Indian Americans take a cleanliness pledge to keep Bharat Swachh

NEW YORK, NY (TIP): 145th birth anniversary of the Father of the Indian Nation, Mahatma Gandhi was celebrated, as in the past, by the Consulate General of India, New York in association with Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, New York at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Union Square Park in lower Manhattan on Thursday, October 2, 2014.

The statue of Mahatma Gandhi was spruced up for the occasion. Consul General of India, Dnyaneshwar Mulay garlanded the statue as also a few others gathered to celebrate the occasion Gandhiji’s favourite bhajans (hymns) were sung by the students of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, New York.

In his remarks on the occasion, Ambassador Mulay , spoke of the leadership role of Mahatma Gandhi in the country’s freedom struggle and his influence on world leaders like Nelson Mandella, John Luther King Jr. and the present President of USA Barack Obama.

Ambassador Mulay spoke of Gandhi’s emphasis on cleanliness. He said it is appropriate, therefore, that government of India has launched a nationwide Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan (Clean India Campaign) on Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary. “In sync with the launch of Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Mr. Narendra Modi‘s Swachh Bharat campaign”, the gathered Indian Americans took a cleanliness pledge.