At the October 17 inauguration ceremony of the bust of Mahatma Gandhi (1869 -1948) – a great national leader and hero of India – in Tao Dan Park, District 1. (Photo: VNA) The 2.83m bust, made of natural black stone, was designed and sculptured in India last year.
At the ceremony, Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar expressed his gratitude to the Vietnamese authorities for their cooperation in placing and inaugurating Gandhi's statue in the central garden of the city.
Duong Anh Duc, Vice Chairman of the municipal People's Committee stated that Vietnam and India have a longstanding and friendly relationship, rooted in many similarities in history and culture. Both Gandhi and President Ho Chi Minh of Vietnam dedicated their lives to accompanying oppressed nations and became inspirations for liberation movements not only in their own countries but also around the world.
Duc believed that the placement of statues of President Ho Chi Minh in the heart of New Delhi and of Mahatma Gandhi in the centre of HCM City not only honours the great heroes of both nations but also serves as symbols of national culture, reminding future generations of their countries’ past struggles for independence, freedom, and world peace. This is also evidence of the nations’ longstanding friendship cultivated by generations of their leaders./.
VNA
