Tributes to Mahatma Gandhi in Houston

During one of my visits to USA, my son took me along with other family members to Hermann Park in Houston, the fourth most populous city in the United States and the largest city in the southern United States. Hermann Park is located in one of the most  picturesque areas of Houston and is nestled between the Museum district, the Texas Medical Centre and Rice University. It is one of the most visited parks in the city of Houston.

It is estimated that  about six million people visit the park every year . Apart from the statue of General Sam Houston, Miller Outdoor Theatre, the Houston Zoo and other places of interest around the park, what attracted me the most is the life size bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi placed at a strategic point in the park .The statue stands on a granite pedestal next to the rose garden .The four sides of the pedestal are adorned with Gandhi’s inscriptions. The statue was sculpted in India by renowned sculptor Sri Ram Sutar .

As an admirer and follower of Gandhi, first I bowed in reverence in front of the statue and then tried to know thedate of unveiling of the statue and such other details. I was indeed moved, as it was the first time that I got an opportunity to see the statue of Mahatma outside my country.

The statue was unveiled on 2^nd October, 2004,Gandhi Jayanthi Day, as a lasting tribute to the memory of the Mahatma by Houstonians. The then Houston Mayor, Mr. Bill White, the then India’s ambassador to the US, Mr.Ronen Sen, Former Mayor of Houston, Lee P Brown, US congress woman MsSheila Jackson and the then Consul General Skand Ranjan Tayal were among the dignitaries who were present at the unveiling ceremony. The installation of the statue was the initiative of India Culture Centre and Indian Consulate in Houston, and they richly deserve appreciation from all the Indians.

Another interesting thing is that a few meters away from the Gandhi statue, there is a life size bronze statue of Rev. Dr .Martin Luther King Jr, which was installed on 9^th December 2007, across the lawn facing the statue of Mahatma Gandhi. The installation of the statues of Mahatma Gandhi and Rev. Dr Martin Luther King Jr. within a distance of few meters is an apt way of paying glowing tribute to the memories of two great men who fought for the rights of the downtrodden and oppressed in their countries. While Mahatma Gandhi fought against untouchability and dedicated his life for the upliftment of the oppressed classes in India, Martin Luther King ,influenced by Gandhi’s principle  of non-violence, fought against racial discrimination in the US.

Another befitting tribute paid to the memory of Gandhi in Houston is an ethnic enclave in South West Houston, commonly called Hill croft, which has been renamed as Mahatma Gandhi District. The district predominantly consists of Indian and Pakistani restaurants and shops and has a large Indian and Pakistani population. The area is sometimes called “Little India” due to the high concentration of Indian hotels, jewelry and textile shops. The Hill croft area was renamed as Mahatma Gandhi District on January 16, 2010 on Gandhi’s 141^st birth year. The credit for the success of the renaming project should go to India Culture Centre, Former Mayor of Houston Ms Annise Parker and the then Consul General of India in Houston Mr . Sanjiv Arora, who announced the change of name to the delight of the Indian American Community in Houston.

Further, Gandhi memorial at the entrance to Houston’s Little India is another tribute  paid to  Gandhi and is worth mentioning here. A marble edifice bearing a bronze engraving of Mahatma’s face was unveiled on 16^th August 2015. The unveiling was done by Mr Harish Parvathaneni, the then Consul General of India in Houston in the presence of several dignitaries and large number of Indians .When I was standing near the memorial, a few Americans were also looking at the memorial. Out of curiosity, I asked them as to who Mahatma Gandhi was, reply came spontaneously, a great Indian leader. I felt immensely pleased and proud that the father of our nation is a world leader, known and respected by people all over the world.

Mahatma Gandhi has been bestowed upon witha very rare honour by many countries by erecting the statues of  Gandhi in their countries .It is reported that more than seventy countries in the world have erected Gandhiji’s statues . This is indeed a great and a unique honour which no other leader in the world has been bestowed upon. Mahatma Gandhi is truly a world leader and would remain so for along time to come.

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