GROUPS SPINNING AT THE RAJ GHAT; PEOPLE QUEUEING TO SEE THE "SAMADHI", THE MEMORIAL PLATFORM; PRESIDENT HUSAIN AT PRAYER MEETING; PEOPLE PRAYING; YOUNG PEOPLE RECEIVE IMPLEMENTS FOR CLEARING WEEDS AND UNDERGROWTH AWAY FROM THE RAJ GHAT. (NAT. SOF).




Initials RM/V/JB/ES



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Background: PRESIDENT ZAKIR HUSAIN OF INDIA LED THOUSANDS IN PRAYER IN NEW DELHI YESTERDAY (WEDNESDAY) AT THE RAJ GHAT -- THE MEMORIAL ON THE SPOT WHERE MAHATMA GANDHI WAS CREMATED AFTER HIS ASSASSINATION BY A RIGHT-WING HINDU FANATIC IN 1948. THEY WERE LAUGHING THE START OF 12 MONTHS OF CELEBRATIONS OF THE CENTENARY YEAR OF GANDHI, THE APOSTLE OF NON-VIOLENT CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE WHO LED HIS COUNTRY TO INDEPENDENCE FROM BRITISH RULE.

THE CELEBRATIONS AT THE RAJ GHAT BEGAN ON A VERY QUIET NOTE AS PEOPLE SAT SPINNING CLOTH -- THE SPINNING WHEEL BEING THE SYMBOL OF THE GHANDHIAN REVOLUTION -- AS RELIGIOUS HYMNS WERE PLAYED FROM LOUDSPEAKERS. PRESIDENT HUSAIN THEN ARRIVED TO LEAD A PRAYER MEETING, AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE PLACED FLOWERS ON THE RAJ GHAT. FINALLY, ABOUT 100 YOUTHS WHO HAVE PLEDGED TO WORK DAILY AT THE RAJ GHAT TO BEAUTIFY IT WERE PRESENTED WITH IMPLEMENTS TO CLEAR AWAY THE UNDERGROWTH.

THE UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANISATION (UNESCO) IS SPONSORING WORLD-WIDE CELEBRATIONS OF THE MAHATMA GANDHI CENTENARY, AND MANY COUNTRIES HAVE SET UP HIGH-LEVEL COMMITTEES TO ORGANISE FUNCTIONS IN CONNECTION WITH THE CENTENARY. APART FROM PROGRAM,ES TO SPREAD GANDHI'S IDEALS THROUGH BOOKS, EXHIBITIONS, RADIO AND OTHER MEDIA, THE INDIAN CELEBRATIONS WILL PROMOTE ATTEMPTS TO PUT SOME OF THEM INTO PRACTICE.

GANDHI, A LAWYERS WHO SPENT SEVERAL YEARS IN SOUTH AFRICA, TOOK OVER THE LEADERSHIP OF THE INDIAN NATIONALIST MOVEMENT 50 YEARS AGO. HIS DAUGHTER-IN-LAW, MRS INDIRA GANDHI, NOW PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA, HAS DESCRIBED HIS AS THE GREATEST INDIAN SINCE BUDDHA -- WHO DIED 2,500 YEARS AGO.