Gandhi Jayanti was celebrated on Wednesday in Beijing’s Chaoyang Park, featuring local schoolchildren reciting his teachings in Mandarin and a captivating Odissi dance performance by dancers based in the city.

The park, home to a statue of Mahatma Gandhi sculpted by renowned Chinese artist Prof. Yuan Xikun, came alive with the recitations of Chinese schoolchildren. The celebration included a graceful Odissi dance rendition of “Vaishnav Jan To” performed by Beijing-based dancer Zhang Jinghui and her troupe.

Members of the Indian community presented a play titled “Ahimsa: The Gandhi Way,” directed by Ketkee Thakar and written by Ayushi Sugandhi. Indian diplomats, led by Ambassador Pradeep Kumar Rawat, along with the Chinese Ambassador to Maldives, Dr. Fazeel Najeeb, and local admirers, paid floral tributes to Gandhi’s statue.

In his speech, Rawat expressed gratitude to Prof. Yuan for creating the statue, the first in Chaoyang Park to honor global leaders, and highlighted Yuan’s inspiration from Gandhi’s vision.

The installation of the statue carries significant political meaning, symbolizing the contrasting ideologies of Gandhi and Mao Zedong, who led their respective national liberation movements. While India gained independence in 1947, the People’s Republic of China was established in 1949.

“Gandhiji was not just a leader; he was a visionary advocating for truth, non-violence, and social justice,” Rawat remarked. “It is only fitting that his birthday is observed globally as the International Day of Non-Violence.”

Though Prof. Yuan could not attend due to illness, his sentiments were conveyed in a speech, emphasizing the statue’s role as a symbol of friendship between India and China.

Source: PTI

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