Embassy of India,
Harare, Zimbabwe

Remarks by Ambassador R. Masakui at the Global Student Solar Assembly, 3rd Oct 2019.

Embassy of India

Harare

Remarks by Ambassador R. Masakui at the Global Student Solar Assembly, 3rd Oct 2019.

P S, Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Mrs. Tumisang Thabela  Senior official of the GOZ, Authorities of the Queen Elizabeth Girls High School

Dear Students

This year we celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. It is being celebrated with events and programmes not only in India but also by governments, organizations and people across the world.  The message and values of this great man, the father of the Indian nation, are greatly cherished and valued even today, more than 70 years after his death.

Born on October 2, 1869, in Gujarat state of India, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the lawyer-turned-activist successfully led India’s freedom movement against British rule, adopting non-violent resistance.  He was assassinated on January 30, 1948 in Delhi, at the age of 78. 

Gandhi has been the inspiration for civil rights and social change across the world. Among the greats of our times who adopted his philosophy of non-violence and non-cooperative methods are US civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr., and former South African President, Nelson Mandela. 

In recognition of the importance of his message of peace, tolerance, understanding and non-violence in the modern times, the United Nations General Assembly on June 15, 2007, established the International Day of Non-Violence on Gandhi’s birthday on October 2.

As a part of commemoration of this event, IIT Bombay has provided solar lamps to around 6.5 million students in India and to another 1 million students from 80 countries across the world. Zimbabwe is a part of this celebration. These students were helped by trainers to assemble their own solar study lamps.

With the severe threat of climate change looming large, world is increasingly turning towards Gandhian ideas of environmental care and sustainable living. Gandhi Ji’s concept of non-violence went beyond human race and envisaged non violence towards environment as well. His maxim that, ‘The earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed’ has to be our guiding principal in our fight against climate change.

This also comes in the backdrop of the second general assembly of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) to be held from 30 October-2 November in New Delhi. ISA, the first treaty-based international government organization headquartered in India will see the number of inducted countries that have signed its framework agreement reach 100 nations at the second general assembly.

This activity is aimed at sensitizing young minds about energy sustainability and environmental care. While making their own solar lamps, the students will also get introduced to the concept of self sufficiency – another idea that was so close to the heart of Mahatma Gandhi. All students who take part in this activity are expected to switch-on their self-assembled solar lamps in remembrance of Mahatma and take pledge of non-violence towards the environment.

I would like to thank Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education for facilitating and coordinating this significant event by involving carefully selected schools to create the impact intended.

I thank you all.