PM Modi pays tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Georgetown statue in Guyana

Georgetown [Guyana], November 21 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi on Thursday at his statue in the historic Promenade Gardens in Georgetown, Guyana.
While recalling Mahatma Gandhi's eternal values of peace and non-violence, PM Modi highlighted how these principles continue to guide humanity today.
The statue was installed in 1969 to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi's 100th birth anniversary.
PM Modi also paid floral tribute at the nearby Arya Samaj monument, unveiled in 2011 to mark the centenary of the Arya Samaj movement in Guyana.

PM Modi also participated in a 'Ram Bhajan' recitation. He could be seen playing 'manjeera' with the Indian diaspora.

PM Modi also visited the Indian Arrival Monument at Monument Gardens in Georgetown. He was accompanied by Guyana's Prime Minister Brigadier (Retd) Mark Phillips.
An ensemble of Tassa Drums welcomed PM Modi as he paid floral tribute at the Arrival Monument, recalling the struggle and sacrifices of the Indian diaspora and their pivotal contribution to preserving and promoting Indian culture and tradition in Guyana. He also planted a Bel Patra sapling at the monument.

The monument is a replica of the first ship which arrived in Guyana in 1838 bringing indentured migrants from India. It was gifted by India to the people of Guyana in 1991.
Earlier, during his visit, PM Modi addressed a special session of the Guyanese Parliament, emphasizing the deep and enduring relationship between India and Guyana, describing it as a bond of soil, sweat, and diligence.
"We have never moved forward with the idea of expansionism. We have always stayed away from the idea of resource capturing. I believe whether it is space or sea, this should be the subject of universal cooperation, not universal conflict. For the world also, this is not time for conflict, this is the time to identify the conditions that create conflicts and remove them," he said.
Referring to global challenges, he said the best approach to move forward is "democracy first and humanity first."
"The kind of situation that is there before the world, the best way to move forward is 'democracy first and humanity first'. The idea of 'democracy first' teaches us to take everyone along and move forward with the development of everyone. The idea of 'Humanity first' decides the direction of our decisions," PM Modi said.
PM Modi arrived in Guyana on the third leg of his three-nation visit. It is the first visit to Guyana by an Indian Prime Minister in over 50 years.
During this visit, PM Modi joined leaders from the Caribbean partner countries for the 2nd India-CARICOM Summit. (ANI)