THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: ‘Gandhi ennum aaveshamaakatte!’ ‘Gandhiyan ashayapracharanam yuvathalamurayude bhavikku,’ were two of the comments written by people on a long white banner spread across the green fencing of the Secretariat on Sunday. ‘Together for peace’ was an initiative of the Kerala Youth Promotion Council to encourage people to put down their views about the Father of the Nation on his 142nd birth anniversary. Various programmes were held in the city to mark the Gandhi Jayanthi celebrations on Sunday. Mahatma Gandhi was a universal guru who taught the world the message of love and non-violence, playback singer K J Yesudas said. Yesudas was speaking after inaugurating ‘Gandhi Marga Sangamam’ organised by the Deseeya Balatharangam and Sabarmathi in association with the Information and Public Relations Department here to mark the Gandhi Jayanthi celebrations. No one can pride himself to be an Indian without respecting the Father of the Nation, Yesudas said, urging everyone to become prophets of peace by absorbing the message of Gandhi. He inaugurated the function by releasing a white dove which was conjured up from thin air by magician Sanal Kallad. He also honoured singer K P Udayabhanu for his contributions in the field of patriotic songs. Transport Minister V S Sivakumar delivered the Gandhi Jayanthi message. Mayor K Chandrika, V Sivankutty MLA, District Panchayat president Remani P Nair, Dr M R Thampan and Kattoor Narayana Pillai were among those present. Balatharangam chairman T Sharatchandra Prasad presided over the function. KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala inaugurated a Kerala Gandhi Smarak Nidhi scheme to conduct Gandhian studies programme in 142 schools in the state. The scheme marks the 75th year celebrations of the Gandhi Smarak Nidhi. Celebrating Gandhi Jayanthi, sanitation programmes and prayer meetings were conducted. An exhibition and sale of Gandhian literature has begun at the VJT Hall. Transport Minister V S Sivakumar, Gandhi Smarak Nidhi chairman P Gopinathan Nair, working chairman Dr N Radhakrishnan and Noorul Islam University pro-chancellor Faisal Khan also spoke. The Congress party celebrated the 142nd birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi at the district, block, mandalam and ward committee levels. KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala led the observance at the Indira Bhavan here. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) observed the birth anniversary in Thiruvananthapuram. NCP state vice-president Uzhavoor Vijayan inaugurated a fast in front of the Secretariat. He urged patriots to come together to protect the unity and integrity of the nation from terrorists.
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