Coming up in Irving.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley took part in the ground-breaking ceremony for a new plaza in Texas that will stand as a memorial to the legendary Indian independence leader, Mahatma Gandhi.
The plaza, aptly titled the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Plaza, is being constructed at the Thomas Jefferson Park in Irving, Texas. The plaza has been in the works for about four years, with the ground-breaking ceremony standing as the culmination of extensive fundraising and planning to get the center constructed.
The Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Plaza will also feature a seven foot-tall statue of the non-violent scion, along with a wall full of his most memorable quotes and teachings. The statue will be about two-and-a-half feet wide, and will be on a six-foot base.
According to the Dallas Morning News, two of the largest Indian American organizations in the area – the Indian Association of North Texas and the Indian American Friendship Council – jointly donated $250,000 for the creation of the plaza; the total cost is reportedly $700,000.
Haley was one of the chief guests at the ceremony, which lasted about two hours and drew in a crowd of around 500 people. Haley is currently the first and only female of Indian origin to serve as the Governor of a US state, and is the first female Governor in the history of South Carolina.
Haley gave the keynote address at the event, in which she talked about how Gandhi’s principles of peace and love were just as important in the US today as they were in India during the 1940s independence movement.
She also commented on how it was appropriate for the memorial plaza to be funded entirely through private money, as the Indian American population is the demographic least dependent on government subsidies.
The Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Plaza will be officially dedicated on October 2, coinciding with Gandhi’s birthday.