Georgetown: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at his statue mounted at the historic Promenade Gardens here and remembered Gandhiji’s eternal principles of peace and non-violence.
The prime minister arrived in Guyana earlier on Wednesday, making it the first visit by an Indian head of state to the country in more than 50 years.
“PM @narendramodi paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at his statue mounted at the historic Promenade Gardens in Georgetown,” Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on X.
The prime minister also paid homage to Indian heritage in Guyana during his visit to the Indian Arrival Monument at the Monument Gardens in Georgetown, the MEA spokesperson said in a separate post on X.
“PM recalled the struggle and sacrifices of the Indian diaspora and their pivotal contribution to Guyana’s nation-making. As a mark of respect, PM planted a Bel patra (Aegle marmelos) sapling at the monument,” the post said.
Modi also visited the Saraswati Vidya Niketan School in Guyana and recalled his visit to this school, more than two decades back and appreciated the efforts of Swami Akasharananda ji and his team in inculcating traditional Indian values and culture in students, contributing towards their holistic education, the post said.
He also visited the Arya Samaj monument here and participated in the recitation of “Ram Bhajan” during the visit.
“PM @narendramodi paid floral tribute at the Arya Samaj monument in Georgetown today. The Arya Samaj monument was unveiled in 2011 to commemorate 100 years of the Arya Samaj movement in Guyana.”
The prime minister also addressed a special session of the National Assembly of the Parliament of Guyana on Thursday. He is the first Indian leader to do so.
The prime minister thanked the government and the people of Guyana for the honour bestowed on him and underscored the salience of India-Guyana shared histories, democratic traditions, and pluralism in fostering closer ties.
