The Embassy of India in Armenia welcomes the decision to establish a  monument to Mahatma Gandhi in Yerevan

ArmInfo.The Embassy of India in Armenia welcomes the decision made earlier by the Council of Elders of Yerevan to erect a monument to the Indian political and public  figure Mahatma Gandhi in the Armenian capital.

<This will be a tribute to the great leader on the occasion of the  celebration of his 150th anniversary, celebrated around the world. It  is also a symbol of centuries-old historical and friendly relations  between India and Armenia>, the embassy said in a statement. It is  noted that relations between the two countries have centuries-old  roots, and originate from 149 BC. "The first Armenian church in India  was built in 1562, and we still proudly preserve the rich cultural  heritage and architecture of Armenia in Calcutta, Chennai, Mumbai,  Lucknow and Surat," the diplomatic service emphasizes. Particularly  indicated is the high level of current bilateral relations, which  includes not only cultural ties, but also interaction in the fields  of politics, economics, trade, security, and so on. They also noted  the work of the Armenian-Indian Center for Excellence in Information  and Telecommunication Technologies, as well as close partnership in a  number of areas, which facilitates the exchange of experience and  knowledge, including through technical and economic cooperation.

<In this context, the Indian Embassy would like to thank the  Government of the Republic of Armenia and the Yerevan Municipality  for making the decision to erect a monument to Mahatma Gandhi in the  Armenian capital. We very much hope that this will inspire the  younger generation to learn more about the teachings and principles  of Mahatma Gandhi, and to contribute to the cause of peace>, -  emphasizes the embassy, recalling that the International Day of  Non-Violence is celebrated on October 2, the birthday of Mahatma  Gandhi.

The monument to Mahatma Gandhi will be erected in the park near  Alabyan and Margaryan streets, as a sign of strengthening and  deepening friendly relations between Armenia and India. It was  previously noted that the Indian side is ready to take on all the  costs of moving and installing the monument.  Mahatma Gandhi is one  of the leaders and ideologists of the movement for the independence  of India from Great Britain. His philosophy of non-violence  (satyagraha) influenced the movements of supporters of peaceful  change. In the struggle for Indian independence, Gandhi used methods  of non-violent resistance:  in particular, on his initiative, the  Indians resorted to a boycott of British goods and institutions, and  also defiantly violated a number of laws. In 1930, he led the Salt  Camp against the salt tax. His implacable struggle against caste  inequality is also widely known. Gandhi enjoyed enormous influence  both among the Indians and among the Muslims of India and tried to  reconcile these warring factions. Mahatma Gandhi was killed on  January 30, 1948, as a result of a ramified conspiracy of Hindu  extremists.