With his hands on the spinning wheel, and the staff with which he started the famous Dandi March to protest the British rule, Mahatma Gandhi 'looked' from above at diplomats in the United Nations on Monday.
On the eve of the beginning of a 10-day exhibition on Gandhi and the Global Non-violent Awakening' on Tuesday, marking the first observance of the International Day of Non-violence, some 40-odd cut-outs of his photos, showing the apostle of nonviolence at various stages of his life from his days in South Africa to his launching the non-cooperation movement adorned the walls of the main foyer of the United Nations.
Many had quotations from Gandhiji's messages on truth and non-violence and what people like Roman Rolland, Albert Einstein and Vaclav Havel famously said about the father of the nation.
In preparation for observance of the International Day of Non-violence, UN workers were busy fixing the frames on the walls. Terra cotta vases were being placed between the images of Gandhiji and his messages written in bold. Many a diplomat and others stopped by the foyer to take a closer look at Gandhiji and his messages.
"The Mahatma's inspiration is needed now more than ever. All around us, we see communities increasingly mired in rising intolerance and cross-cultural tensions. We see extremist dogma and violent ideologies gaining ground as moderate forces retreat," Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in a message. He said the International Day of Non-violence could help advance this effort promote true tolerance and non-violence at every level.
"May it help spread Mahatma Gandhi's message of nonviolence to an ever wider audience and hasten a time when every day is a day if non-violence," Ki-moon said.
The exhibition organised by the government and sponsored by the Indian Council for Cultural relations is expected to be inaugurated by Ki-moon in the presence of Congress party president Sonia Gandhi who will deliver a special address to the UNGA Tuesday to mark the International Day of Non-Violence.
