Hiroshima: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday unveiled the bust of Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi in Hiroshima city of Japan, saying his ideals of peace and harmony resonate across the world and give strength to millions. Hiroshima was chosen for the installation of Gandhi’s bust to show solidarity towards peace and non-violence. On August 6, 1945, the US carried out the world’s first nuclear attack on Hiroshima, which destroyed the city and killed about 140,000 people.
PM Modi spoke to reporters after unveiling the bust and said that even today when the world hears the word Hiroshima, it gets scared. India presented this bust to Hiroshima as a symbol of friendship and goodwill between the two countries during the visit of Prime Minister Modi to Japan for the G7 Summit. The Prime Minister tweeted, “Unveiled the bust of Mahatma Gandhi in Hiroshima. This statue in Hiroshima gives a very important message. Gandhian ideals of peace and harmony resonate around the world and give strength to millions.
Unveiled Mahatma Gandhi’s bust in Hiroshima. This bust in Hiroshima gives a very important message. The Gandhian ideals of peace and harmony reverberate globally and give strength to millions. pic.twitter.com/22vVjHlzgn
Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 20, 2023
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the bust was a fitting tribute to a city that symbolized humanity’s yearning for peace. The 42-inch tall bronze bust of Mahatma Gandhi has been sculpted by Padma Bhushan awardee Ram Vanji Sutar. This bust is installed near the historic A-Bomb Dome on the banks of the Motoyasu River, which is visited by thousands of tourists every day.
The Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement that Mahatma Gandhi dedicated his life to peace and non-violence. The place truly reflects the life and principles of Gandhiji, who continue to inspire the world and its leaders. After unveiling the bust, Modi paid floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi. He thanked the mayor of the city and the Japanese government for giving him the opportunity to unveil the bust of Gandhi and said it would take forward the idea of non-violence.
The Prime Minister said, ‘It is a great thing for me to know that the Bodhi tree presented by me to the Japanese Prime Minister has been planted in Hiroshima so that people can understand the importance of peace when they come here. I pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. Modi held bilateral talks with Kishida on Saturday. During this, the two leaders focused on ways to coordinate efforts to address various global challenges under the G7 and G20 presidencies of Japan and India.
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