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Tributes, march mark Gandhi Jayanthi

— Photo:T. Singaravelou

TAKING A PLEDGE: Lt. Governor Mukut Mithi and Chief Minister N. Rangasamy at the birth anniversary celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi in Puducherry on Tuesday.

PUDUCHERRY: Offering floral tributes to the statues and portraits of Gandhiji, administering non-violence pledge, honouring freedom fighters, holding padayatra and organising ‘annadanam’ marked the celebrations of the 139th birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation in the Union Territory.

Led by Lieutenant Governor Mukut Mithi and Chief Minister N.Rangasamy, Ministers, legislators and officials offered floral tributes to the statue of Gandhiji on Goubert Avenue (Beach Road).

Mr. Mukut Mithi administered the pledge to the Chief Minister, Speaker R.Radhakrishnan, Ministers, legislators and officers to mark the International Day of Non-violence.

Mr.Rangasamy handed over gift coupons worth Rs.1000 to freedom fighters of Puducherry on behalf of the Freedom Fighters’ Cell. The coupons would be distributed to all the 2353 freedom fighters belonging to Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam by November 30, official sources said.

At a function held at the Pradesh Congress Committee office, party activists led by PCC president P.Shanmugam, offered floral tributes to the portrait of Gandhiji.

They also garlanded the portrait Lal Bahadur Sastri on the occasion of his birth anniversary.

They showered flower petals on the portrait of Kamaraj to mark his death anniversary.

An ‘Ahimsa Yatra’ was also organised from the PCC office to the Gandhi statue. Mr.Rangasamy, his Cabinet colleagues, legislators and Seva Dal volunteers participated in the padayatra. Mr.Shanmugam and Mr.Rangasamy garlanded the statue of Kamaraj en route.

The Puducherry unit of the National Students’ Union of India distributed food packets to the inmates of the leprosarium in Dubrayapet, an orphanage in Puducherry and a home for the mentally challenged at Ariyankuppam.

Functionaries of the Puducherry Munnetra Congress (PMC) held a function at the party office to celebrate Gandhi Jayanthi.

PMC legislator N.Anand launched the annadanam scheme at the Ellaiamman temple.

Leaders of the Puducherry unit of the Janata Dal (Secular) garlanded the portraits of Gandhi and Kamaraj at the party office.

The Puducherry Khadi and Village Industries Board introduced 40 per cent rebate on Khadi, polyester and woollen items and 20 per cent rebate on silk goods to mark the occasion.

Government employees owing allegiance to the Pondicherry State Government Employees Central Federation recited poems to pay homage to Gandhiji on the Beach Road.

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