities. The Gandhi Seva Loka and Gandhi Memorial International School handed over cheques amounting to Rp 165 million to five charitable organizations in Indonesia.
The Swami Teoram Satsang arranged 10 free cataract operations in Klinik Kashih Sayang. Sadhu Vaswani Trust will distribute prosthetic aids on November 4 & 5, October 2015; and Jain Social Group will make donation to Jain Vishwa Bharati Institute, Ladnun, Rajasthan. The DPS International School, Karawang organized programs and workshop for all students on the life and ideals of Mahatma Gandhi.
Members of Indian Cultural Forum vowed to participate in a ‘Cleanup Jakarta Day’ scheduled on October 18, 2015. These activities were organized in response to the Embassy’s initiative to mark Gandhi Jayanthi and the International Day of Non-Violence in a significant manner.