A village in Nagaland’s Mokokchung district celebrated the 89th birthday of Gandhian Natwar Thakkar as Noble Deeds Day in remembrance of his selfless service to the Naga society.
Popular as ‘Nagaland’s Gandhi’, Mr. Thakkar died in October 2018. He founded the Nagaland Gandhi Ashram at Chuchuyimlang in 1955.
“…since then, he had been engaged in promoting peace and national and emotional integration, implementing various initiatives aimed at socio-economic development of the region through Gandhian ideals and principles,” the Chuchuyimlang Students’ Union (CSU) said in a statement.
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Sanen Pongen, the chairman of Chuchuyimlang Village Council, said Thakkar’s birthday was declared as the Noble Deeds Day in recognition of his rich contributions. On this day, the villagers perform various charitable and noble acts for the rural masses.
The day-long celebration of Noble Deeds Day by the CSU culminated with a public function held on the premises of Nagaland Gandhi Ashram.
The highlights were the recitation of a poem (An Ode to Thakkar), special songs, exhortations and the reminiscing of the Gandhian’s journey through an act presented by the students of the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology at Chuchuyimlang, complemented by the screening of a documentary on his life and works.
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Another special feature of the function was the special tribute paid to him through recitation by the entire assembled participants.
Thakkar was conferred the Padma Shree for his humanitarian services. His wife, Lentina Ao, is also a Gandhian.