Even today theories of Mahatma Gandhi guide the world for peaceful coexistence

New Delhi, January 30: The nation pays homage to Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi on his 71st death anniversary today. 

Martyrs' Day is an annual day observed by the nation to salute the martyrdom of soldiers who lost their lives defending the sovereignty of the nation. Two minutes of silence was observed to pay homage to martyrs.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vice President M Venkaih Naidu, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and the leaders from different political parties pay tributes to Bapu at Rajghat in New Delhi. A Sarva-Dharma Prarthana held at Gandhi Samadhi, Rajghat this morning.

“पूज्य बापू को उनकी पुण्यतिथि पर शत् शत् नमन।

Remembering Bapu on his Punya Tithi. We reiterate our commitment to follow the path shown by him and abide by the values he stood for.” Said Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his tweet.

Today, on Bapu’s Punya Tithi, PM Modi will be in Dandi, the place from where Bapu challenged the might of colonialism. In Dandi, the National Salt Satyagraha Memorial will be dedicated to the nation. This is a tribute to Satyagrahis led by Gandhi Ji, who worked for India’s freedom. The day is also observed as Martyrs' Day. He was assassinated on this day in 1948.

After his early release from prison for political crimes in 1924, over the second half of the 1920s, Gandhi continued to pursue swaraj. He pushed through a resolution at the Calcutta Congress in December 1928 calling on the British government to grant India dominion status or face a new campaign of non-co-operation with complete independence for the country as its goal.

Gandhi led Indians in challenging the British-imposed salt tax with the 400 km (250 mi) Dandi Salt March in 1930. He opposed World War II and called for the British to Quit India in 1942. He was imprisoned for many years, upon many occasions, in both South Africa and India. He lived modestly in a self-sufficient residential community and wore the traditional Indian dhoti and shawl, woven with yarn hand-spun on a charkha.

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on 2 October 1869 into a Gujarati Hindu Modh Baniya family. in Porbandar (also known as Sudamapuri), a coastal town.

In April 1893, Gandhi aged 23, set sail for South Africa to be the lawyer for Abdullah's cousin. He spent 21 years in South Africa, where he developed his political views, ethics and politics.

Immediately upon arriving in South Africa, Gandhi faced discrimination because of his skin colour and heritage, like all people of colour. He was not allowed to sit with European passengers in the stagecoach and told to sit on the floor near the driver, then beaten when he refused

Gandhi focused his attention on Indians while in South Africa. He was not interested in politics. This changed after he was discriminated against and bullied, such as by being thrown out of a train coach because of his skin colour by a white train official.

In 1910, Gandhi established, with the help of his friend Hermann Kallenbach, an idealistic community they named 'Tolstoy Farm' near Johannesburg. There he nurtured his policy of peaceful resistance.

Gandhi returned to India in 1915. He brought an international reputation as a leading Indian nationalist, theorist and community organiser.

Gandhi joined the Indian National Congress and was introduced to Indian issues, politics and the Indian people primarily by Gopal Krishna Gokhale.