The Consulate General of India in New York commemorated the 139^th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on 2^nd October 2008 at the Union Square Park near Gandhiji’s statue. The program included garlanding of the statue by Shri Prabhu Dayal, Consul General of India in New York and Dr. P Jayaraman of Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan.

The Consul General spoke about the relevance of Gandhian ideals in the contemporary world and the need to translate them into actions. The students from Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan and the Ragachitra Foundation sang Gandhiji’s favorite bhajans.

About 90 people attended the event. A publication on Gandhiji ‘Discussing the Mahatma’-based on the Round Table Discussion at the UN Headquarters in connection with the celebration of the 1^st International Day of Non-Violence on 2^nd October 2007 and brought out by the Public Diplomacy Division of the Ministry of External Affairs of India was distributed to important people gathered at the function.