Nation pays tribute to Mahatma Gandhi as leaders recall his life of truth and compassion

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi on his birth anniversary and said that the government will follow his path for building a developed India.

"Gandhi Jayanti is about paying homage to the extraordinary life of beloved Bapu, whose ideals transformed the course of human history. He demonstrated how courage and simplicity could become instruments of great change," the Prime Minister said in a post on X.

Modi said Gandhi believed in the power of service and compassion as essential means of empowering people. He also paid homage to India's second prime minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri, whose birth anniversary, too, fell on Thursday.

Modi, who has been passionately promoting swadeshi, said buying products made by Indians will be a true tribute to Gandhi and Shastri. Swadeshi is the foundation of a self-reliant and developed India, he added.

President Draupadi Murmu also paid homage to the Mahatma and urged citizens to follow the path of truth and non-violence that Bapu has shown. "Throughout his life, he upheld an unwavering belief in morality and ethics, inspiring the people to follow that path. He gave the message of self-reliance through the Charkha, aiming to build a self-reliant, self-sufficient, and educated India. He always promoted the dignity of labour through his conduct and teachings," she said in a post on X.

Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi.

Pinarayi, in his tribute to Gandhi, criticised the commemoration of the centenary of the RSS on October 1, saying that the organisation was banned following the assassination of the Father-of-the-Nation. "This is a decision that insults the Constitution," he said, referring to the release of a postage stamp and Rs 100 coin to commemorate the RSS centenary.

The CM, in a Facebook post, further said, giving recognition to the RSS on the eve of Gandhi Jayanti, indicates that the Sangh Parivar was afraid of even the memory of Bapu. "May his memory always inspire our resistance against those who create division in society," he said, wishing Gandhi Jayanti to everyone.

Arlekar offered floral tributes to garlanded pictures of the father of the nation and former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, both of whom share the same birth date, at the Raj Bhavan.

"Governor Shri Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, offered floral tributes on the occasion of the Jayanti of Mahatma Gandhi and former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri at Raj Bhavan, remembering their ideals of truth, simplicity and service to the nation," the Raj Bhavan said in a Facebook post.

Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan also paid homage to the Mahatma, saying that Gandhi was a 'timeless example" for all freedom, survival, and anti-fascist struggles in the world.

He said that Gandhi was an idea that united everybody, irrespective of caste, religion, colour, country or language. "That is why Gandhism is relevant even today," Satheesan said in a Facebook post.