Fast News India observes October 2 as Gandhi's birth anniversary and as the International Day of non-violence, an idea Gandhi championed. But this time, the police turned violent on a farmers' march to Delhi. To celebrate Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary, students in southern Chennai city dressed up like Gandhi and performed yoga. (October 1, 2018) (AFP) Ahead of the 150th birth anniversary of India's iconic freedom fighter Mahatma Gandhi, schoolchildren of various schools across the country dressed up as Gandhi and performed yoga. Students spin cotton on the spinning wheels during an all-religion prayer meeting to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his birth anniversary at an Ashram in Ahmedabad, India. (October 2, 2018) (Reuters) Born in 1869, Mahatma Gandhi played a key role in India's fight for independence. Indian students and volunteers wear masks of Mahatma Gandhi during a march to celebrate his 150th birth anniversary, in Kolkata, India. (October 2, 2018) (AFP) Gandhi was assassinated on January 30, 1948, just three months after he led India to freedom from British rule through a non-violent struggle. Students dressed as Mahatma Gandhi perform yoga in an event to mark Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary, inside a school in Chennai, India. (October 1, 2018) (Reuters) Tuesday will mark the start of a two-year celebration of Gandhi's 150th birthday, the country's ministry of culture said on its website. A child touches a statue of Mahatma Gandhi during an all-religion prayer meeting to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his birth anniversary at an Ashram in Ahmedabad, India. (October 2, 2018) (AFP) United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, along with Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, President Ram Nath Kovind, and other leaders, paid a floral tribute to Gandhi, at his Raj Ghat memorial in New Delhi. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres scatters rose petals at the Mahatma Gandhi memorial on the 149th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat in New Delhi, India. (October 2, 2018) (AFP) Gandhi's birth anniversary coincides with an Indian farmers' march demanding loan waivers and more subsidies on essential facilities, among other issues. India has been silently witnessing the plight of farmers year after year, they toil, they provide us with necessities, they die, they march. Little changes. On Shastriji's special day, I hope we can truly understand the importance he placed on farmers- Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan 🙏 pic.twitter.com/ut7p0Quixm — Mithali Raj (@M_Raj03) October 2, 2018 Modi Govt using police violence against farmers' peaceful padyatra on Gandhi Ji's Birthday! https://t.co/MkXJnZHlNy — Ashok Swain (@ashoswai) October 2, 2018 The protesters allege that the Narendra Modi-led government had failed to fulfil its promises of waiving farmer loans and providing pension and proper wages to labourers and therefore, they were protesting to fulfil the promises made by the government. Clashes broke out on the outskirts of Delhi as police used water cannon and tear gas to stop thousands of protesting farmers entering the Indian capital, with at least one person reportedly injured. The farmers, marching from adjoining northern states, blocked one of the highways into the city and used tractors to try and break through a police barrier, television pictures showed. New Delhi police use a water canon to disperse and stop farmer activists of the Bhartiya Kisan Union at the border with Ghazipur during their march to New Delhi. (October 2, 2018) (AFP) The opposition leader from Indian National Congress party Randeep Surjewala responded to the clashes by equating the current Modi administration with the British colonial government of pre-Independence India. On birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, Modi govt has shown that it is no different from the pre-independence British govt in India.British govt then used to exploit the farmers&today Modi govt is firing tear gas shells at farmers: Randeep Surjewala, Congress #KisanKrantiPadyatra pic.twitter.com/RHqrajwxeP — ANI (@ANI) October 2, 2018 Source: TRTWorld and agencies<doc-sep>The Union Government on October 2, 2018 launched the Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth year celebrations, marking the beginning of the final year of the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM). The Swachh Bharat Mission will culminate on October 2, 2019, the 150th birth anniversary of Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi. Swachhata hi Seva Campaign 2018 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 15, 2018 launched the mega countrywide campaign- Swachhata hi Seva Campaign 2018. The 2018 campaign followed the success of the 2017 campaign and culminated with the Mahatma Gandhi International Sanitation Convention (MGISC) that was held from September 29 to October 2, 2018. The culmination of Swachhata hi Seva Campaign and MGISC marked the start of the 150th birth year celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi. Mahatma Gandhi International Sanitation Convention The Mahatma Gandhi International Sanitation Convention (MGISC), a 4-day event organised by the Union Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, came to a close on October 2. The Convention aimed to share sanitation success stories and lessons from the participating countries. The Convention included a field visit, plenary sessions, and technical sessions. A parallel exhibition of sanitation innovations was held. Swachh Bharat Mission Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) on October 2, 2014 with an aim to build a Clean and Open Defecation Free (ODF) India by October 2, 2019 as a befitting tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary. At the time of launch, PM Modi gave the clarion call for a mass movement that seeks to engage everyone in the task of cleaning their own homes, workplaces, villages, cities, and surroundings. Swachh Bharat has since been successful in capturing the imagination of Indian people. Since the inception of the program, the rural sanitation coverage of India increased significantly, from 39 percent in October 2014 to over 90 percent, as of September 2018. Over 78 million household toilets have been constructed under the Mission. As a result, 25 States/Union Territories, over 513 districts, and 504316 villages have declared themselves as free from open defecation. Logo of 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi President Ram Nath Kovind on September 18, 2018 launched the logo and the web portal for commemoration of 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The logo was obtained through crowd sourcing. The logo branding will be done in trains, metro rail, air India aircrafts, state roadways buses, government websites, e-mails, government stationery, calendar, government advertisements and digital signature. The logo will also be used by Public Sector Undertakings, subordinate offices, and autonomous bodies that fall under Ministries or Departments of the Union Government. Web portal on 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi • The web portal ‘http://gandhi.gov.in’ is participatory in nature and all the participating organisations will be able to upload their activities regarding commemoration on the website. • It has a unique feature ‘Gandhipedia’ which will be a repository of Gandhian knowledge and will continue to grow with time. • Information related to Gandhian literature, philosophy, audios and videos, rare photos are available in the portal. • The web portal will identify visitors from different geography and serve them personalised information. • Organisations & individuals can join celebration and submit their Karyanjali or work through an easy upload process. Constitution of National Committee and Executive Committee to plan commemoration The Union Government constituted a National Committee (NC) headed by President Nath Kovind for commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. This Committee includes Vice-President, Prime Minister, Chief Ministers of all states of the country, representatives from across the political spectrum, Gandhians, thinkers, and eminent persons from all walks of life. The Committee was tasked to guide and approve policies, programmes and activities for the commemoration and will also supervise implementation of the decisions taken from time to time. An Executive Committee (EC) headed by Prime Minister with 19 members was also constituted. The Executive Committee was mandated to consider policies and lay down guidelines for the commemoration and chalk out the plan, programmes and activities under the commemoration. One meeting each of the National Committee and Executive Committee was held on May 2, 2018 and July 18, 2018 respectively. Video: Check out the latest current affairs of this week<doc-sep>New Delhi: The National Gandhi Museum at Rajghat Monday launched a series of programmes, including "recreated heartbeats" of the father of the nation, kickstarting the year-long celebrations to mark his 150th birth anniversary. The "recreated heartbeats" has been formed by digitalising the electrocardiography (ECG) details of Mahatma Gandhi and it can be heard through a headphone, Director General, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Dr Balram Jakhar, said. "Mahatma Gandhi is in our blood," he said after inaugurating the programme. The museum will also have for visitors a media kit, comprising a pen drive that will have rare pictures and video footage, and a documentary by A K Chettiar of Gandhi. It also contains 100 specially-curated pictures, Gandhi's voice, a virtual tour of his ashrams and his favourite bhajans, a museum official said. "(The pen drive has) perhaps the only footage of (social reformer Gopal Krishna) Gokhale and standing with him a young lawyer Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, dressed tidily in a suit," the museum's director A Annamalai said. Footage from the Quit India Movement, speeches of Gandhi, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and (former prime minister) Jawaharlal Nehru are also on the pen drive. Besides, Gandhi's visit to the North West Frontier Province along with Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan and Noakhali - Peace Pilgrimage - are part of the documentary, he said. There are a select 100 photographs of Gandhi from his place of birth in Porbandar to his memorial at the Rajghat in the kit, Annamalai said. The pictures are in the form of a power point presentation. Gandhiji's speech 'Spiritual Message of Mahatma Gandhi' recorded in London in 1931, the one at the Asian Relations Conference here in 1947 and the Post Prayer Speech on Cleanliness and Hindu Muslim Unity in 1947 among others, are part of the multi-media collection, he said. The kit, priced at Rs 300, is available in Hindi, English and Tamil. Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh will launch it Tuesday. The contents of the kit will be released in other Indian languages soon, he said. Director, Mahatma Gandhi Centre for Peace Studies, Ramin Jahanbegloo said Gandhi was the reason he came to India in 1989. Jahanbegloo, who was born in Iran, asserted the relevance of Gandhian thoughts in the present world. "Many parts of the world are facing problems because leaders there do not understand the message of Mahatma Gandhi," said the professor after inaugurating an exhibition 'Non Violence and World Peace', He also claimed that the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi was adopted by many world leaders like Nelson Mandela who made it their own and used in their struggles against injustice and oppression. The event was also attended by Managing Director, National Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation, K Naryana and the museum's chairman Aparna Basu among others<doc-sep>Mahatma Gandhi Birth Anniversary: October 2 is also celebrated as the International Day of Non-Violence This year, on October 2, India will celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary is celebrated every year as Gandhi Jayanti to commemorate his ideals of peace and non-violence as well as his immense contribution to India's freedom struggle. Gandhi Jayanti is one of India's 3 official national holidays, along with Independence Day and Republic Day. In 2007, the United Nations General Assembly voted to establish October 2 as the International Day of Non-Violence. Here are some wishes you can send to your friends and loved ones on this special occasion: Let us all follow the path of truth and wisdom and pay homage to our Father of the Nation on this day The Father of the Nation with the tools of truth and non-violence, freed our nation from imperialism. Follow his path of truth and wisdom, pay homage to this great leader on Gandhi Jayanti 2018 and always The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. Happy Gandhi Jayanti 2018 He taught us to be the change we wish to see in the world. He taught us that where there is love there is life. He followed the path of Ahimsa and non-violence to make us unite. He is our Father of the Nation - Mahatma Gandhi. Happy Gandhi Jayanti wishes. Mahatma Gandhi is known as the Father of the Nation May the spirit of truth and non-violence be with us during this Gandhi Jayanti. Happy Gandhi Jayanti. The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. Happy Gandhi Jayanti 2018 You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty. Happy Gandhi Jayanti Let's remember the Mahatma who shook the world in a gentle way, Wishing you a Happy Gandhi Jayanti. 'A man is the sum of his actions, of what he has done, of what he can do, nothing else.' - Happy Gandhi Jayanti 2018!<doc-sep>
India yesterday kicked off celebrations to mark the 150th year of independence leader Mahatma Gandhi's birth next year, with events focusing on sanitation and cleanliness, along with tributes, exhibitions and even a flash mob. The celebrations will take in Gandhi's 150th birthday on Oct 2 next year, and then continue for another year. Railway Minister Piyush Goyal tweeted a video of a flash mob of 70 railway employees at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in Mumbai, dancing to a medley of songs to spread the message of cleanliness - in line with Gandhi's vision of a cleaner India. The National Gandhi Museum in Delhi launched a special exhibition on Monday, featuring exhibits such as an audio recording of Gandhi's heartbeat, recreated from his electrocardiography details measured in 1937. Gandhi, known as the Father of India, led the nation through a non-violent struggle to gain independence from British colonial rule in 1947. The day of his birth is also marked as the International Day of Non-Violence. Across India yesterday, shops selling alcohol were closed and no alcohol was served in restaurants and hotels, out of respect for Gandhi. Shops selling alcohol are also closed on other special days, like Independence Day and Republic Day. STILL RELEVANT TODAY He also talked of inclusive development of all sections. This is something we are talking about now. He spoke of non-violence which remains relevant. PROFESSOR BIDYUT CHAKRABARTY, from Jawaharlal Nehru University, and author of the book titled Social And Political Thought Of Mahatma Gandhi. In paying homage to Gandhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke at the sanitation convention, and launched a meeting aimed at promoting renewable energy. Mr Modi, joined by President Ram Nath Kovind, also led a ceremony offering floral tributes to Gandhi at his memorial at Rajghat, in the capital Delhi. In his speech to the audience at the Mahatma Gandhi International Sanitation Convention, Mr Modi said: "I pay my respects to his dedication towards cleanliness. While fighting for the freedom of the country, Gandhi once said that he would give priority to sanitation over freedom and cleanliness." On Gandhi's birth anniversary in 2014, Mr Modi launched a nationwide campaign called the Clean India Mission, which aims to modernise sanitation and build toilets in every home. Glimpses from the Mahatma Gandhi International Sanitation Convention in Delhi. #Gandhi150 pic.twitter.com/EH3raiJkMi — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 2, 2018 The government has said the sanitation drive is a success, even as critics point out that sanitation levels remain poor in many parts of the country. Meanwhile, many people took to social media to express what Gandhi meant to them. "Mahatma Gandhi is beyond territorial boundaries," tweeted Textiles Minister Smriti Irani. #MahatmaGandhi is beyond territorial boundaries. He is a source of inspiration for the whole world - this rendition of ‘Vaishnav Jan To’ by artists from 124 Nations is a lovely tribute to the memory of Pujya Bapu. #Gandhi150 pic.twitter.com/wI8mAWYc54 — Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) October 2, 2018 Congress President Rahul Gandhi tweeted: "Gandhi is not an immobile statue, he is a living set of ideas and values flowing through India. Truth and non-violence, which he lived for and was killed for, are the foundation of our country. True patriots must protect them." Political scientists said many of Gandhi's teachings and beliefs remain relevant today. Related Story Singapore and India: A shared vision for a clean future Jawaharlal Nehru University professor Bidyut Chakrabarty, the author of a book titled Social And Political Thought Of Mahatma Gandhi, said: "He was critical of rapid industrialisation... saying it destroys the environment... "He also talked of inclusive development of all sections. This is something we are talking about now. He spoke of non-violence, which remains relevant." Amid the celebrations yesterday, thousands of protesting farmers were stopped at Delhi's border with Uttar Pradesh state. The farmers were demanding farm loan waivers and crop insurance, among other things. Television footage showed police using tear gas and water cannons to disperse the farmers, who broke though barricades.