Nation marks 139th Gandhi anniversary with ban on smoking

India marked the 139th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, as hundreds of people thronged the memorial of the Father of the nation on Thursday.

The Prime Minister Manmohan Singh joined by President Patil led the nation in paying tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at his memorial in Rajghat.

A prayer meeting was held at Rajghat where leaders of major religions – Buddhism, Baha'i, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Zoroastrianism and Sikhism – took part.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Home Minister Shivraj Patil, Defence Minister A.K. Antony and Leader of Opposition L.K Advani were among other who paid floral tributes.

Christians meanwhile protesting the communal violence against the miniscule community gathered in a peace march from Jantar Mantar to Rajghat. The seven–day–sit–in by the Christians of Delhi and NCR culminates with this march.

"In the present scenario when innocents are being killed in communal violence and terror attacks, there is an immediate need to spread Mahatma Gandhi's message of peace, communal harmony and non violence," Father Dominic Emanuel, convenor of the march, said.

“The Indian Christian community through this hopes to sensitize the people of the nation, the values of unity and non–violence, followed and taught by Mahatma Gandhi during the Indian independence movement,” Pastor Sibal Roy told Christian Today.

“We are proud Indians who love our motherland and are ready to sacrifice our lives for its service,” he added.

The Christian community in Orissa and Karnataka has been victims of large scale attacks instigated by Hindu fanatic groups, alleging “forced conversions” and claiming ‘India to be a Hindu nation’.

Gandhi's resistance to tyranny through mass civil disobedience founded on non–violence, inspired movements for civil rights and freedom not only in India but also across the world.

Gandhi influenced important leaders and political movements, the civil rights movement in the United States, including Martin Luther King and James Lawson who drew from the writings of Gandhi in the development of their own theories about non–violence and civil disobedience.

Oct 2, is world–wide recognised as the International Day of Non–Violence.

On this day, the government has also imposed a ban on smoking in public places.

The Government believes that 40 per cent of India’s health problems are linked to tobacco. About 250 million Indians use it and an increased rate of smoking among women. Officials say smoking kills 2,500 people in India every day