NNA – The Indian Embassy in Beirut and the Indian battalion operating within the "UNIFIL" peacekeeping forces celebrated the “International Day of Non-Violence” in the "Mahatma Gandhi Garden” in the town of Ebel El-Saqi - south of Lebanon.
The event was attended by Indian Ambassador to Lebanon, Suhel Ajaz Khan, MP Elias Jaradeh, Commander of UNIFIl’s Eastern Sector, Ignacio Olazábal Elorz, Commander of the Indian contingent batallion operating within UNIFIL, Colonel Sujay Kumar, and the mayors of Ebel El-Saqi, Shebaa and Kfarshouba, a representative of the Lebanese Army and various townsmen and battalion members.
The garden, named after the leader of India "Mahatma Gandhi", was built by the Indian battalion and embassy in 1999, and was later then renovated in 2019-20 and handed over to the Ebel El-Saqi Municipality in June 2020.
The celebrations included launching of balloons and white pigeons to spread the message of nonviolence and peace.
Earlier in the day, the Indian battalion organized a "peace march" joined by local Lebanese from nearby villages and soldiers from the Indian contingent.
Local school students also displayed their drawings, which reflect their ideas of peace, non-violence and coexistence.
During his visit to southern Lebanon, Ambassador Khan met volunteers at the Red Cross Center in Shebaa, which was built with Indian assistance, as a quick-impact project that was opened last year.
According to an embassy statement, the Indian battalion “has been part of UNIFIL for 24 years, and the Indian peacekeeping forces operate professionally. Apart from regular monitoring activities on the Blue Line, the battalion has undertaken several actions to support the local community in southern Lebanon. This includes renewing Mahatma Gandhi Garden, renovation of Sardar Patel Sports Complex, provision of a garbage sorting facility, financial support for the construction of the Red Cross building in Shebaa village, and also running a veterinary hospital to help members of the local community.”
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