October 2 is also recognised worldwide as the Day of Nonviolence in honor of Mahatma Gandhi. That is the day in 1869 when the Father of the Nation was born in Porbandar, Gujarat, as Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. In India, October 2 is one of three national holidays, the others being Republic Day on January 26 and Independence Day on August 15.
On March 12, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, which will be held until August 15, 2023. March 12 was also the 91st anniversary of the Dandi March, an important event in Gandhi’s life. This year’s Gandhi Jayanti coincides with the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. India will celebrate its 77th anniversary of freedom from the British rule on August 15, 2023.
Gandhi, a lawyer whose life was influenced by his experiences in South Africa, was the most influential figure in India’s independence struggle, leading nonviolent protests.
Though it is widely assumed that Gandhi was bestowed the label “Mahatma” by India’s first Nobel laureate, “Gurudev” Rabindranath Tagore, the Gujarat government has contested this, alleging that the title was bestowed upon Gandhi by a local journalist from Saurashtra.
The leader, on the other hand, is also known as “Bapu” (father).
Gandhi is the most frequently mentioned Indian personality by foreign leaders, the majority of whom visit his final resting place in Delhi during their visit to India.
Prime Minister Modi met US President Joe Biden at at the White House last week. During the meeting Biden quoted Gandhi.
The United Nations General Assembly recognised October 2nd as the International Day of Nonviolence on June 15, 2007. Gandhi is largely regarded as one of the twentieth century’s greatest political and spiritual leaders. Gandhi is known for following the Satyagraha philosophy, which was his policy of passive political resistance against British rule in India through mass nonviolent civil disobedience.
In reality, Gandhi is regarded as one of the first to implement the principle of nonviolence, or ahimsa, on a big scale in the political arena. His nonviolent practise and fight against untouchability are still relevant today.
Another valuable gem of India, former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, was also born on October 2. Shastri was born in Mughalsarai in 1904 and served as India’s second Prime Minister.
He supported the Amul milk co-operative of Anand, Gujarat, and established the Nationwide Dairy Development Board to promote the White Revolution, a national drive to expand milk production and supply. To emphasise the importance of increasing India’s food supply, Shastri sponsored the Green Revolution in India in 1965, which resulted in a rise in food grain output, particularly in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. During the 1965 Indo-Pakistan war, he headed the country. During the war, Shastri’s motto “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan” (“Hail to the army, hail to the farmer”) became highly popular.
