VIJAYAWADA: A ten-day programme, starting Tuesday, will be organised by the Language and Culture Department to celebrate Gandhi’s teachings and values. Irrigation Minister Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao, MLA Bonda Uma, Deputy Speaker Mandali Buddha Prasad and Principal Secretary, Tourism, Mukesh Kumar Meena, are likely to participate in the inaugural event in which 2,000 students will also take part.
The inaugural session on October 2 will have art competitions for children and an exhibition displaying photos, paintings and letters of Gandhi along with sand sculptures, news articles and information boards with descriptive pieces narrating his struggles. Also, the unveiling of his 40-feet statue will be followed by bhajans and songs.
On October 3, there will be a poem-reading session in which poetry of 25 renowned poets on Gandhi’s life events and his philosophy will be read. There will also be a Kerala shadow puppetry performance which will be followed by recital of 12 Gandhian short stories on October 4.
On October 5, classical songs and bhajans on Gandhi will be performed by well-known musicians and plays authored by Language and Culture Department Director Vizai Bhaskar will be performed on October 6. A drama competition will be held for students on October 7. October 8, 9, 10, and 11 will have programmes called ‘Gazal Guldasta’, a ballet dance performance by Hyderabadi dancer Aruna Bhikshu, and folk song performances.