New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emerged as one of the biggest messengers of Mahatma Gandhi on the international stage.
During his ongoing visit to Guyana, PM Modi will pay tribute to the statue of Mahatma Gandhi. Significantly, this will be the 21st such instance when PM Modi has paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on foreign soil, which is being seen as Modi’s unwavering commitment to spreading Gandhi’s teachings beyond India’s borders and keeping his legacy alive and relevant on the global stage.
On 23 August, as PM Modi began his visit to Kyiv, Ukraine, he chose to pay tribute at the Gandhi statue, as a gesture to underscore Gandhi’s message of peace amidst the ongoing global conflict. Similarly, on 21 June, during International Yoga Day, PM Modi honored Gandhi at the North Lawn of the UN Headquarters in the USA, linking India’s cultural roots to global peace initiatives.
In May last year, PM Modi unveiled a bust of Gandhi in Hiroshima, Japan, which perhaps understands the true value of peace more than anyone, given the horrific experience of the atomic bomb. Prior to that, on 29 October 2021, in Rome, Italy, PM Modi paid floral tribute to reinforce Gandhi’s universal message of harmony and unity.
His dedication to spreading Gandhi Ji’s ideals has been long-standing. In 2019, during a visit to Abu Dhabi, PM Modi, alongside UAE President Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, released a commemorative stamp that celebrated Gandhi’s message of peace. That same year in Seoul, South Korea, he unveiled Gandhi’s bust.
More significantly, to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, PM Modi hosted a high-level event on the sidelines of the 74th UNGA on 25 September 2019 in the ECOSOC Chamber of the UN Headquarters. At the event, he inaugurated the Gandhi Solar Park at the UN Headquarters, the Gandhi Peace Garden at State University of New York College at Old Westbury, and unveiled the special commemorative edition of the Gandhi@150 Postage Stamps brought out by the UN Postal Administration.
In 2018, he unveiled a plaque marking the immersion site of Mahatma Gandhi’s ashes at Clifford Pier, in Singapore.
In 2017, PM Modi paid tributes at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Lisbon, Portugal.
Earlier, in 2016, PM Modi inaugurated a special exhibition on Gandhi in Johannesburg, South Africa, where Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence and non-cooperation took shape. During the same tour, he visited the Phoenix Settlement in Durban, a place that is ingrained with Gandhi’s legacy, and paid floral tribute to the Mahatma. In July 2016, his visit to the University of Nairobi, Kenya, also featured a tribute to Gandhi, bridging the past and present with a shared vision of equality.
In July 2015, PM unveiled a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Similarly, in May 2015, PM delivered an address at the launch of the Centre for Gandhian and Indian Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai, China.
Other key moments that underscore Modi’s focus on Mahatma Gandhi include honoring Gandhi outside the UK Parliament in November 2015; unveiling a bust in Hannover, Germany, in April 2015; paying respects in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, in July 2015; honoring his statue in March 2015 in Mauritius; paying tribute at Roma Street Parklands in Brisbane, Australia, in November 2014; and paying tribute to the Gandhi statue located in front of the Indian Embassy in Washington in September 2014 during his first visit to the U.S. as Indian Prime Minister.
In October last year, while speaking on Gandhi’s 154th birth anniversary, the PM said that his timeless teachings continue to illuminate our path. “Mahatma Gandhi’s impact is global, motivating all 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.”