Omar Abdullah visits Sabarmati Ashram, pays tribute to Mahatma Gandhi

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at the Sabarmati Ashram, and said his teachings ring true even today.

Abdullah placed a khadi garland on the statue of Mahatma Gandhi and tried operating a ‘charkha’ or spinning wheel. “My visit to Ahmedabad is now complete. l feel both humbled & privileged to have been shown around the Sabarmati Ashram of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi. His teachings ring true even today & point us in the direction we should take, but seldom do,” wrote Abdullah in a post on X. In another post, he quoted Gandhi — “True democracy cannot be worked by twenty men sitting at the centre. It has to be worked from below by the people of every village”.

Sabarmati Ashram, also known as Gandhi Ashram, was established by Mahatma Gandhi in Ahmedabad in 1917. Abdullah has been in Gujarat since Wednesday for a tourism event. Earlier on Thursday, he visited the Statue of Unity and Sardar Sarovar Dam in Narmada district. He also interacted with tour operators as part of his government’s exercise to boost tourism in Jammu and Kashmir.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had expressed happiness over Abdullah enjoying his visit to Gujarat and said his visit to the Statue of Unity will inspire fellow Indians to travel to different parts of the country.

In a post on X on Thursday, Modi said, “Kashmir to Kevadia! Good to see Shri Omar Abdullah Ji enjoying his run at the Sabarmati Riverfront and visiting the Statue of Unity. His visit to SoU gives an important message of unity and will inspire our fellow Indians to travel to different parts of India.”