Gandhi Jayanti 2019: Celebrations scheduled to take place on October 2 in India and globally

Gandhi Jayanti is celebrated every year in India on October 2 to mark the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi was a massive political figure in India who helped India get its independence in 1947. He began the Satyagraha movement and civil disobedience, which were based on non-violence.

Every year, India observes Gandhi Jayanti on this date. All across India, prayer meets, art exhibitions and seminars are held to commemorate his birth anniversary. In schools, essays and painting competitions are held with themes revolving around Gandhi and his role in the Indian freedom struggle.

This year is a special year because October 2 will be the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and India and the rest of the world are getting ready to celebrate this milestone with a series of events to honour his legacy.

In India, there are multiple events scheduled to be held across the country on October 2.

Gandhi Jayanti celebrations in India 

• The Indian government is going to release commemorative stamps and coins
• BJP leaders will take part in a Gandhi Sankalp Yatra which will launch on October 2, his birth anniversary and end on January 30, 2020, his death anniversary. This padh yatra requires every BJP MP to cover 150 kms in 15 days and all leaders should collectively cover five lakh kilometres within the few months. During the yatra, each BJP member is expected to wear only Khadi and talkl about Gandhi and his ideals. They are expected to eat in the villages and sleep in the last village of the day.
• Launching of awareness campaigns to end the use of single-use plastic items; From October 3 to 23, many drives are scheduled to collect waste and transport them to designated centres for segregating and recycling them.
• The Indian Railways' Central zone is painting over 20 diesel trains with the Mahatma Gandhi's picture on the backdrop of the national tricolour. The painting of the coaches began two months ago. The coaches will in Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus on October 2.
• Event is scheduled at Sabarmati Ashram in Gujarat where the commemorative coin and postage stamps will be released.

• Cycling programmes will be held across the country with 1.5 lakh cyclists scheduled to take part in it.
• A national handcrafts fair will take place between October 1 to 15
• Solar lamps will be assembled by one lakh school students.
• Congress party will conduct week-long programmes between October 2 and October 9. A padyatra will be conducted on October 2 by the party at all state levels wearing the trademark Gandhi topi, chanting slogans and carrying his photo. The events for the rest of the six days will consist of lectures, and seminars to honour Gandhi's memory.
• Government schools will arrange for a visit to Gandhiji memorial in Chandigarh sector 16 organised by the HRD Ministry of the Indian Government.
• In Manipur, street plays will be organized on Alternative Dispute Resolution by Nokhpahada Group

An international commemoration of Gandhi

Like India countries across the world are also gearing up to celebrate the Mahatma Gandhi on his 150^th birth anniversary

• At the United Nations, there are multiple events in the line. On October 2nd, there will be an International Conference On Gandhi by Ministry of External Affairs at the UN. PM Modi already spoke about Gandhi at an event titled 'Leadership Matters: Relevance of Gandhi in contemporary Times', at the UN headquarters at New York this week.
• At the UN, world leaders inaugurated the Gandhi Solar PRak and Gandhi Peace Garden.
• The UN also released a commemorative stamp on the occasion of the Mahatma's 150^th birth anniversary. The stamp consists of an image of Gandhi along with a quote of his.
• The Netherlands will hold multiple public awareness campaigns next week on the account of Gandhi's 150^th birth anniversary. This includes an exhibition, a meeting, events surrounding the four Gandhi statues, and a cycling rally.
• In addition to this, the Indian embassy in the Netherlands has also organized a march titled, "Gandhi March for Non-Violence" through the city of The Hague. The rally will include 300 school children and 150 adults which will begin from Gandhi statue at Hobbemaplein and will end at the Peace Palace.
• The South Korean government's website also mentioned that they will hold celebrations on October 2.
• The Dominican Republic has launched a stamp to commemorate Gandhi's 150^th birth anniversary.
• The United Kingdom, with London in the centre, is all set to celebrate Gandhi Jayanti with pomp and splendour. The Indian High Commission has planned a talk "Values and Teachings of the Mahatma" by the Gandhian Forum for Ethical Corporate Governance. At the site of the Victoria Hotel in Trafalgar Square.
• There are ceremonies taking place near Tavistock Square and Parliament Square in London on October 2 in London.
  

  
• London will also host a vegetarian food festival on October 2nsd to commemorate Gandhi's quest for vegetarian food when he was a law student in the city.
• Nepal had organized a Khadi fashion show in Birgunj on September 22^nd. 13 students from different schools participated in the show.
• In Australia, a week-long exhibition and talk has been organised in Melbourne. A poster competition has been organized in Adelaide on Gandhi's ideals and philosophies. A prayer meeting has been planned in the Indian High Commission in Canberra.