On January 28, the Gandhi Foundation of USA observed a momentous triple celebration of the 8th anniversary of the dedication of Gandhi Statue, the 57th Republic Day of India and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s 77th birth anniversary. The ceremony began with the garlanding of the towering statue of the Mahatma and lighting of the diya by John Lu,a philanthropist and the President, Georgia Asian American Chamber of Commerce, and Raj Razdan,the Chief Coordinator of this year’s celebrations, flanked by participants dressed as India’s Freedom fighters-Leela Kaul(Vijya Laxmi Pandit);Balakrishnan(Subash Chandra Bose);Tilak Raj Datta(Gandhi);Mansukhbhai Shroff(Sardar Patel);Dinanath Mehta(Bhagat Singh);Mrs. Poonam Datta(Sarojini Naidoo; as well as dignitaries and representatives of Atlanta community and media.

H.V.Shivadas, Assistant Executive Director, GFUSA, welcomed all. “The dedication of the Gandhi Statue also coincides with the formation of the GFUSA. I have always thought of Dr. King as America’s Mahatma, so it is appropriate that we mark this connection between Gandhi and Dr. King. We are eternally grateful to the King Center and the National Park Service for allowing us to solidify this bond with these annual triple celebrations.” He led the attendees in singing 'Raghupati Raghava’ , following which all joined in a symbolic March of Unity from the Statue to the historic Ebenezer Church where once Rev. M.L.K.Jr. preached and which is looked upon as the cradle of the Civil Rights Movement

GFUSA Youth Wing Director, Vinita Thaper gave a synopsis of the program ,invited Raj Razdan on stage and recognized her as well as Pastor Rodney Harris, St. James Missionary Baptist Church, and introduced Mistresses of Ceremonies, Sofina Bali and Les’Shon Irby. 

Mistress of ceremonies Sofina Bali introduced Major General B.C. Roy, who served in the Indian Army and retired in 2004 in the rank of Major General, and who was also President of Indian National Cartographic Association. In his brief succinct speech, he paid a glowing homage to India’s freedom fighters like Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad, Jhansi-ki-rani; Subhash Chandra Bose, among others who were embodiments of sacrifice, patriotism,self-respect and heroism, but were wrongly labeled as terrorists by the former British rulers. He lamented that their spirit of sacrifice, ethics and idealism is very much lacking in the present day politicians and bureaucrats.But he urged the audience not to give up and to emulate the spirit of the freedom fighters. The young generation, armed with science and technology and imbued by the philosophies and legacies of Gandhi and Dr.King can help ensure a bright and prosperous India, he concluded.

Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin’s Chief of Staff and GFUSA Vice Chairman, Greg Pridgeon said that unlike cities in India, Atlanta is a young city but it is a friendly and open city which has always encouraged diversity. He complimented Shirley Franklin who is considered to be one of the top ten Mayors in the world and one of the top five mayors in the US. She is tough but she is also compassionate and reaches out across many boundaries. He said he felt that had it not been for Gandhi, Dr. King may not have been able to learn the technique and use strategy of non-violence in America. ‘You are each an ambassador for Dr.King and Gandhi and their philosophies. Let us continue pulling together and moving in the same direction” he exhorted all.

Mrs. Laxmi Rao, in her mellifluous voice sang the all -time favorite and heart-tugging patriotic song, ‘ae mere watan ke logo’ with the parade of freedom fighters on the stage.

After the song, svelte Samta Savla, daughter of Sandeep and Kumud Savla, and Sarika Gupta, daughter of Atul and Rashmi Gupta performed two scintillating dances to the songs of ‘Rang deeni’ and ‘Man mohini’ respectively.

In his keynote address, Hon. Terrell Slayton, Jr., Assistant Secretary of State, stressed the importance of acquainting the young generation of the legacy and philosophies of Dr. King and Mahatma Gandhi. The teachings of these great souls ought not to be merely reserved for birthday and death anniversaries but be an integral part of their fiber and should be taught in schools and colleges.(applause) He said that Gandhi in his expansive writings had presented quintessential and insightful gospels on freedom, truth, love and faith, among other topics. To Gandhi, freedom meant not only a message but a movement, an essence of democracy, guaranteeing equal rights and opportunity to oppressed people world over. To Gandhi, truth was God, saying “Truth alone will endure; all the rest will be swept away before the tide of time…” He had an abiding faith in God- a strong faith which impels one to move forward not by sight but by absolute confidence in God. Gandhi was ever so humble in declaring;” I have nothing new to say. The principles of Truth, the principles of non-violence are as old as the hills.” The talisman or the charm he gave to the world is in these enduring words, “Whenever you are in doubt or when the self becomes too much with you, try the following experiment: Recall the face of the poorest and most helpless person you have ever seen and ask yourself if the step you contemplate is going to be for any use to him or to her . . . Then you will find your doubts and your self melting away.” So contemplate on Gandhi’s and Dr. King’s nuggets of wisdom and reflect on your own life’s commitments, Dr.Slayton implored. 

St. James Missionary Baptist Church’ troupe of dancers thrilled the audience with the joyful and ecstatic dance ‘Warriors of Praise” choreographed by MS.Denise Harper.

Dr.Josephine Tan, who is the Public Relations Director in charge of Asian-American Affairs at Georgia Powers, has also been appointed by Governor Sonny Purdue as Chair of the Asia-American Commission for a new Georgia. She congratulated Subash Razdan, the Founding member and Acting Chairman of GFUSA and members of the GFUSA for arranging monumental celebrations every year. Gandhi and Dr. King’s legacies will be a shining beacon of hope and inspiration for the downtrodden and marginalized everywhere in the world. Their examples of social service to the community have been inspiring people the world . To illustrate, on January 16, this year, instead of treating MLK Holiday as a day off, about 750 employees, families and friends(an increase of 20% over the previous year) treated it as a’ day on’ helping with a variety of meaningful social projects in and around Atlanta. By the end of the day, they successfully completed 32 community projects, “In today’s global world, we must all strive to be inclusive and keep the legacies of Gandhi and Dr. King alive,” she asserted.

The choir from Praise and Worship Ministries, conducted by Min.Renee Bush sang an uplifting gospel song ‘I shall wear a crown’.

In his Vote of Thanks, Antony Thaliath, Deputy Executive Director,GFUSA, thanked the dignitary Speakers;Dr. Patricia Rife; Frank Catroppa; Marie Heyden and the Park Rangers, Tushar Sanghvi, IACA President; Mayoor Patel, Leela Kaul, Shawn Rao, Elena, Needhi Patel, and Richard Anderson, Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. 

The choir from Praise and Worship Ministries led the assembly in singing the Civil Rights Anthem,’ we shall overcome’. The joyous celebrations concluded with cutting of the ceremonious cake and serving of refreshments catered by South Indian Café. 

Giriraj Rao, the Co-Founder and Executive Director, GFUSA, expressed his immense gratitude at the big turnout and participation in the program by the members of the African-American community. He further commented, “Thanks to Raj Razdan and GFUSA team for today’s program, full of substance, color and gaiety. The fervor and passion of the invited guests of honor and participating artists have kept the candle of peace, patriotism and the message of non-violence alight.”