New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern affirmed the importance of much cherished Gandhian values of truth, equality and non-violence on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary celebrations at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
PM Jacinda Ardern was invited to speak at an event “Leadership matters: Relevance of Mahatma Gandhi in the contemporary world” on the sidelines of the ongoing United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The event was hosted by the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi as a part of India’s global celebrations of 150th birth anniversary of the global icon Mahatma Gandhi who is fondly remembered as the “Father of the Nation.”
Invoking Gandhian principles in response to Chch terror attack
Speaking on occasion acknowledged the presence of Indian Prime Minister and affirmed that her presence at the event was a reflection of the close ties between New Zealand and India and also of the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi that is earnestly felt in the far corners of the world.
“As political leaders, there is much we can learn from Gandhi as we search for common ground to address the world’s pressing challenges. For me, there are three aspects of Gandhi’s message that carry particular weight tolerance, equality and the sanctity of non-violence,” Ms Ardern said.
Affirming the relevance of Gandhian values and principles in modern politics, Ms Ardern also recollected horrors of the Christchurch terror attack and appreciated the ensuing spirit of mutual care and intercultural understanding.
“In New Zealand, we have recently witnessed the tragic consequences of intolerance and violence. An act of terrorism that sought to divide us. That took the lives of 51 innocent worshippers.
“Yet in the face of this act of hatred and violence, the New Zealand Muslim community opened their doors for all New Zealanders and the world to grieve with them.”
“Their act of peace was a powerful and empowering one. In opening their doors, they sowed the seeds of diversity, humanity, forgiveness and aroha. They broke a potential cycle of violence.”
“At a time when religion could have been used to divide us, we saw the unifying power of interfaith and intercultural understanding. We witnessed – as Gandhi himself understood – the inner truth of all faiths. The commonalities of dignity, of humanity and compassion that bind all people, all religions,” Ms Ardern said.
NZ-India relations in good shape
Meanwhile, the fact that Ms Arden was amongst a select group of world leaders invited by the Indian Prime Minister to speak on the celebratory function of Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary is an apt reminder of the extremely cordial and friendly bilateral relation between New Zealand and India.
Speaking to the Indian Weekender High Commissioner of India to New Zealand Muktesh Pardeshi said, “It’s a matter of great privilege for us for having New Zealand Prime Minister accepting the invitation of Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi for being the keynote speaker at the momentous occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary celebrations at United Nations General Assembly in New York.”
“Ms Ardern’s inspirational leadership, especially amongst the youths and women, along with her deft-handling of the unfortunate Christchurch terror attack earlier this year made her a natural choice for being the keynote speaker at the commemorative event of Mahatma Gandhi,” Mr Pardeshi said.