The 75th death anniversary of iconic Indian freedom fighter Mahatma Gandhi, being commemorated as Martyrs' Day the world over on Monday (30), was marked with tributes at the statue of the Father of the Nation at a park in Houston, US.
The Indian consulate in Houston led by its consul general Aseem Mahajan, along with the members of the Eternal Gandhi Museum Houston (EGMH), paid homage at the city's sprawling lush green Hermann Park.
The park has a six-foot-tall bronze statue of Gandhi, standing on a polished granite base.
Unveiled in 2004, the statue was sculpted by renowned artist Ram V Sutar and was a gift to the citizens here by the Indian government.
Mahajan, members of the EGMH, and many other Indian Americans, and American friends recalled Gandhi's message of peace and non-violence.
"Mahatma Gandhi inspired people all over the world, including Martin Luther King Jr, who drew heavily on Gandhian principles and teachings of nonviolence in a civil rights movement," Mahajan said.
"His message and values are relevant to combat any challenge even today," he added. The EGMH, under construction since July 2021, will be the only museum in America, Mahajan said.
"The endeavour of this initiative also is to deepen the close and multifaceted ties between India and the city of Houston. The Eternal Gandhi museum is an initiative of the Indo-American community to spread the universal message and teachings of Gandhiji," he added.
The construction of the museum is taking place during "Amrit Mahotsav," the period during which India will be celebrating 75 years of Independence, said Mahajan. The groundbreaking ceremony of the EGMH, the first museum dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi in America, took place on July 3, 2021.
The exhibits in the museum are a gift to the Mahatma Gandhi Library from the Birla family of India. Houston would be the first and only city in the United States to host it as a permanent exhibit.
The museum would be an educational resource and civic asset for the community, especially for children, and will present Gandhian values in a fun and game-centric manner. It will present the historical events of Gandhi's life as well as a spectrum of information technology, inspired by Gandhian thought.
The museum in Houston and other organisations are going to have a memorial service on February 11 -- 'Shraddhanjali, a memorial service to Mahatma Gandhi' -- to pay tribute to him, said Atul Kothari, volunteer & founding member of EGMH.
(PTI)
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