Tokyo/New Delhi, July 29 (Representative) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday unveiled a bust of Mahatma Gandhi in Tokyo and said Gandhiji’s message that solutions do not come from a battlefield and that no era should be an era of war is timeless, especially in the current times geopolitical conflict and tensions.Addressing the gathering at the unveiling of the bust of Gandhiji at Freedom Plaza in Edogawa, the EAM said “..the timeless messages of Gandhiji. I would say today, at a time when we are seeing so much conflict in the world, so much tension, so much polarization, so much bloodshed, it’s very important that Gandhiji’s message was that solutions do not come from a battlefield, that no era should be an era of war. And that message applies today as much as it did 80 years ago.”Terming Gandhiji as the original prophet of sustainable growth, the EAM said, “…in terms of sustainability, of climate friendliness, of green growth, green policies. Gandhiji was the original prophet of sustainable growth. He was the greatest advocate of how to live in harmony with nature.
So the message of Gandhiji, that it is not just something for governments to do, but for everybody to do in their personal life, that is something which again we pass on. And of course, Gandhiji was an advocate of inclusiveness and that is what we are seeing in India and across the world today.”He said “the achievements of Mahatma Gandhi have far outlived his own times, with the passage of time they have got more and more importance.”The Indian Embassy posted on X:“Hon’ble External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar @DrSJaishankar arrives in Japan for a two-day visit and is received by the Ambassador @AmbSibiGeorge.”“Unveiling of bust of Mahatma Gandhi by Hon’ble External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar @DrSJaishankar at Freedom Plaza in Edogawa, Tokyo.”The EAM flew down to Tokyo from Vientiane, Laos, where he attended several ASEAN-related meetings and bilateral meetings with counterparts.In Tokyo, the EAM will attend the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting tomorrow.He is set to hold a bilateral meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken later today.