China celebrates Gandhi Jayanti

Beijing Oct 2 (IANS) China on Monday celebrated the 148th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi with the India Embassy in Beijing releasing commemorative postage stamps on the Ramayana.

Many Chinese nationals offered flowers to a statue of Gandhi at Beijing s Chaoyang Park while school children recited his famous quotes in Mandarin on a nippy overcast day. "Gandhiji looked forward to a day when a free India and a free China could cooperate in friendship and brotherhood for their own good and for the benefit of Asia and the World " Wilson Babu Charge D Affaires at the India embassy said. "Leaders of our two countries have been striving to build strong India-China relations based on Gandhiji s ideals of world peace and respect for all human beings." In Shanghai the Indian Consulate organised a series of events including a memorial lecture screening of a documentary film and a painting completion for children of the Indian community. Mahatma Gandhi has become increasingly popular in China with many Chinese researchers studying his ideology of non-violence. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on October 2 1869 in Porbandar in Gujarat to Putlibai and Karamchand Gandhi. His birthday is also observed as the International Day of Non-Violence. --IANS gsh/ksk/vm