Gandhiji

Ahmedabad : Mahatma Gandhi’s work and ideals continue to inspire people worldwide, many of whom were scheduled to join a walk to commemorate the 75th anniversary of his ‘Salt March’ beginning March 12.

“The response to the anniversary march from across the globe is amazing. It shows that Gandhiji is still popular,” Tushar Gandhi, the Mahatma’s great-grandson, told Indo-Asian News Service. Tushar Gandhi was scheduled to lead the march organized by his Mahatma Gandhi Foundation with the Indian National Congress and other organizations.

“About 60 participants from the U.S., Britain, the Netherlands, Ireland and China have arrived here and more are expected to join for parts of the march later,” he said. A group of about 150-175 people from the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan is expected to join the march in a couple of days, Tushar Gandhi said.

“They call themselves inheritors of the legendary Khan Abdul Gafar Khan’s legacy. They are participating in the event to pay tribute to the friendship between Gandhiji and Khan,” he said, referring to the legendary Pakistani leader who was referred to as the “Frontier Gandhi.”

46th ANNIVERSARY OF UPRISING AGAINST CHINESE OCCUPATION: Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama speaks on March 10 in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh, on the occasion of the 46th anniversary of the Tibetan uprising against the Chinese occupation of Tibet. (Photo: AFP)

“Khan’s grandson Asfandyar Wali Khan will participate in the concluding ceremony in Dandi,” Tushar Gandhi said. The “International Walk for Peace, Justice and Freedom” will follow the route and schedules of the 1930 march undertaken by Gandhi to oppose the unjust salt laws imposed by India’s British rulers at that time.

“We are expecting an 85-year-old gentleman from Australia who has registered for the event. The youngest participant will be a 13-year old girl from Nashik in Maharashtra,” Tushar Gandhi said.

Michael Gill, in his thirties, was in India working for relief and rehabilitation among the tsunami-affected in Tamil Nadu when he learnt about the march.

“It’s a very important event for promoting world peace,” he said. “Unlike the original march, the anniversary march will benefit from extensive media coverage that will enlighten more people. The world needs peace.”

Foreign participants will have an opportunity to interact with Gandhians, historians and descendants of the original marchers.