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UN leaders pay tributes to Gandhi

The UN observes the International Day of Non-Violence on October 2, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi…reports Asian Lite News

Top United Nations leaders on Monday paid their tributes to Mahatma Gandhi on his 154th birth anniversary, recalling his messages of peace and unity in diversity.

“This International Day of Non-Violence, we commemorate the birth of Mahatma Gandhi & recall his wise counsel,” UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said in a post on X.

“Our ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and the test of our civilization,” Guterres said, quoting Gandhi’s message and called on people and nations to “Let us heed his words & re-commit ourselves to this essential purpose.” President of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly Dennis Francis quoted Gandhi’s message “There is no way to peace, peace is the way”. The words are inscribed on a plaque on the bust of Mahatma Gandhi installed at the North Lawn of the world body’s headquarters.

The Gandhi bust is a gift from India to the UN and was installed in the expansive North Lawn during India’s Presidency of the 15-nation UN Security Council in December 2022. Francis said the International Day of Non-Violence marks the birth anniversary of Gandhi, a beacon of peace & non-violence.

“Let us embrace Gandhi’s message and invest in peace; this is an investment in our collective prosperity,” he said in a post on X. The UN observes the International Day of Non-Violence on October 2, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi.

According to General Assembly resolution of June 2007, which established the commemoration, the International Day is an occasion to “disseminate the message of non-violence, including through education and public awareness”.

The resolution reaffirms “the universal relevance of the principle of non-violence” and the desire “to secure a culture of peace, tolerance, understanding and non-violence”.

UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said, “On the International Day of Non-Violence, let us reaffirm our commitment to peace, justice, and equality for all”.

Celebrations in NY

India’s Consulate General in New York on Monday celebrated Gandhi Jayanti and the International Day of Non-violence in Manhattan in collaboration with Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.

The Consul General urged the gathering to bring more of Bapu’s life and legacy into their daily existence. He talked about the Swachh Bharat campaign and its Gandhian inspiration.

“Consulate in collaboration with Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan marked Gandhi Jayanti and International Day of Non-violence in Manhattan, New York. The Consul General urged the gathering to bring more of Bapu’s life and legacy into their daily existence. He talked about the Swachh Bharat campaign and its  Gandhian inspiration.  The Mahatma’s ideas on social harmony and respect for the environment are critical for building a better tomorrow,” as per the Consulate General in New York’s official handle on ‘X’ formerly Twitter.

Meanwhile, the Indian Ambassador to Russia Pavan Kapoor on Monday offered floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi and emphasized the relevance of the Father of the Nation and his message on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti.

Furthermore, there was a quiz about Mahatma Gandhi’s life, and children from the Embassy of India School and Jawaharlal Nehru Cultural Center in Moscow, Russia, sang some of Bapu’s favourite bhajans.

“On #GandhiJayanti, @AmbKapoor paid floral tributes and highlighted the pertinence of #MahatmaGandhi and his message today. There was a quiz on the life of the #Mahatma, and some of Bapu’s favourite bhajans were sung by children from the Embassy of India School & @iccr_moscow,” as per the Indian Embassy in Russia’s official handle on ‘X’ formerly Twitter.

The Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud and Indian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Vikram Doraiswami also paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at his statue installed at the centre of Tavistock Square in London, UK.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Delhi’s Rajghat.

In a post shared on X, PM Modi stated Mahatma Gandhi’s impact is global and his “timeless teachings will continue to illuminate our path.”

PM Modi on X posted, “I bow to Mahatma Gandhi on the special occasion of Gandhi Jayanti. His timeless teachings continue to illuminate our path. Mahatma Gandhi’s impact is global, motivating the entire humankind to further the spirit of unity and compassion. May we always work towards fulfilling his dreams. May his thoughts enable every youngster to be the agent of change he dreamt of, fostering unity and harmony all over.” (ANI)

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World leaders pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi

Ahead of their visit, the security was tightened and the Delhi Traffic Police also made arrangements for the traffic…reports Asian Lite News

On the second day of the G20 summit, world leaders on Sunday paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat here amid drizzle. Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the world leaders at Rajghat with a gift of khaadi shawl.

US President Joe Biden, Premier of the People’s Republic of China Li Qiang were at Rajghat and paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi and laid wreaths.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Italy’s PM Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, President of South Korea Yoon Suk Yeol, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrived at the Rajghat and paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed his Canadian counterpart, Justin Trudeau, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Spain’s Vice-President Nadia Calvino Santamaria, Egypt President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte, PM of Mauritius Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Deputy Prime Minister of Oman Asaad bin Tariq bin Taimur Al Said, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, World Bank President Ajay Banga, DG World Health Organisation (WHO) Tedros Adhanom at Rajghat.

The leaders paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi and laid wreaths. The Rajghat was decorated with flowers to welcome the world leaders amid high security.

Ahead of their visit, the security was tightened and the Delhi Traffic Police also made arrangements for the traffic.

In a tweet, Delhi Traffic Police said, “Traffic Alert: Controlled Zone 2 has been implemented and consequently buses will not operate on Ring Road between ISBT Kashmiri Gate and Sarai Kale Khan.” “Buses will operate on remaining stretch of Ring Road and road network beyond Ring Road towards borders of Delhi,” it added.

The World leaders will now attend the second day of the G20 Summit here at the Bharat Mandapam.

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Crime India News

Karnataka CM condemns vandalism of Gandhi statue

The incident came to light on Monday…reports Asian Lite News

Karnataka Chief  Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday condemned the incident in which unidentified miscreants vandalised the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Holehonnuru village of Shivamogga district. He has also warned that the guilty in the case would be punished.

“I severely condemn the anti-national act of vandalising the statue of Mahatma Gandhi. Those who have scantiest respect for the freedom movement of this land, Constitution and law can indulge in this heinous act. We will initiate strict action and sternly punish those who are behind this lowly act. I request the people not to take law into their hands and maintain peace, law and order in the society,” Siddaramaiah stated.     

The incident came to light on Monday.

The police have rushed to the spot and begun an investigation in the case. Police explain that the statue was installed at the main junction of the village 18 years ago.

The reason for the vandalisation has not been ascertained yet. However, police have started recording the statements in this regard. The statue has been totally vandalised and the people of the village have condemned the act, urging the police to initiate action against the culprits. 

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Gandhi’s bust at UN, a reminder of values he upheld: Guterres

The bust of Mahatma Gandhi, a gift by India, will be the first sculpture of Gandhi to be permanently located at the North Lawn Gardens of the United Nations…reports Asian Lite News

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called Mahatma Gandhi an “uncompromising advocate for peaceful co-existence” and said that Gandhi’s bust at the organisation would serve as a reminder of the values he upheld.

Taking to Twitter, Guterres said, “Mahatma Gandhi was an uncompromising advocate for peaceful co-existence, non-discrimination and pluralism. The new installation located at @UN Headquarters will serve as a reminder of the values Gandhi upheld, and to which we must remain committed.”

Earlier, on Wednesday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar unveiled a bust of Mahatma Gandhi at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres and the President of the 77th UN General Assembly Csaba Korosi and Permanent Representative Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj joined the EAM on the occasion and paid floral tributes at the bust of Mahatma Gandhi, said the Permanent Mission of India to the UN in a press release.

Mahatma Gandhi’s favourite bhajan ‘Vaishnav jan to’ was recited at the event.

The bust of Mahatma Gandhi, a gift by India, will be the first sculpture of Gandhi to be permanently located at the North Lawn Gardens of the United Nations.

Incidentally, the sculptor of the bust is Ram Vanji Sutar, who made the Statue of Unity.

The Statue of Unity is the world’s tallest statue, with a height of 182 meters, located near Kevadia in the state of Gujarat, India. It depicts Indian statesman and independence activist Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who was the first deputy prime minister and home minister of independent India and an adherent of Mahatma Gandhi.

The event was also attended by the high-level representatives of the United Nations Security Council members including the incoming members and senior UN officials, added the release.

Jaishankar is in New York to Chair the United Nations Security Council meetings on 14-15 December 2022.

India is holding the presidency of the United Nations Security Council for the month of December 2022.

During his visit, Jaishankar is scheduled to preside over two High-Level Ministerial signature events of India’s ongoing Presidency of the UN Security Council on December 14-15. The External Affairs Ministry in a press release stated that the High-Level Ministerial Open Debate on 14 December is on the theme of “New Orientation for Reformed Multilateralism” [NORMS].”

The High-Level Briefing on 15 December is on ‘Global Approach to Counter Terrorism – Challenges and Way Forward.’ Both these themes have been key priorities for India during its current tenure at the UN Security Council.

The primary focus of the Open Debate on Reformed Multilateralism is to encourage all member states to seriously address the need for reforms in the global governance multilateral architecture, including the long-standing reforms of the UN Security Council.

Furthermore, the high-level briefing on Counter Terrorism will seek to promote consensus amongst Council Members on the principles of a global counter-terror architecture and aim to further work upon the Delhi Declaration adopted during the Special Meeting of the Counter-Terrorism Committee held in Mumbai and New Delhi in October.

Jaishankar will also launch a “Group of Friends for Accountability for Crimes against Peacekeepers” and is expected to hold meetings with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. A special photo exhibition demonstrating India’s initiative on “International Year of Millets 2023” and a millets-based luncheon will also be hosted by EAM S Jaishankar for UN Secretary-General and UNSC member states. (ANI)

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Books Lite Blogs

‘Power of truth, love and non-violence’

Is a Gandhi-informed swaraj technology, valuable but humanly limited, possible? What would a Gandhian world–a more egalitarian, interconnected, decentralized–of globalisation look like? reports Asian Lite News

M.K. Gandhi was one of the subcontinent’s most prominent and beloved public figures of all time. He was the man who united a nation, roused a million hearts, and spearheaded one of the greatest marches to freedom ever witnessed in human history. With six handpicked book titles dedicated to the Mahatma from the Oxford University Press below, let’s dive into his ideologies, how he stood for making India an independent nation and his overall journey to guiding the country towards independence. Several authors and researchers have thoroughly dived into his life and published extensive works that are still relevant in today’s contemporary world.

Gandhi After 9/11

9/11 marked the beginning of a century that is defined by widespread violence. Every other day seems to be a furthering of the already catastrophic present towards a more disastrous tomorrow. With climate change looming over us, frequent economic instability, religious wars and relentless political mayhem, life for what we have made of it seems more and more unsustainable. Douglas Allen insists that we look to Gandhi, if only selectively and creatively, in order to move towards a non-violent and sustainable future.

Is a Gandhi-informed swaraj technology, valuable but humanly limited, possible? What would a Gandhian world–a more egalitarian, interconnected, decentralized–of globalisation look like? Focusing on key themes in Gandhi’s thinking such as violence and non-violence, absolute truth and relative truth, ethical and spiritual living, and his critique of modernity, the book compels us to rethink our positions today. Buy the copy at Rs 768 only

Walking from Dandi

In February 2019, Harmony Siganporia walked from Dandi to Ahmedabad, retracing the route of Gandhi’s Salt March in reverse. She walked this route of just under 400 kilometres over 25 days, much as Gandhi and the original band of marchers did in 1930. The ‘Dandi Path’ is the setting against which she explores the story of modern Gujarat, tracing the contours of the state’s seismic shift towards espousing the narrative of vikas, abandoning in the process the possibility of a quest for swaraj.

Gujarat has been described as the laboratory of Hindutva, and this book is an effort to explore this theme, even as it attempts to unearth whether there remain any competing epistemes to it; memories of the region’s prior avatar as the setting against which Gandhi put into practice his experiments with truth, non-violent civil disobedience, and satyagraha. This project investigates what –if anything– remains of the Salt March in Gujarat’s cultural memory, while also attempting to fill out the contours of the ‘single story’ of vikas with which the state has become so closely associated.

Buy at Rs 1317 only

Gandhi Against Caste

In 1909, while still in South Africa, Gandhi publicly decried the caste system for its inequalities. Shortly after his return to India though, he spoke of the generally beneficial aspects of caste. Gandhi’s writings on caste reflect contradictory views and his critics accuse him of neglecting the unequal socio-economic structure that relegated Dalits to the bottom of the caste hierarchy. So, did Gandhi endorse the fourfold division of the Indian society or was he truly against caste?

In this book, Nishikant Kolge investigates the entire range of what Gandhi said or wrote about caste divisions over a period of more than three decades: from his return to India in 1915 to his death in 1948. Interestingly, Kolge also maps Gandhi’s own statements that undermined his stance against the caste system. These writings uncover the ‘strategist Gandhi’ who understood that social transformation had to be a slow process for the conservative but powerful section of Hindus who were not yet ready for radical reforms.

Seven decades after it attained freedom from colonial powers, caste continues to influence the socio-political dynamics of India. And Gandhi against caste–the battle is not over yet.
Buy the book at Rs 555 only

Diary of Manu Gandhi

Manu Gandhi, M.K. Gandhi’s grand-niece, joined him in 1943 at the age of 15. An aide to Gandhi’s ailing wife Kasturba in the Aga Khan Palace prison in Pune, Manu remained with him until his assassination. She was a partner in his final yajna, an experiment in Brahmacharya, and his invocation of Rama at the moment of his death.

Spanning two volumes, The Diary of Manu Gandhi is a record of her life and times with M.K. Gandhi between 1943 and 1948. Authenticated by Gandhi himself, the meticulous and intimate entries in the diary throw light on Gandhi’s life as a prisoner and his endeavour to establish the possibility of collective non-violence. They also offer a glimpse into his ideological conflicts, his efforts to find his voice, and his lonely pilgrimage to Noakhali during the riots of 1946.

The first volume (1943-44) chronicles the spiritual and educational pursuits of an adolescent woman who takes up writing as a mode of self-examination. The author shares a moving portrait of Kasturba Gandhi’s illness and death and also unravels the deep emotional bond she develops with Gandhi, whom she calls her ‘mother’. Buy copy at Rs 750 only

Dive into Inspirational journey of Mahatma Gandhi with these 6 book title.(photo:IANSLIFE)
Dive into Inspirational journey of Mahatma Gandhi with these 6 book title.(photo:IANSLIFE)
Dive into Inspirational journey of Mahatma Gandhi with these 6 book title.(photo:IANSLIFE)
Dive into Inspirational journey of Mahatma Gandhi with these 6 book title.(photo:IANSLIFE)

Gandhi in Bombay

When Gandhi landed on the bustling Bombay docks on a cold winter morning in 1915, little did he know that his journey back from South Africa would mark a turning point in history. Bombay, the nerve centre of Gandhi’s many political activities, earned an enviable place in India’s freedom struggle under his leadership. Gandhi in Bombay is interspersed with the Mahatma’s letters, speeches, published writings, and more than 50 rare photographs depicting important events in Bombay. Together they project a scintillating vision of the city in the throes of the independence movement. Buy the book at Rs 795 only

Scorching Love

This book is a compilation of, for the most part, for the first time — Gandhi’s letters to his youngest son, Devadas from 1914, when father and son were both in South Africa to 1948, when they were both in Delhi, the capital of free India where within hours of the last letter Gandhi was assassinated. The letters span three decades during which the writer grew from being a fighter for the rights of Indians in South Africa to being hailed as ‘Father of the Nation’ by millions in India and — opposed by many as well, including the man who felled him by three bullets fired at point blank range on January 30, 1948. The letters hold his aspirations for his son and for his nation. They bear great love and they also scorch. The book will be valuable to future biographers of Mohandas and Kasturba Gandhi and their sons. Edition starts from Rs 1410 only.

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Gandhi’s soldiers

Ajoy Mukherjee, who was a prominent leader of the Bangla Congress along with Dhara, its founder, was the mentor of the late former President Pranab Mukherjee…reports Sourish Bhattacharyya

A bustling port town of antiquity visited by the Chinese monk-travellers Fa-hien, Hsuan-tsang, and Yi Jing, celebrated in ancient Sanskrit literature, notably in the works of Dandin and Kalidas, Tamralipta (now Tamluk, in the Purba Medinipur district of West Bengal) was resurrected from obscurity during the Quit India Movement, when it became the seat of a ‘jatiya sarkar’ (national government) that lasted for nearly 21 months and was disbanded only after Mahatma Gandhi asked its founders to do so.

Tamluk was the scene of intense nationalistic activity ever since Gandhi gave the call to Indians to ‘Do or Die’ so that the British ‘Quit india’. Much of the work to build up this groundswell was done by a local Congressman named Satish Chandra Samanta, and passions reached their boiling point with the martyrdom of Matangini Hazra, who defied prohibitory orders in force and led peaceful protesters toward the criminal court building with the intention of occupying the police station nearby.

An active member of the Congress, Hazra, who was better-known locally as ‘Gandhi buri’ (old lady Gandhi), was 72 years old when she was shot thrice by the police, with whom she was pleading not to fire at the protesters following her. Hazra held the Congress flag in her hands even as her life was ebbing away.

Her brutal killing triggered an uprising in Tamluk, which was not always non-violent, and it led to the establishment of the ‘jatiya sarkar’, which administered the town for 20 months under the leadership of Satish Chandra Samanta, its ‘sarbadhinayak’ (chief executive), who had quit the Bengal Engineering College in his youth to plunge into the national movement. Established on December 17, 1942, it presided over the administration of Tamluk and earned the goodwill of the people.

The ‘jatiya sarkar’ ran a newspaper called ‘Biplabi’ (Revolutionary), conducted cyclone relief work, gave grants to schools and colleges, and even organised a ‘Vidyut Vahini’ (Electric Force) under the leadership of Samanta’s comrade, Sushil Kumar Dhara, in the hope of aligning with Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army whenever he would liberate India.

Apart from Dhara, Samanta was assisted in his bold enterprise by Ajoy Mukherjee, who later became famous for being elected West Bengal’s chief minister for three short terms during a tumultuous period in the state’s politics when governments were formed and fell in rapid succession between 1967 and 1971.

Ajoy Mukherjee, who was a prominent leader of the Bangla Congress along with Dhara, its founder, was the mentor of the late former President Pranab Mukherjee. It was on his recommendation that his protege was admitted into the Congress by Indira Gandhi and then inducted into her Council of Ministers in the early 1970s.

Recalling the ‘jatiya sarkar’ days many years later, when he was President of India, Pranab Mukherjee said: “Gandhiji received a complaint that those who had formed the Tamralipta National Government in Tamluk could not be fully non-violent and had to resort to violence at times.

“Gandhiji had immense faith in Ajoyda and Satishda. He thought this was not possible, but those who had made the complaint were respected Congress leaders. So Gandhiji thought of conducting an inquiry. Some people suggested Ajoyda should lie to Gandhiji. But Sushilda said: ‘No. I have to tell everything to him, why we had to resort to violence. Then whatever punishment he decides will be acceptable”.”

Pranab Mukherjee continued: “Satishda then told Gandhiji that they could bear everything, but not mass rapes, which broke all their forbearance and compelled some of them to resort to violence.

“After confirming the rapes from the women, Gandhiji came back to them with moist eyes and said: ‘Satish, I cannot blame you. But I would have been happier had the incidents not happened’.”

It was Gandhi’s insistence that ‘jatiya sarkar’ was disbanded on August 8, 1944, a day before the second anniversary of the Quit India Movement.

The three leaders went on to have a busy political life after Independence. Samanta, who became quite a local legend because of his community service, was the Lok Sabha MP from Tamluk from 1952 to 1977. He died in 1983 at the age of 82.

He stood firmly with the Congress, whereas Dhara broke away and created the Bangla Congress in 1966. He was the MLA from Mahisadal for three terms (1962-77), held ministerial offices in the governments that Ajoy Mukherjee briefly headed, and got elected to the Lok Sabha on a Janata Party ticket in 1977. Dhara quit politics in 1980 and breathed his last in 2011, after completing 101 years.

Ajoy Mukherjee was active in West Bengal politics from 1951 to 1977, serving as the Tamluk MLA (a seat his brother, Biswanath Mukherjee, the CPI leader, later held) when he was not chief minister. Citing bad health, he retired from politics in 1977, passing on his mantle to Pranab Mukherjee. He was honoured with a Padma Bhushan in 1977 and passed away in 1986 at the age of 85.

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The lady whom Gandhi addressed as his mother

Among all her children, Maulana Shaukat Ali and Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar became famous in Indian history as the ‘Ali brothers’ who started the ‘Khilafat Movement’ against British rule…writes Mohammad Suaib Khan

Among the few Muslim women who had actively participated in the Indian Independence movement, Abadi Bano Begum (Bi Amma) was a prominent face.

Her active participation in the struggle to liberate the country from the British Raj, even led Mahatma Gandhi to call her his mother.

Bi Amma was born in 1850 in Uttar Pradesh and was married to Abdul Ali Khan, a senior official of the princely state of Rampur who later died of cholera. He had five sons and a daughter.

Among all her children, Maulana Shaukat Ali and Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar became famous in Indian history as the ‘Ali brothers’ who started the ‘Khilafat Movement’ against British rule.

Professor Ajay Tiwari, who retired from Delhi University, told IANS: “Bi Amma came from a conservative family. Due to her husband, she was in great debt, and it was impossible for her to raise six children after his demise.

“When her brother-in-law advised her to sell-off some of their property, she refused saying that the property belonged to her children.

“Seeing her passion for the country, Gandhi ji addressed her as his mother and called himself her son. Imagine how impressed he must have been, that despite being a popular leader at that time, Gandhi ji called her his mother!”

Bi Amma, despite her poor financial condition, from 1917-1921, donated Rs 10 every month to protest against the British Defense Act, after Sarojini Naidu’s arrest.

Highlighting her contribution to the freedom struggle, Ajay Tiwari said: “Despite her poor economic condition, Bi Amma had won everyone’s heart with her spirit. The Defence of India Act influenced her religious beliefs and the idea of women’s independence after which, she changed herself.”

“When Congress leader Subramaniam Iyer was presiding over a meeting, Bi Amma wrote him a letter for the first time which later came to be known as a ‘document of the freedom movement’. In the letter, she stated she is writing to him even though according to their Sharia law, talking to another man is ‘kufr’ (sin).”

Bi Amma, despite her progressive nature, believed in the concept of ‘purdah’ (an Islamic custom of covering a woman’s face). However, when she had come to address a gathering in Punjab and removed her burqa on stage, panic spread among the Muslim community.

At the meeting, she said that she is older than most of the audience members and they all are like her sons. Therefore, she doesn’t have to follow ‘purdah’ in front of them. And this incident made her the unanimous mother of all those who fought in the freedom movement.

In 1917, she joined the movement for the release of her two sons from prison. Mahatma Gandhi encouraged her to speak up and get the support of women in the freedom movement. She travelled extensively across India to support and raise funds for the Khilafat and Indian Independence movement.

Talking about honouring her, Ajay Tiwari said: “She died in 1924 and 66 years after her death, the Pakistani government recognised her contribution to the freedom struggle by issuing a postage stamp in her honour.

“But in India we are not doing any remarkable work to remember her. If we try to save the memory of these extraordinary personalities like Abadi Bano Begum, then our celebration of independence will be worthwhile.”

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USA

US State Dept launches Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative

The two great luminaries Mahatma Gandhi and Dr Martin Luther King, Jr were patrons of civil rights and social justice…reports Asian Lite News

The US Department of State on Tuesday (local time) launched Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative.

The two great luminaries Mahatma Gandhi and Dr Martin Luther King, Jr were patrons of civil rights and social justice.

The Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announced the launch of the Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative, which brings together 20 emerging young civic leaders from India and the United States, read the US Department of State press release.

It will advance civil rights, social justice, and inclusion on the local, national and international levels by exploring the histories and legacies of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. This exchange was championed by the late John Lewis, added the release.

The exchange will open on June 15, 2022, with a one-week virtual program and orientation followed by a two-week academic residency hosted at Alabama A&M University, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) and the University of Alabama.

In addition to classroom learning and discussion, participants will visit civil rights sites in Montgomery, Selma, and Birmingham, Alabama; Memphis, Tennessee; and Atlanta, Georgia, said the release.

In January 2023, the Indian and US participants will reconvene in India to visit important sites, communities, and organizations that build upon their academic curriculum, which is centred around the academic themes of peace, nonviolence, and conflict resolution and build their leadership capacities. (ANI)

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‘Gandhis should step aside from leadership’

Sonia Gandhi in the CWC on Sunday had offered to step aside from the leadership along with Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, but was turned down by the CWC…reports Asian Lite News

Days after the Congress working committee meeting, the party’s senior leader Kapil Sibal on Tuesday demanded that the ‘Gandhis should step aside from the leadership role and give a chance to someone else to lead the party’.

Since the poll debacle of 2014 the Congress has lost elections continuously except on a few occasions, he said, and added that “the CWC has reposed faith in the party leadership but those outside the CWC feel otherwise as many have left the party and new leaders should be given a chance to lead the party”.

Sibal is one of the signatories of the letter written to Sonia Gandhi for bringing reforms within the party, but in the CWC meet on Sunday sources say that Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma did not raise the issue of leadership change.

Sonia Gandhi in the CWC on Sunday had offered to step aside from the leadership along with Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, but was turned down by the CWC.

The Congress Working Committee on Sunday reposed faith in interim party chief Sonia Gandhi after its marathon meeting to discuss the outcome of the Assembly polls. She was also authorised to undertake “necessary and comprehensive” organisational changes.

“The CWC unanimously reaffirms its faith in the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and requests the Congress President to lead from the front, address the organisational weaknesses, effect necessary and comprehensive organisational changes in order to take on the political challenges,”it said.

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Plans to revive historic Birmingham hotel linked to Gandhi

The board’s decision will now trigger detailed negotiations between the WMCA and the developers to finalise an investment deal…reports Asian Lite News

Plans to regenerate an historic Birmingham hotel where Mahatma Gandhi is believed to have once dined are being backed by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).

The Victorian-built Murdoch Chambers & Pitman Building in Corporation Street started life in the late 1800s as a vegetarian restaurant and hotel, thought to be the first in Britain, but now stands empty, apart from two fast food outlets on the ground floor.

That could soon change after developer MP Devco Limited drew up proposals to transform it into an ‘aparthotel’ offering 136 apartments.

Now, as part of its nationally acclaimed brownfield regeneration programme, the WMCA board has agreed in principle to make an investment to kick-start the aparthotel scheme, which is expected to create more than 70 jobs.

It will be the latest in a series of WMCA investments using money it has secured from the government to provide new homes, jobs and commercial spaces on urban, brownfield sites, helping to support the region’s economic recovery from Covid 19 while reducing pressure on the green belt.

The board’s decision will now trigger detailed negotiations between the WMCA and the developers to finalise an investment deal.

West Midlands mayor Andy Street said: “Murdoch & Pitman is an iconic city centre building with a glorious history. This scheme will breathe new life into the building and the area, helping to safeguard a valued part of our local heritage.

“It is also yet another example of how the WMCA is putting its funding to good use to help drive forward a successful economic recovery from Covid-19 by transforming brownfield sites into new homes and communities, creating vital jobs in the process.”

The Murdoch Chambers & Pitman Building was originally built in 1896 by J Crouch and E Butler for Dean’s Furniture and the Pitman’s restaurant, which is thought to have been named after Sir Isaac Pitman, then vice-president of the Vegetarian Society and creator of Pitman’s shorthand.

The building features carvings depicting its early uses, showing diners at the Pitman Vegetarian Restaurant and workers at Dean’s Furniture offices. Pitman’s restaurant had expanded into a hotel by 1898 and was still open when Gandhi visited the city in the 1930s. Later uses of the buildings included offices and barristers’ chambers.

With the on-going shift away from bricks and mortar retail to on-line shopping, it is hoped the scheme will also help revitalise the top end of Corporation Street, traditionally one of the city centre’s premier streets and also the location of other historic buildings such as the Grade I Listed Victoria Law Courts and the Grade II Listed Methodist Central Hall, which has stood empty for nearly 20 years.

In approving the investment in principle, the WMCA board was told how the proposed development would restore and revitalise the entirety of the historic building and its façade, enhancing the historic and cultural distinctiveness of the local area and integrating well with the other Victorian architecture within the vicinity.

The board was also told how the developer had committed to utilising modern methods of construction while reducing carbon emissions and that the aparthotel would support and address growing city centre housing and commercial market demand while providing additional jobs for the region.

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