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A bust of Mahatma Gandhi was unveiled by President Pratibha Patilat the prestigious Constitutional Court Complex of South Africa,where Gandhi had served four prison terms between 1908 and 1913,including his very first sentence in South Africa in the NumberFour Cell. Recalling that many of the prisoners incarcerated in the complexwere guilty of non-political crimes while some including MahatmaGandhi were charged with resisting the unjust race laws, Ms. Patilhoped that the bust would symbolise the values enshrined in thehistories of India and South Africa and strengthen the resolve ofthe two countries to fight injustice and inequality in the world. The bust was brought by the Indian Council of Cultural Relationsand sculpted by Gautam Pal. Ms. Patil, who also visited an exhibition on the life and times ofGandhi in the complex, said the former South African President,Nelson Mandela, too had been imprisoned in this old fort for sometime. Ms. Patil said Mr. Mandela had in 1994 — Gandhi's 125th birthanniversary — described his affinity with him thus:"Though separated in time, there remains a bond between us,in our shared prison experiences, our defiance of unjust laws andin the fact that violence threatens our aspirations for peace andreconciliation." ‘Deep-rooted links' The President's visit to the complex assumed significance as SouthAfrica was the place where the world witnessed for the first timeGandhi's methods of political transformation through non-violenceand peaceful dialogue. "This [South Africa] is a country with which India and thepeople of India have very deep-rooted links — links that havechanged the course of India's history. The people of India owe adeep sense of gratitude to South Africa for giving us theMahatma," Ms. Patil said. Noting that "our countries uphold the fundamental principlesof peace, non-violence and dialogue to maintain the global order ofequality and justice based on Gandhian values," Ms. Patilsaid: "The decision by the United Nations to observe October2 — Gandhi's birthday — as the International Day ofNon-Violence points to the recognition of his philosophy as aninstrument for promoting peace in the world." Mahatma Gandhi's great-granddaughter, Kirti Menon, who is thechairperson of the Gandhi Centenary Committee said the unveiling ofthe bust and the inauguration of the exhibition would promote themessage of peace and non-violence promoted by Gandhi. Ms. Menon, who is a Registrar at a Johannesburg university, saidthe bust represents Gandhi as the world knows him while atJohannesburg Square his bust shows him as a young barrister. Shesaid the events of the day were very significant as the prisoncomplex was where Gandhi was imprisoned for the first time andwhere his resolve to fight apartheid was strengthened. I am an expert from pellet-millmachine.com, while we provides the quality product, such as Liquid Filling Machines , China Pellet Screener, Feed Pellet Mill Machine,and more.
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