Jinja marks Mahatma Gandhi day

Members of the Indian Association, East and North sector, officials from Busoga Kingdom the tourism ministry and Jinja residents have joined other Indians all over the World in celebrating the 147^th birthday of Mahatma Gandhi and the International Day of Non-Violence.

India's High Commissioner in Uganda Pankaj Singhal led the Indian Community in Jinja and guests at the celebrations and honoured the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi by garlanding his statue at the Source of the Nile. They later marched to Mama Jane Orphanage Centre at Gabula Road in Jinja town on Sunday.

Others who garlanded the sacred monument included Hellen Namutamba the Minister of Tourism in Busoga Kingdom, Brig. Gen. Praveen .K .Airy the head of Indian instructors at Senior Command and Staff College, Babu Bhai Patel the Chairman Swaminarayan Temple, Raoji Bhai Patel the chairman Indian Association Jinja, Yogesh Jain the Chief Manager Bank of Baroda Jinja branch, Chacko Babu the Chairman Organising Committee and Trustee  of the Indian association, and Alex Katega a Senior Presidential Advisor and Chairman of Jinja Investors Forum Ltd.

While at the Source of the Nile, they were joined by students and staff from St. Peter's High School, Jinja and officials from Busoga Kingdom Tourism Ministry in the peace march led by a brass band. India's High Commissioner said

"In Gandhi's own words, Ahimsa is not merely a negative state of harmlessness, but it is a positive state of love, of doing good even to the evil-doer. But it does not mean helping the evil-doer to continue the wrong or tolerating it by passive acquiescence. On the Contrary, it requires you to resist the wrong-doer by disassociating yourself from him."

"The place where we stand today is very unique as most of us may be aware that some of Gandhi's ashes were immersed in the Source of the Nile River here in Jinja," Singhal said.

He said Gandhi had spent a large part of his life in Africa, mainly South Africa, adding that Africa and India have enjoyed civilization links and synergies for a long time and the discrimination faced by Gandhi in South Africa was a turning point in this life and it awakened him to fight against social injustice.

Singhal added that the fight also inspired many countries around the world to fight non-violently for Swaraj, that's to say, self-rule, particularly in Africa. "Gandhi started the Satyagraha movement (meaning insistence on truth) and in the design of Satyagraha, the empowerment of the weakest was fundamental and means were as crucial as ends," He said.

He observed that Satyagraha won respect for Indians living in South Africa, brought freedom for India from colonial rule and also inspired some remarkable personalities in their own struggles such as Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr.

He added that Gandhi once remarked that self-purification was fundamental to Satyagraha and urged the Indian community in Jinja to follow the principles of Satyagraha.

The High Commissioner availed himself the opportunity to pray to the almighty God for a better and more peaceful world and wished that India-Uganda relations are strengthened further for the mutual benefit of people of both countries.

He thanked the Indian Association Jinja, Busoga Kingdom and Bank of Baroda Jinja branch for organizing the ceremony and for maintaining Gandhi's statue plus providing food items that were handed over to Mama Jane Orphanage Centre.

Hellen Namutamba, the Minister of Tourism in Busoga Kingdom called for more development at the Source of the Nile and in Busoga at large in order to attract more tourists in Busoga Sub region and Uganda at large.

She said the confirmation of the love and relationship between the Basoga and Indians is the Mahatma Gandhi's ashes that were immersed in the Source of River Nile after his death.

They later planted trees around the statue of Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi was born on October 2^nd 1869 in Porbander of Gujarat State and it's on this day in the month of October when his birthday is celebrated annually.

United Nation (UN) is also celebrates October 2^nd as the International Non Violence day and Gandhi brought Independence to India through non -violence. India got Independence in 1947 after a long struggle of 100 years.

Gandhi started his carrier as a lawyer in South Africa he is remembered for his involvement in the fight against apartheid and later he went back to India and started his struggle against British Colonial rule.

His ashes were immersed at the Source of River Nile and his statue was erected and unveiled by the then Prime Minister of India I.K .Gujral