Rusnė: A monument dedicated to India's Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi and one of his close associates, a Lithuanian architect, Hermann Kallenbach, was unveiled in Rusnė in Western Lithuania, on October 2nd, marking Gandhi's 164th birth anniversary. Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius and Indian Minister of State for Agriculture Mohanbhai Kundariya attended the ceremony as chief guests.
Also present was the Indian independence leader's great grandson Tushar Gandhi and Kallenbach's family members, along with a large group of Indian students studying in the country. The composition of two life-size bronze statues was designed and produced by renowned Lithuanian architect Roman Kvintas. The initiative was taken by the government, London-based Yusuf and Farida Hamied Foundation, a charity trust run by Yusuf Hamied, owner of one of India's largest pharmaceutical companies, Cipla, and the country's Goodwill Foundation.
Speaking on the occasion, Hamied said, “This memorial is dedicated to the memory of my late mother Luba and symbolises the unity and closeness of India and Lithuania. May this friendship prosper and grow in the future.”
