Collector S. Nagarajan flagging off the Gandhi peace expedition bus at Kanyakumari on Sunday.  Photo: A. Shaikmohideen / The Hindu

Mahatma Gandhi wanted to empower the poor and wanted to remove egotism among people, recalled Collector S. Nagarajan at Kanyakumari on Sunday.

He flagged off an inter-State ‘Gandhi peace bus youth expedition,’ under which places Gandhi visited in the south from Kanyakumari to Mangalore would be covered, from Gandhi Mandapam. The expedition is organised by Kerala Gandhi Smarak Nidhi in association with the National Foundation for Communal Harmony, Government of India, and the Indian Council of Gandhian Studies, New Delhi.

A special prayer was also organised inside Gandhi Mandapam on the occasion. A photo exhibition portraying the life of Gandhi and comments made by world leaders about him in appreciation of his selfless service for the uplift of the poor and downtrodden, particularly Dalits, was held.

Later the Collector and Information and Public Relations Officer Hari Ram toured the mandapam to plan for more development to attract more visitors.

Kerala Gandhi Smarak Nidhi chairman N. Radhakrishnan said that the main purpose of the expedition was to encourage the youth to follow the routes Gandhi travelled under a well-designed programme. Gandhi visited 394 places between Kanyakumari and Mangalore.

The expedition began from Kanyakumari where Gandhi was denied temple entry at Bhagavathy Amman Temple on the grounds of his having gone abroad and violated Hindu ethics. However ‘samudram’ (sea) showered her blessing by sprinkling water on his body while he touched the shore, said P. Gobinathan Nair, president al India Gandhi Memorial Nidhi.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / Home> News> States> TamilNadu / by Staff Reporter / Nagercoil, June 18th, 2012