The day marks the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, known for his significant role to India’s independence movement. He was known as Bapu and recognised as the ‘Father of the Nation’, the title ‘Mahatma’, means ‘great sou’ was given to him by Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore in 1915.
Gandhi was born in Porbandar, Gujarat, on October 2, 1869. India will celebrate Mahatma Gandhi’s 155th birth anniversary on Wednesday, October 2, 2024. Gandhi completed his graduation from London and went to South Africa to practice law, where he implemented the non-violent Civil Disobedience Movement against racism faced by African nationals.
In 1915 when he returned to India, he protested against the British Government’s excessive taxes on Indian peasants, and in 1921, he became the leader of the Indian National Congress and led campaigns for self-rule for Indian workers through non-violence, or Ahimsa. He started the 390-km-long Dandi Salt March to end the salt tax and freedom struggle movements against the British Raj. He led the Quit India Movement against British rule in 1942. Political leaders gather at Rajghat, Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial in New Delhi, to pay their respects and honour his legacy.
PM Modi tweeted on X (formerly Twitter), ‘Today, on Gandhi Jayanti, I took part in Swachhata related activities with my young friends. I urge you all to also take part in some or the other such activity during the day and at the same time, keep strengthening the Swachh Bharat Mission. #10YearsOfSwachhBharat’
Notably, the United Nations declared this day the ‘International Day of Non-Violence‘ on June 15, 2007. Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi and former PM Lal Bahadur Shastri on X (formerly Twitter).
सभी देशवासियों की ओर से पूज्य बापू को उनकी जन्म-जयंती पर शत-शत नमन। सत्य, सद्भाव और समानता पर आधारित उनका जीवन और आदर्श देशवासियों के लिए सदैव प्रेरणापुंज बना रहेगा।
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 2, 2024
Lal Bahadur Shastri was the India’s second Prime Minister, Shastri was born in Uttar Pradesh’s Mughalsarai, he shared his birthday with Mahatma Gandhi and was deeply influenced by his ideals. Shastri’s iconic slogan, Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, became a rallying cry during the 1965 war with Pakistan, signifying support for both soldiers and farmers. He served as India’s Prime Minister from 1964 to 1966.
Lal Bahadur Shastri once encouraged citizens to skip a meal frequently during a national food crisis to show solidarity after the US reportedly threatened to cut wheat supplies during the India-Pakistan war. Shastri died in Tashkent on January 11, 1966, but his impact remains significant.
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