Kolkata: Sixty four years after his death,
Mahatma Gandhi`s name today created a fresh world record in
the Guinness Book as 485 underprivileged boys brought out a
peace march dressed as `Bapu`.
Flaunting khadi attire and Gandhi caps, the group of boys
wore round-framed spectacles and walked with sticks as they
brought alive memories of Gandhi`s historic Dandi march.
Aged between ten and sixteen, the kids, most of whom are
from single mothers, walked for half a kilometre distance at
Mayo Road in central Kolkata during the peace march.
Upholding the morals and ethics of the Father of the
Nation, the walk metaphorically reminisced his principles of
truth, justice and non-violence.
After evaluating and monitoring the event, officials from
the Guinness Book awarded the world record certificate to the
UK-based organisers TRACKS (Training Recourse and Care for
Kids).
"I am myself a Gandhi follower. This peace march is meant
to inculcate Gandhi`s values and messages in poor children. We
don`t want the underprivileged kids to forget the rich legacy
of Gandhian ideology," said Michael Anthony who runs the NGO.
The last such record of a gathering dressed as Gandhi was
made in June 2010 when a group of 255 students achieved this
in Coimbatore, Nikhil Shukla, India adjudicator of the
Guinness said.
PTI
