MAHATMA GAHDHI'S 140TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATED BY INDIA

GANDHI’S BIRTHDAY CELEBRATED EVERY YEAR
AS THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF NON-VIOLENCE

New Delhi (PL) - The Mahatma, who was born on 2 October 1869, would have turned 140 this year. Gandhi was known as "Mahatma" or "great soul." The Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh, led the nation in paying homage to Mahatma Gandhi on his 140th birth anniversary at his memorial "Raj Ghat" on Friday. Raj Ghat is a black marble platform that marks the spot of Gandhi's cremation on January 31st, 1948. In addition to the Prime Minister, a host of other dignitaries paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, including the new U.S. Ambassador to India, Tim Roemer. In Jammu, before paying floral tribute to the father of the nation on his 140th birth anniversary today, people here washed a statue of Mahatma Gandhi with Ganga water, milk, honey and sandalwood oil. The statue installed at Satwari Chowk was washed with the mixture of holy water from river ganga, milk, curd, honey and sandalwood oil twice since yesterday to give it a better look, said Kuldeep Raj Gupta, president of the Mahatma Gandhi Welfare Forum (MGWF).

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on Oct. 2nd, 1869, and died on January 30th, 1948, when he was assassinated by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu nationalist with links to the extremist Hindu Mahasabha, who held Gandhi responsible for weakening India by insisting upon a payment to Pakistan. Gandhi was was the political and spiritual leader of India during the Indian independence movement. He pioneered satyagraha (resistance to tyranny through mass non-violent civil disobedience).

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

Gandhi is known for having started the movement of nonviolent civil disobedience in India, but about five hundred years before him, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu started His movement of nonviolent civil disobedience to the order of Chand Kazī. It is not necessary to commit violence to stop the opposition from hindering a movement, for one can kill their demoniac behavior with reason and argument. Following in the footsteps of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, whenever there are obstacles the Hare Krishna movement should kill the opposition with reason and argument and thus stop their demoniac behavior. ... We should therefore follow in the footsteps of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who disobeyed the order of Chand Kazī but subdued him with reason and argument.

Srila A.C. BV Swami Prabhupada:
"Śrī Caitanya Caritāmrita - Ādi-līlā - Purport in Chapter 17 - Verse 130"