Ansari pays homage to Mahatma Gandhi at source of Nile river

JINJA (UGANDA): Vice President Hamid Ansari today paid floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at the source of river Nile here in which part of his mortal remains were immersed in 1948, hailing the Father of the Nation as one of the strongest links between India and Africa.

Ansari, who arrived in Uganda on February 21, planted a sapling after offering flowers at the bust of the Mahatma in Jinja, which is a hub of the Indian community in Uganda.

The bust was installed by the Indian Government and inaugurated by then Prime Minister I K Gujral in 1997. It sits amid cool climes and verdant surrounding, and postured in a pensive mood. The plaque below reads: “Universal apostle of peace and non-violence whose ashes were immersed in the River Nile in 1948.”

The vice president was received here by Jinja MP Moses Balyeku and Mayor of Jinja municipality Majid Batambuze.

Asked by reporters if this place could be turned into a tourism spot, Ansari said, “This is already a world tourism spot and both the countries will continue to engage to promote this site.”

Ansari is in Uganda as part of his two-nation visit to the African continent. He visited Rwanda during the first leg of his tour. (AGENCIES)

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