Speech on Gandhi Jayanti

Good morning to all. Today, 2 October, is the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation. He was born in 1869 at Porbandar in Gujarat. Gandhiji led India's freedom struggle with two simple weapons: truth and non-violence. He taught us that the way we win is as important as winning. Let us honour him not only with flowers but by speaking the truth, keeping our surroundings clean and never hurting others. Thank you.

Respected Principal, respected teachers and my dear friends, good morning. Today we remember a man who wore a simple dhoti, walked with a stick and yet moved an empire: Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, whom we lovingly call Bapu.

Gandhiji was born on 2 October 1869 at Porbandar in Gujarat. He studied law in England and worked for many years in South Africa, where he first stood up against unfair treatment. He returned to India in 1915 and soon became the leading voice of our freedom struggle.

What made him different was his method. He called it satyagraha, which means holding firmly to the truth. He asked people to resist injustice without hatred and without violence. In 1930 he walked from Sabarmati to Dandi, a march of more than three weeks, to break the unjust salt law. He did not raise a weapon; he picked up a handful of salt. That handful shook the rulers more than any gun could have.

Friends, it is easy to garland a photograph once a year. It is harder to follow even one of his ideas for a week. So let me suggest three that fit a student's life. Truth: to own up when the mistake is ours. Non-violence: to never hurt a classmate with our hands or with our words. Cleanliness: Gandhiji cleaned toilets himself and believed that cleanliness is a form of service. We can at least keep our own desk and classroom clean.

He also showed that a simple life is not a small life. He owned very little and gave the world a great deal. In an age when we always want a newer phone, that is worth thinking about.

Let us bow to the Father of the Nation and try, in our own small ways, to be the change we wish to see. Thank you. Jai Hind!

आदरणीय प्रधानाचार्य जी, शिक्षकगण और प्यारे साथियो, सुप्रभात। आज 2 अक्टूबर है, राष्ट्रपिता महात्मा गांधी का जन्मदिन। बापू का जन्म 1869 में गुजरात के पोरबंदर में हुआ था। उन्होंने सत्य और अहिंसा के रास्ते पर चलकर देश की आज़ादी की लड़ाई का नेतृत्व किया। उन्होंने सिखाया कि जीत जितनी ज़रूरी है, जीतने का तरीका भी उतना ही ज़रूरी है। आइए, हम केवल फूल चढ़ाकर नहीं, बल्कि सच बोलकर, सफ़ाई रखकर और किसी को दुख न देकर बापू को सच्ची श्रद्धांजलि दें। धन्यवाद।