Gandhi Jayanti is celebrated as a national occasion

By Taraprasad mishra

JAJPUR,OCTO 2: Gandhi Jayanti is celebrated as a national occasion on October 2 every year to mark the occasion of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Renowned as Mahatma Gandhi, he is one of those few leaders whose persistent efforts left an imprint on India’s young generation.

 His legacy is still remembered till date. Gandhi Jayanti is followed by prayer services and tributes across the nation. The prime minister of India and other eminent politicians visit Gandhi’s memorial Raj Ghat in New Delhi where he was cremated to pay their respects.

 Educational institutions, colleges and universities celebrate Gandhi Jayanti through prayer meetings or watching documentaries on his life or any other cultural activities. In many places in India, people decorate the Gandhi statues to pay respect with flowers and garlands. Another observance is to avoid eating meats or consume alcohol on this special occasion.

Gandhi Jayanti is one of the major national festivals/ holidays which is celebrated all over the country and even outside India as well i.e. South Africa, United States, United Kingdom, Geneva, Denmark. Furthermore, October 2 is also announced as International Day of Non-Violence by the United Nations. The festival is certainly a momentous occasion in India.

This is certainly one of the great occasions in India. Every year on Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary, his ideas are revisited by the Indians as many take pledge to follow the similar ideologies as shown by the greatest leader of masses. His non-violent ways to protest (Ahimsa) will always be indebted forever amongst his followers and Indian citizens across the globe.

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar, Gujarat in the British-ruled India. Gandhi’s family belonged to the merchant class. At the age of 24, he travelled to South Africa in order to pursue law.

At that time, he also raised his voice against racism as he himself was subjected to racial segregation system while travelling on a train. He was thrown out of a first class railway compartment as he was of Indian descent and did not belong to white race.

 He returned from South Africa in the year of 1915. After that, he became an active member of Indian National Congress and he soon became the president of Congress party due to his relentless efforts. As Gandhiji developed a humongous amount of disliking towards the British, then ruler of India, he quit being a lawyer and adopted a nonviolent resistance to lead many noteworthy campaigns against the British for India’s independence.

 Some of the noteworthy non-violent civil rights movements to attain freedom led by Mahatma Gandhi were Champaran and Kheda Satyagraha. The non-cooperation movements were Salt Satyagraha and Quit India movement. Among all the peaceful civil rights movements, Gandhi initiated Dandi March in 1930 where his protest was against the salt tax imposed by the British government illegally. He also took the effort to initiate the famous Quit India movement in 1942 in order to call out the British to leave India.

 His thoughts and ideas inspired the entire nation to the core and as a result, many youths and masses joined him and followed all the values and movements initiated by him. Gandhi led various significant campaigns for many social causes until his last breath in order to gain Swaraj or self-rule. Apart from fighting against the British rulers, Gandhiji also fought against various evil societal systems such as the caste system, untouchability. He also took initiative to raise awareness about equality and brotherhood in the society. Gandhi was bestowed the title of ‘Mahatma’ (which means ‘Great Soul’) by the greatest poet Rabindranath Tagore as he sacrificed his entire life, opted for a simplest of lifestyle, gave up his career just to fight against the foreign oppressors and achieve independence for his country and country people.

First of all, Gandhi Jayanti is nothing but a grand commemoration of Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi Jayanti is certainly one of the national holidays of India. This patriotic occasion’s celebration is held in every State and Union territory. Prayer services and tributes take place on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti. These prayer services and tributes take place all over the country. Furthermore, various prayer meetings and commemorative ceremonies also occur on Gandhi Jayanti. These events take place in schools, colleges, government, and private institutions. Most noteworthy, people from all walks of life take part in such events. Competitions of painting, essay, etc. take place everywhere. Furthermore, there is a distribution of awards for such competitions. Students in many schools and colleges also watch documentaries and performances on Mahatma Gandhi’s life. Consequently, there is a promotion of a non-violent way of life among the youth. There are also singing events of Gandhiji’s favourite Bhajan( Hindu devotional song). Another observance is the decoration of Gandhi statues with flowers and garlands. Finally, some individuals avoid eating meat or drinking alcohol on Gandhi Jayanti. Gandhi Jayanti honors the great personality of Mahatma Gandhi. It’s an opportunity to reflect and cherish the life of this great personality. Furthermore, everyone must try to live like him on this day. Gandhi Jayanti is certainly a very patriotic day in India