Karnataka - Mangalore   

Hundreds of students take out a ‘prabhat pheri’

— Photo: R. Eswarraj

Inspired: (Clockwise) A boy dressed as Gandhiji offers khadi garland to the statue of Mahatma; Rotract Club of Mangalore taking out a peace march on Mahatma Gandhi Road; Deputy Commissioner M.Maheshwar Rao and others wearing khadi caps at a Gandhi Jayanti function organised by Seva Dal at Gandhi Park in Mangalore on Tuesday.

MANGALORE: Hundreds of students from different schools joined together for a procession through thoroughfares here, shouting slogans such as “we are all one” and singing “Vande Matharam,” on Tuesday. The “prabhat pheri” was organised by Bharat Seva Dal as part of Gandhi Jayanti.

Starting from the Government Pre University College for Women at Jyothi circle, the procession reached Hampanakatta Circle and entered the park opposite Town Hall for a short programme sans speeches. The traditional Khadi caps were given to the guests who included Deputy Commission M. Maheshwara Rao, chairman and chief executive officer of Karnataka Bank Ananthakrishna, B.R. Bhat and Kudpi Jagadish Shenoy of Seva Dal and Premanath, a social worker.

After reciting Vande Matharam, the students clapped in the rhythmic pattern of seva dal while the guests placed khadi clothes and garlands on the statue of the Mahatma. It was quite a sight to watch students dressed as Gandhiji, Lal Bahaddur Shastri, Jhansi Rani Laxmibai, Jawahar Lal Nehru and Kittur Chennamma and garland the statue of the Father of the Nation. The programme concluded with the recital of national anthem. Asked why they would like to remember Gandhiji, a few students said it was because he had got us freedom. But Gajalaksha, a 9th standard student at the SNS Government Composite Junior College, Haleyangadi, said the Bapu’s principle of non-violence was important for him. On being asked why, he initially said “I do not know,” but quickly added, “Because violence does no good to anyone”. Earlier, Rotaract Club organised a peace walk from P.V.S. Circle to Lalbagh where flowers were offered to the statue of the Mahatma. Students from Sri Gokarnanatheshwara College, Ramakrishna College and Ganapathi Pre-Uniersity College also took part.

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