The Indian High Commissioner to Madagascar Abhay Kumar and mayor of its capital city jointly inaugurated the “Mahatma Gandhi Green Triangle” in capital city Antananarivo on Wednesday. This patch of green stands as a traffic island at the triangular junction at downtown Tsarlalana near the Embassy of India.
The ceremony saw the presence of officials and the mayor of Antananarivo, Naina Andriantsitohaina. Other dignitaries included of local government heads, diplomatic corps, heads of international organisations and members of the Indian diaspora based in Madagascar.
Mr Kumar briefed the gathering on “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav” (AKAM) to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of progressive India. He read aloud Bapu’s vision: “The earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs but not every man’s greed” to highlight the philosophy when it comes to reducing consumerism, respecting nature and aiming for sustainable development. “The word green in the plaque signifies our commitment to sustainable development and saving the environment. This area is a booming commercial spot and hosts a large number of Indians. Hence, naming of this park as Mahatma Gandhi Green Triangle is an apt tribute to Bapu,” his speech concluded.
The Mahatma’s Africa days are a significant portion of his life and Madagascar, even today, has a large diaspora from Gujarat. The closing ceremony was marked by a gift of postal stamps to the mayor. Significantly, it was issued by the Malagasy Post to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in 2019.
