The Gandhi Jayanti celebration at Mahatma Gandhi Centre emphasised on the significance of Khadi—a cloth, hand-woven from cotton—that many Indians might have forgotten over the years. The annual event was organised by New Zealand Indian Central Association with more than 200 people turning up for the evening.
Sunday, October 02, marked the birth anniversary of two Indian freedom fighters, Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri and the Indian community in Auckland celebrated the contributions of the two immortal names of the Indian history.
A cultural program was lined up after the garlanding ceremony by the chief guest and president of Auckland Indian Association. The children from Gandhi Gruh Gujarati School danced, sang patriotic songs, recited poems sporting a turban and clad in a Khadi Kurta.
A model of the Mahatma Gandhi’s family tree was exhibited at the event prepared by the students of the school.
“These children may not know the importance of Khadi but it is a symbol of simplicity that Mahatma Gandhi represented in him and children learn it through such events,” said Shanti Patel, chairperson of Gandhi Gruh School.
Sanjay Patel, the newly appointed Manukau District Court Judge, was invited as the guest speaker along with his mother Kamlavati Patel who was a freedom fighter herself. In his message, he mentioned how Gandhi is a global figure for peace and his values are very much in relevance today.