In a poignant ceremony held in New Delhi on Thursday, October 2, 2025, President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the nation in offering floral tributes to two of India’s most revered leaders: Mahatma Gandhi and former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, commemorating their respective birth anniversaries.
Addressing the occasion, Prime Minister Modi reiterated his government’s commitment to upholding Mahatma Gandhi’s principles, emphasizing their foundational role in realizing the vision of a developed India.
Via a message on X (formerly Twitter), the Prime Minister lauded ‘Bapu’ for his extraordinary life and transformative ideals. Modi underscored how Gandhi masterfully wielded courage and simplicity as potent tools for monumental change, driven by an unwavering belief in the empowering forces of service and compassion.
Simultaneously, tributes were also extended to India’s second Prime Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri, whose birth anniversary coincidentally falls on the same date.
Prime Minister Modi praised Shastri as an exceptional statesman whose unwavering integrity, profound humility, and resolute determination played a crucial role in strengthening the nation.
Recalling Shastri’s iconic slogan, ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’ (Hail the Soldier, Hail the Farmer), Modi remarked that it continues to ignite a powerful spirit of patriotism and inspires collective efforts towards building a robust and self-reliant India.
Further, aligning with his fervent advocacy for ‘Swadeshi’ (self-reliance and locally-made goods), Prime Minister Modi encouraged citizens to purchase products crafted by fellow Indians, describing this act as a fitting tribute to both Gandhi and Shastri.
He affirmed that the ‘Swadeshi’ ethos forms the bedrock of a truly self-reliant and developed India.
This year marks the 156th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, revered nationwide as the Father of the Nation for his instrumental and non-violent leadership in India’s freedom struggle.
Born in Gujarat in 1869, Gandhi’s philosophy of truth and non-violence profoundly shaped India’s freedom movement, earning him global admiration and an enduring legacy as one of history’s most influential figures.
Lal Bahadur Shastri, born in Uttar Pradesh in 1904, ascended to the role of Prime Minister following Jawaharlal Nehru’s passing. Despite his brief tenure, his unwavering honesty and decisive leadership, particularly during the 1965 war with Pakistan, garnered him widespread respect and universal acclaim.