Spreading message of ''ahimsa'' in the Netherlands

Tribune News Service 

Amsterdam, September 30

The message of Non-Violence is resonating through the Netherlands, with institutions and individuals promoting the ‘Follow The Mahatma’ campaign organised with support of the Indian community and the Embassy of India.

The campaign began with the first interactive class in International School Blijberg on adopting non-violence in daily life. 

Ahead of Gandhi Jayanti, a Gandhi March will be held in the capital city of Hague on Sunday, with participants sporting non-violence themed T-Shirts.

The World Peace Flame at Peace Palace will be handed over to the Ambassador of India, Venu Rajamony. The Peace Flame burns beside the entrance to the Peace Palace with the inscription: "May all beings find peace". Since 2004, the monument has been surrounded by the World Peace Path  consisting of a path of 196 large and small stones from 196 countries. 

The Indian envoy took to twitter to post his video message and spread the word about the event.

The march will conclude with an excerpt of an opera titled ‘Satyagraha’ to be performed by the Korzo Theatre and Kwekers in de Kunst at the Grote Kerk. Composed by renowned American composer Philip Glass, ‘Satyagraha’ forms a part of his ‘Portrait Trilogy’ of operas about men who transformed the world. The opera first commissioned by the city of Rotterdam, the Netherlands, in 1980 has been staged in many parts of the world.

Satyagraha looks at Gandhi’s early years in South Africa and his development of non-violent protests as a political tool. The text, sung by the principals and chorus, is entirely in Sanskrit and is adapted from the most important philosophical text of Hinduism, the Bhagavad Gita.Philip Glass has personally permitted Korzo Theatre and Kwekers in de Kunst to adapt his original opera into a new version including modern Indian dance.  

Additionally a bicycle personally used by Mahatma Gandhi will be on display at the Grote Kerk during the performance. A new book in Dutch titled “Gandhi -An illustrated biography” published by Lannoo of Belgium and authored by Indian author Pramod Kapoor will be released. Deputy mayors of The Hague Mr Rabin Baldewsingh and Karsten Klein, and other envoys, including the South African ambassador and guests, will be in attendance at the event along with Rajamony.