As tributes poured in for Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary, political parties jostled to stake claim to his legacy. An outpouring of tributes, marches and commemorative events marked the day that saw customary ceremony and grandstanding but also genuine remembrances of the Mahatma and efforts to understand his profound contribution to society. President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu and Modi led the nation in paying rich tributes to the father of the nation at his memorial in Rajghat. Observing that Gandhi envisioned Indian nationalism as one that was never narrow or exclusive, Modi proposed what he called the ‘Einstein Challenge’. Modi wrote in the New York Times, in an article titled ‘Why India and the World Need Gandhi’. Twitter, adding that the nation expresses its gratitude to Gandhi for his everlasting contribution to humanity. Modi also travelled to Gujarat to address a gathering in the Sabarmati Ashram. Modi wrote in the visitors’ book. Modi also released commemorative Rs 150 coins on occasion of Gandhi’s birth anniversary.
At a ‘Swachh Bharat Diwas’ programme in Ahmedabad, Modi declared that India is now open defecation-free. Modi said sanitation, conservation of environment and animals were dear to Gandhi. The government used the day to stress on cleanliness, the dangers of single-use plastic and the aim of making India open defecation free. The celebrations appeared to be a game of one-upmanship between the Congress and the BJP with both organising marches, Gandhi’s favourite way of reaching out to the people, in their bid to cash in on his legacy. BJP president Amit Shah kicked-off a four-month exercise in which party leaders across the country will undertake foot marches and address public events to mark his 150th birth anniversary. Shah asked people to follow Modi’s call to shun single-use plastic and said he is the only prime minister who has made cleanliness a mass movement, after Gandhi. While Rahul Gandhi led a march of party workers to Rajghat, Sonia Gandhi waited at the memorial to address the workers and Priyanka Gandhi was in Lucknow. She claimed that the Congress was the only one party that followed the path shown by him and carried on his legacy. Those who indulge in the politics of falsehood cannot understand his ideals of truth and selfless service, she said. Earlier in the morning, Rahul Gandhi fronted a march of party workers from the Delhi Congress office at the Deendayal Upadhyaya Marg to Rajghat. He said he paid tribute to Gandhi, who through his words and deeds, showed us that love for all living beings and non violence is the only way to defeat oppression, bigotry and hatred. While the BJP’s called its march ‘Sankalp (pledge) Yatra’, the Congress named its march, ‘Gandhi Sandesh Yatra’. Prayer meetings were organised in numerous places connected with Gandhi. In Gujarat, for instance, school students gathered at Hriday Kunj, Gandhi’s home at the Sabarmati Ashram, to attend an all-faith prayer meet.
Most found Clinton’s speech boring and all thought his 32 minute speech was way too long. Long time journalist Tom Brokaw remarked, “He droned on and on, and droned on,” said Brokaw. Most believed that Clinton’s introduction to the nation was so bad that his political career was over. Oddly, Bill Clinton only four years later accepted the Democratic Nomination for President before a huge crowd in New York City. He won two terms as President and until Barack Obama came on the scene in 2008 was the most loved Democrat. He still brings excitement wherever he goes and oddly, people love to hear him speak. Everybody knows that John Wilkes Booth killed Abraham Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre. Edwin Booth was John Wilkes Booth’s older brother. One night Edwin was standing on a railraod platform waiting to enter a sleeping car in Jersey City. Booth was there with John T. Ford, the owner of Ford’s Theatre. A group of passengers were purchasing their sleeping car places from the conductor. The platform was about the same height as the car and their was a space in between the platform and the car.
The train began to move and the motion twisted on the passengers off his feet and he fell into the space. The passenger was helpless and Booth reportedly grabbed him by the coat collar and pulled him up back onto the platform. The passenger gave Booth his gratitude. The passenger that night was Robert Tood Lincoln, the President’s son who was traveling to Washington for the holidays. Lincoln relayed the story to a friend who wrote Booth a letter informing him of whom he had saved. Sources also state that General Grant also sent Booth a letter thanking him for saving Lincoln’s life who was then serving the General staff. There is no evidence that Robert ever told his parents about the incident and the incident was not reported in the newspapers. Years later, of course, Booth’s name would be synonymous with the death of a Lincoln, but it should not be forgotten that a Booth did save Lincoln’s life as well.
Robert Todd Lincoln was the first child of Abraham and Mary Lincoln and the only Lincoln child to reach adulthood. Presidents of the United StatesThe Childhoods of U.S. Political PartiesIs the Two-Party Political System Doomed? Sign in or sign up and post using a HubPages Network account. 0 of 8192 characters usedPost CommentNo HTML is allowed in comments, but URLs will be hyperlinked. Comments are not for promoting your articles or other sites. That is an excellent article about the presidents. I never knew Roosevelt’s grandfather was an admirer of Lincoln. Fascinating story. Thank you for sharing. Thanks Paradigm. I agree. Awesome. This is the kind of stuff people should write about. I am actually a huge Adams fan and believe he receives too little credit for his role in Revolution and the Constitution. But I think the description is fairly accurate. I appreciate your comments and thanks for stopping by.