By Gurmukh Singh, IANS,
Toronto : The Canadian city of Brossard honoured Mahatma Gandhi on his martyrdom day Friday by installing his bust at the city centre. The city, in southwestern Quebec province, also plans to name the City Hall area as Mahatma Gandhi Court.
Indian High Commissioner Shashishekhar Gavai joined Mayor Jean-Marc Pelletier in unveiling the bust at the main entrance of Brossard City Hall and City Library.
The mayor said the unveiling of the bust was a momentous occasion for the city and its 1,500-strong Indian community.
The unveiling of the bust of Mahatma Gandhi was a “dream come true” for him, he said.
Calling Gandhi a “great man” who faced extremism and hatred, he said Gandhi remained a great example of perseverance and a model of liberty, democracy and fraternity.
Gavai thanked the city for honouring the great Indian leader and dwelt on the values and principles dear to Gandhi. He said his tools of peace, non-violence and truth are as relevant now as these were during his lifetime.
Gandhi was assassinated by a Hindu fanatic on Jan 30, 1948 after he finished his evening prayers in New Delhi.
Gavai said the bust is a symbol of the growing Indian-Canadian cultural relationship.
The bust has been gifted by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR). It carries Mahatma’s quotation: “You must be the change you want to see in the world” and Albert Einstein’s tribute to him in French, English and Hindi.