Gandhi, The Environment, Sustainable City
On October 2, 2026, we at Aashray Abhiyan proudly celebrated the 157th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. To honour this day, we hosted a special gathering at Gandhi Maidan, a historic public square right here in Patna, India.
For us, the most beautiful part of the day was the community who joined in. Our audience was primarily made up of women from local slums and hardworking people from the working classes. They gathered in front of Gandhi’s life-size statue to offer flowers and pay their respects. Together, we held deep discussions about his core ideas. This special event showed us that Gandhi’s simple lifestyle still deeply connects with marginalized communities today.
The main theme for our discussion was "Mahatma Gandhi's Environmental Protection and Sustainable Lifestyle". Our Director and Secretary, Sister Dorothy Fernandes, proudly led the event.
Our guest speakers highlighted that Gandhi was not just a political leader or a freedom fighter. He was also a true visionary environmentalist. Modern terms like "global warming" and "climate change" did not exist in his time. Yet, his lifestyle was entirely based on protecting the environment.
We recalled one of his most famous quotes. He believed that the earth has enough to satisfy every person's need, but not their greed.
Sister Dorothy addressed our working-class audience with a powerful message. She described Gandhi’s life as a living "environmental manual". He practiced exactly what he preached. Today, the entire world is facing a climate crisis. Gandhi's simple lifestyle is now seen as a highly effective way to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
Our speakers and community members discussed practical, everyday habits. They talked about using local goods, living simply, maintaining cleanliness, and practicing proper waste management. We explored how these traditional ideas are incredibly relevant to the modern challenges we face in our neighbourhoods.
The event also featured a wonderful cultural program.
Children dressed up as Gandhi and spoke confidently about his values. We enjoyed a beautiful rendition of his favorite hymn, "Vaishnav Jan To," performed specially for the audience.
Local artists and community leaders from our Aashray Abhiyan family, including Dharmendra Kumar and Rukmini Devi, made the event truly special with their singing. Several of our grassroots workers and community members also took the stage to share their thoughts. Ultimately, our gathering proved an important point.
A better, sustainable future can only be built with the active, powerful participation of the working class.
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