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Indian ambassador unveils Gandhi monument in Moscow

By RIA Novosti

Moscow : Prabhat Shukla, the new Indian ambassador to Russia, unveiled a monument to Mahatma Gandhi at the Indian Embassy here on the occasion of the Mahatma’s birth anniversary Tuesday.

It is a copy of the monument by Russian sculptor Alexander Ryabichev, established at the site of the great leader’s cremation in New Delhi.

The ambassador presented his credentials to Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov in the morning.

Later that day, Shukla told the audience at the unveiling ceremony that it was a good beginning to his ambassadorial mission.

Shukla said Mahatma Gandhi was the first to apply the principle of “active non-violence” to global politics. He proved that politics is not always a dirty business, and his followers later used the precept to fight racism in America, South Africa and Argentina.

He said the principle remained relevant to this day.

Shukla told RIA Novosti: “The teachings of Mahatma Gandhi cover all aspects of human existence: from your personal life — how to deport yourself, how to conduct yourself without violence, without harm to anybody in your personal affairs — to the level of society and the level of countries. So it has ramifications at all levels. The message is certainly very relevant today.”

The ambassador pointed out that the sculpture was not the first monument to Indian leaders in Moscow, which is a fresh example of mutual understanding and friendship in relations between Russia and India.

“We are happy that there are statues to Indian leaders in Moscow,” Shukla said. “I’ve seen this for the last 30 years, as these statues have been coming up, and today is one more milestone. It’s a very welcome development.”

Moscow has monuments to Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and another one to Mahatma Gandhi located near Lomonosov State University, as well as a monument to poet Rabindranath Tagore in Friendship Park in Leningradskoye Highway.

Alexander Ryabichev also designed the monuments to Jawaharlal Nehru in Vernadsky Prospekt in Moscow and to Indira Gandhi in India.

He said: “Mahatma Gandhi’s ideas will never die. Indians have done much to strengthen cultural ties between countries and to promote humankind’s peaceful, humane development.”