Mahatma Gandhi’s 151st Birth Anniversary was celebrated by the Embassy of India, Hanoi, in its premises on October 2, 2020. The event concluded a year-long celebrations for the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. H. E. Mr. Nguyen Dy Nien, Former Foreign Minister of Vietnam attended the event as the Chief Guest, along with other senior dignitaries, including Mme Ms. Nguyen Phuong Nga, President of Vietnam Union of Friendship Organization (VUFO) and Most Venerable Thich Thanh Nhieu of Vietnam Buddhist Sangha.
Former Foreign Minister, H.E. Nguyen Dy Nien, in his remarks paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi and recalled deep imprints of Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals on the leaders and people of Vietnam. He also highlighted the importance of teachings of Mahatma Gandhi in bringing global peace and human development in today’s world. Ambassador Pranay Verma highlighted the relevance of Mahatma Gandhi’s messages in contemporary times.
The event included video presentations on celebrations over the last one year to mark Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary all across the world, as well as a rendition of Gandhiji’s prayer song “Vaishnav Jan To Tene Kahiye” by the Vietnamese singer Ms. Phi Nhung. A short video prepared by the Embassy on India’s handloom sector, which was championed by Mahatma Gandhi as a symbol of India’s freedom struggle, was also shown. Vietnam Institute for Indian and South-West Asian Studies (VIISAS) under the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS) issued a special edition of its journal on the “Constitution of India”.
In the run up to the celebration, the Embassy organized a series of online events, including a webinar on “Mahatma Gandhi in our Times”, “Mahatma Gandhi Quiz”, screening of award-winning film “Gandhi” at the University of Social Sciences and Humanity in Hanoi, and an online narration of stories of Mahatma Gandhi (Gandhi Katha) by Dr Shobhana Radhakrishna.
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