President Ram Nath Kovind unveils statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Switzerland

Mahatma Gandhi visited Villeneuve in 1931 at the invitation of Nobel laureate Romain Rolland.

Villeneuve: President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday unveiled a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the presence of Mayor and President of Canton Vaud and other dignitaries in Switzerland.

''Honoured to unveil a statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Villeneuve, Switzerland. Grateful to the Commune of Villeneuve for bringing Gandhiji to the banks of Lake Geneva and for naming the Square after him,'' President Kovind's official Twitter handle said in a tweet. 

Honoured to unveil a statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Villeneuve, Switzerland. Grateful to the Commune of Villeneuve for bringing Gandhiji to the banks of Lake Geneva and for naming the Square after him #PresidentKovind #Gandhi150 pic.twitter.com/hTi2vMMLEM — President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) September 14, 2019

Speaking on the occasion, President Kovind said, "Mahatma Gandhi`s life teaches us many things. He built his first hermitage in India on the banks of River Sabarmati. Today, we have brought him to the banks of Lake Geneva."

"It is a fitting tribute to a man who loved nature and cared so much for it. His legacy shall inspire us as we work together to tackle climate change and to conserve our ecology," he added.

''Mahatma Gandhi shared a special connection with this beautiful town. He visited Villeneuve in 1931 at the invitation of Nobel laureate Romain Rolland, '' the President said.

Adding that Mahatma Gandhi believed in the oneness of humanity and embraced all cultures and all peoples, the President said, "As two democracies with a deep respect for diversity, Mahatma Gandhi shall continue to guide us in our shared journey to bring peace and joy for one and all."Mahatma Gandhi shared a special connection with this beautiful town. He visited Villeneuve in 1931 at the invitation of Nobel laureate Romain Rolland.

On Friday, Kovind led the delegation-level talks along with his Swiss counterpart Ueli Maurer and witnessed the signing and exchange of MOUs/agreements between two countries.

Kovind is currently on a three-nation visit to Iceland, Switzerland, and Slovenia since September 9.

He arrived in Switzerland on Thursday following the successful completion of his bilateral engagements in Iceland.

He will leave for Slovenia --the final leg of his state visit to three nations-- on Sunday.