Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla addresses youth in Parliament on Gandhi Jayanti

New Delhi [India], October 2 : Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Sunday addressed the youth at a programme in the Central Hall of Parliament on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and late Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri.
The Lok Sabha Speaker remembered Mahatma Gandhi and said that he taught the world many important lessons including Satyagraha, which are still relevant.
"At a time when India was under British rule, Mahatma Gandhi gave a new way of revolution to the world, Satyagraha, a path which led us to our independence. Today, we remember Mahatma Gandhi on his birth anniversary," he said.
"He gave the world many lessons which are still relevant like Satya, Ahinsa, Atmanirbharta, support for farmers, inclusive growth with Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas, as our Prime Minister also says. His style of revolution is an inspiration for the whole world. Because of this, in almost every country, we find a statue of Mahatma Gandhi," he further said.
The Lok Sabha Speaker also remembered late PM Lal Bahadur Shastri saying he was a prime minister who showed how a politician should be.
"We also remember our former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, who gave us the message of becoming Atmanirbhar in defence and agriculture with the slogan of 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan', and the whole country walked on that path. He walked on the path of Mahatma Gandhi and showed how a Prime Minister should be," he said.
Lok Sabha Speaker further invited all the students to share their thoughts on the two leaders on the occasion of their birth anniversary, "Today, when all the young minds coming from different parts of the world express their thoughts on these figures, it will further give the country a new direction to walk on the path taught by them."
To mark the occasion, the Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies, Lok Sabha Secretariat, and the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, have organised a programme in the Central Hall of the Parliament House, the government said in a statement.
Ninety-nine young students from schools and colleges across the country are participating in the event. All the participants will pay floral tributes to the national leaders and will visit the chambers of both the Houses and Parliament Library.
Out of the total, 30 students will speak about the contributions of our national leaders to the development of the country.
Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi and former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri on their birth anniversary at the Parliament House.
PM Modi had also visited Rajghat, the final resting place of the Mahatma, and Vijay Ghat, the memorial of Shastri, earlier today.
Born in Uttar Pradesh in 1904, Lal Bahadur Shastri was the second Prime Minister of India and served from 1964 to 1966. He died in Tashkent on January 11, 1966, at the age of 61, soon after signing the Tashkent Pact with Pakistan.
Born on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar town of Gujarat, Mahatma Gandhi or Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi adopted a non-violent resistance and was at the forefront of the freedom struggle against British colonial rule.
This led to India finally achieving its independence in 1947. Fondly known as Bapu, his unwavering belief in 'Swaraj' (self-governance) and 'Ahimsa' (non-violence) won him accolades across the world.
Globally, Gandhi's birth anniversary is celebrated as the International Day of Non-Violence. Several events are held in India and across the world to mark the occasion.