Venu Menon
Wellington, October 2,2023
Community members and dignitaries assembled under a tent in squally weather to commemorate the 154th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, close to his statue outside the Wellington train station, on October 2.
The programme kicked off with a Karakia (Maori prayer) which was followed by the garlanding of the statue, and the placing of a wreath at its foot, by Indian High Commissioner to New Zealand Neeta Bhushan.
Welcoming the assembly, High Commissioner Bhushan began by acknowledging the dignitaries, who included former New Zealand Governor-General Sir Anand Satyanand, Wellington City Councillor Sarah Free, National Party MP Chris Bishop, Wellington Indian Association (WIA) President Manisha Morar, former Wellington Mayor Andy Foster, Multicultural New Zealand President Pancha Narayanan, New Zealand Indian Central Association (NZICA) Vice President Taruna Bhana, senior police officials, and Pujya Mahatma Gandhi Commemoration Committee (PMGBCC) Chairman Naginbhai Patel.
She referenced the United Nations General Assembly resolution declaring October 2 as an International Day of Non-violence.
High Commissioner Bhushan drew on Gandhi’s cautionary advice that following a policy of an eye for an eye would only make the whole world blind. She quoted Gandhi as saying “an ounce of practice is worth more than hours of preaching.”
In keeping with Gandhi’s principle that cleanliness is next to godliness, High Commissioner Bhushan lauded the Swachh Abhiyan programme launched by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and implemented across the country. The programme stressed the need to keep the surroundings clean.
She said a new India was emerging that would “find its place in the world as a result of the huge strides made across sectors, including the economy, space and culture.
Up next, former Governor General Satyanand noted that Wellington “is one of a number of capitals around the world in which members of the Indian diaspora have joined hands with the government, the local city council and the Indian Ministry of External Affairs to put in place a statue of the Mahatma.”
Gandhi was remembered for espousing non-violence, leading India’s Independence movement against British colonial rule and for popularising satyagraha, which symbolised the force of truth. Gandhi also challenged people to “be the change they wish to see in the world,” Satyanand said. Gandhi inspired great leaders such as Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Barrack Obama, as well as Dame Whina Cooper of New Zealand , who led the hikoi march in 1975.
Councillor Sarah Free, who spoke on behalf of Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau and the city council, acknowledged the richness that the Indian community “brought to our lives” in New Zealand. “When you think of peaceful protest, the first name that springs to mind is that of Mahatma Gandhi. He is considered a pioneer of the philosophy and strategy of non-violence as a form of protest,” Councillor Free noted. She added: “More than 70 years after his death, we can see the influence he’s had on the world.”
Delivering the vote of thanks, (PMGBCC) Chairman Naginbhai Patel reiterated the proposal put forward by the previous Indian High Commissioner, Muktesh Pardesi, that Bunny St should be renamed as Gandhi Marg, as a parallel to Sir Edmund Hilary Marg in the Indian capital, New Delhi.
PMGBCC co-chair Kantibhai .B. Patel presented a bouquet to High Commissioner Bhushan.
The programme wrapped up with hymns sung by members of the Gayathri Parivar and the Wellington Indian Association.
The Gandhi statue was installed in Wellington City in 2007.
Venu Menon is an Indian Newslink reporter based in Wellington
