Mahatma Gandhi anticipated some of the 'pressing challenges' of the 21st century: President Kovind
Bolivia: The world today is very different from the one that Mahatma Gandhi lived and worked in, but he anticipated some of the "pressing challenges" of the 21st century, President Ram Nath Kovind has said.
Commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in Bolivia on Friday, Kovind, who is on a three-day visit to the Latin American country, stressed on the relevance the Father of the Nation holds in the 21st century, saying his principles have shaped India's developmental experience.
President Kovind's visit is the first high-level visit to the Latin American country since the establishment of diplomatic ties. The two countries have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen political and economic engagement.
Speaking at the Autonomous University of Gabriel Rene Moreno in Santa Cruz, he said that the world today is very different from the world that Mahatma Gandhi lived and worked in.
"And yet, Gandhiji remains extremely relevant to 21st century global concerns. In his advocacy of sustainability, ecological sensitivity and living in harmony with nature, he anticipated some of the pressing challenges of our times. The Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations are Gandhian philosophy in action," the president said.
On the occasion, he also named an auditorium at the university after Gandhi's name. The university is one of the oldest and largest centres of higher education in Bolivia with 115,000 students.
October 2 marks the 150th birth anniversary of Gandhi.
Bolivia will also install two statues of Gandhi gifted by India in La Paz and Santa Cruz, the External Affairs Ministry spokesperson said in a tweet.
"It is a fitting tribute to a great man whom we in India consider the Father of our Nation and whose 150th birth anniversary is being celebrated in 2019," he said.
The president said that Gandhi was the most influential Indian of the 20th century. To this day, he remains the benchmark against which we test public men and women, political ideas and government policies, and the hopes and wishes of our country and our people and of our shared planet.
"These principles have shaped India's developmental experience. That is why the true measure of India's economic success is not just that it is the fastest growing major economy in the world, but also that it is moving briskly towards eliminating extreme poverty in the next decade," he added.
During his address, Kovind said that like Bolivia, India gives great importance to the preservation of indigenous languages and knowledge systems
"Gandhian philosophy treasures, cherishes and renews the wisdom, culture, resources and life systems of common citizens, ordinary families and indigenous communities who have lived for centuries in the lap of nature nature with all its diversity and bio-diversity," the president said.
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EAM Jaishankar meets Jamaican PM, gifts over 10 BHISHM Cubes
Kingston (PTI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday met Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness and discussed ways to further deepen "political, economic and people-to-people cooperation."
Jaishankar also conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Holness.
"Pleased to call on Prime Minister @AndrewHolnessJM in Kingston. Conveyed the greetings of PM @narendramodi," Jaishankar posted on X.
"Discussed deepening our political, economic and people-to-people cooperation. Value his commitment towards further strengthening India-Jamaica relations," the post further read.
Also, the external affairs minister handed over 10 BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita & Maitri) Cubes as a gift to Jamaica.
"Formally handed over 10 BHISHM Cubes as a gift from India to Jamaica, in the presence of PM @AndrewHolnessJM, Health Minister @christufton and FM @kaminajsmith," Jaishankar posted on X.
"The BHISHM Cube mobile hospital system, designed for rapid deployment, will help Jamaica during disasters and emergencies. The gift of these cubes is a statement of friendship, a commitment to disaster preparedness, and an outcome of innovation," the post said.
Jaishankar arrived in Kingston on Saturday evening, marking the first leg of his nine-day tour of Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, aimed at further strengthening India's strategic and cultural ties with the Caribbean nations.
Earlier in the day, he interacted with the Indian diaspora and discussed India's ongoing transformation in infrastructure, human development and technology-driven governance and entrepreneurship with them.
He also highlighted the cricket bond between both countries as India gifted a scoreboard to Jamaica.
A scoreboard was dedicated at Sabina Park in Kingston. It is the home of the Jamaica cricket team and is the only Test cricket ground in the Caribbean island nation.
The minister expressed hope that the new scoreboard would witness many memorable innings, including those symbolising the enduring friendship between the two countries.
Cricket has long been a strong cultural bridge between India and Jamaica, which is part of the West Indies cricket team.
Jamaican players, including Chris Gayle, Courtney Walsh and Michael Holding, have played a major role in shaping the legacy of West Indies cricket in the international arena, contributing to its dominance in earlier decades and its continued global appeal.
