PEOPLE PAYING HOMAGE AT TOMB. CROWD SCENES; MRS. SHASTRI AND MRS. GANDHI AT CEREMONY; FLOWERS BEING PLACE ON TOMB AND PEOPLE FILING PAST. (NATSOF)




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Background: THOUSANDS OF INDIANS FLOCKED TO RAJGHAT, IN NEW DELHI, YESTERDAY (SUNDAY) TO COMMEMORATE THE 98TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF MAHATMA GANDHI, KNOWN AS THE "FATHER OF INDIA."
A SPECIAL PRAYER MEETING WAS HELD NEAR THE SAMADHI (TOMB) WHICH WAS ATTENDED BY MRS. INDIRA GANDHI, THE PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA, AND MRS. LALITA SHASTRI, WIDOW OF THE LATE PRIME MINISTER. ALSO PRESENT WAS THE INDIAN PRESIDENT, DR. RADHAKRISHNAN.

DURING THE CEREMONY, THE FAVOURITE HYMNS OF MAHATMA GANDHI WERE SUNG, AND AFTERWARDS CROWDS FILED PAST THE TOMB TO LAY FLOWERS.

THOUSANDS OF GANDHI'S FOLLOWERS ALSO TOOK PART IN MASS WOOL SPINNING NEAR THE SAMADHI. LOCALLY MADE CLOTH WAS ONE OF GANDHI'S ANSWERS TO INDIA'S POVERTY AND UNEMPLOYMENT, WHICH WOULD GIVE JOBS AND CHEAP CLOTHING TO EVERY INDIAN CITIZEN.

MAHATMA GANDHI WAS BORN IN 1869, AND BECAME KNOWN AS THE "FATHER OF INDIA". HE WAS KILLED BY ASSASSIN'S BULLET IN 1948, AS HE WALKED TO HIS DAILY PRAYER MEETING IN THE GARDEN OF BIRLA HOUSE, IN DELHI.