The Embassy of India in Sao Tome celebrated Gandhi Jayanti with enthusiasm at its premises on 2nd October, 2022. Local students, senior official from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and members of the Indian community, attended the event.
Welcoming the gathering, Ambassador Raghu Gururaj talked about Mahatma Gandhi’s life and his struggles in his early days in South Africa and India, and how his struggles shaped his ideology and life in the years to come. He underlined that Gandhiji ideals of search for truth, civil disobedience, nonviolence and social justice for all, are of crucial importance to all those who want a better life for humankind. He stated that even though the political map of the world has changed dramatically since Gandhi´s time, the economic scenario has witnessed unleashing of some disturbing forces, and the social set-up has undergone a tremendous change, Gandhi´s ideals continue to remain relevant even in the 21st Century. Ambassador also highlighted that Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday on 2nd October is a National Holiday in India and also celebrated as the International Day of Non-Violence. Students from the National University of Sao Tome, local officials and members of the Indian community spoke about their impressions on the life and ideals of Mahatma Gandhi. A local student mentioned that Mahatma Gandhi belongs to the entire world for the universality of his thoughts, especially in parts of Africa. Another participant spoke about how Gandhiji’s principle of achieving political and social objectives through non violent movements, is so important for today’s violence ridden world. A member of the Indian community recounted Gandhiji’s struggle as a barrister in South Africa and during which time, his ideas on social justice, apartheid, civil disobedience etc. became more clearer in the mind of Mahatma Gandhi. A 21-slide photo exhibition on the life of Mahatma Gandhi entitled Mohan Se Mahatma, was displayed, which evinced interest among the young participants of Sao Tome. The exhibition narrated the story of how Mahatma Gandhi was influenced from his struggles in South Africa in his formative years and became a champion for social justice for all peoples of the world, leading to his immense contribution in the freedom struggle of India. Ambassador presented copies of the autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi to the speakers as a token of appreciation.
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