NEW DELHI: Indian independence icon Mahatma Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi has assassinated on January 30, 1948. He was on his way to a prayer meeting at Birla House. So today, the world remembers Mahatma Gandhi, as it observes the 70th death anniversary of the father of the Indian nation.
Mahatma Gandhi’s contribution towards the nation and its independence is no secret. He always taught the lesson of non-violence and worked towards building unity of the nation. After India got it Independence in 1947, Mahatma Gandhi stayed away from politics and started working towards people’s harmony, peace, and brotherhood.
The 78-year-old was gunned by a Hindu extremist while walking in a New Delhi garden on Jan 30, 1948, yet he remains an enduring symbol of peaceful protest. His message of non-violence and social inclusion inspired such notable figures as Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King Jr, Abdul Ghaffaar (Bacha) Khan and Nelson Mandela and continues to resonate in today’s volatile times.
President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday offered floral tribute to the Mahatma Gandhi, on his 70th death anniversary at Rajghat, New Dehli.
Vice President Venkaiah Naidu and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also paid their homage to Gandhi ji.
Army chief General Bipin Rawat, Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba and Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa were also present.
Earlier, President Kovind and Prime Minister Modi took to their respective Twitter handles to share their thoughts about ‘Bapu’.
President Kovind wrote, “On Martyrs’ Day, we gratefully remember Mahatma Gandhi and the countless freedom fighters who sacrificed they’re all for our Independence #PresidentKovind.”
On Martyrs’ Day, we gratefully remember Mahatma Gandhi and the countless freedom fighters who sacrificed their all for our Independence #PresidentKovind
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) January 30, 2018
“We bow to all those martyrs who have sacrificed themselves in service of our nation. We will always remember their courage as well as a dedication towards the nation,” Prime Minister Modi posted.
We bow to all those martyrs who have sacrificed themselves in service of our nation. We will always remember their courage as well as dedication towards the nation.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 30, 2018
10 key dates India’s ‘father’ Gandhi
Indian independence icon Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated 70 years ago on January 30, 1948. Here are 10 key dates in his life:
– 1869: Born on October 2 as Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi at Porbandar in the western Indian state of Gujarat.
– 1883: Married off by his parents to Kasturba Makanji. The couple is both aged 13 and go on to have four children.
– 1888-1891: Studies law in London.
– 1893-1915: Works as a lawyer in South Africa. In 1913 carries out his first non-violent action, the Transvaal march, a protest against the ban on Indian immigration.
– 1922: Having become the main moral authority of the Indian National Congress party, he calls for civil disobedience against the British colonial power. Arrested for subversion and spends two years in prison.
– 1930: Leads the famous Salt March – a non-violent protest against the state salt monopoly – which covers 350 kilometres (217 miles) from his ashram in Ahmedabad in the northwest to the Indian Ocean. He is arrested with tens of thousands of people.
– 1932: In jail, he goes on hunger strike to protest the segregation of the “untouchables”, the name for people who fall outside the Indian caste system.
– 1942: Calls for a general strike to force the British to leave India. Arrested and jailed until 1944.
– 1947: India’s independence proclaimed. Gandhi fights in vain against the partition of Hindus and Muslims into two separate states, India and Pakistan.
– 1948: Assassinated in New Delhi by a Hindu extremist. Two million Indians attend his funeral.