As of now, Lori Lightfoot, the Chicago Mayor, issued a declaration on the 2nd of October 2019, announcing it as the Mahatma Gandhi Day for the residents of the Chicago city at a luncheon arranged by the Chicago Sister Cities under their Delhi Committee in alliance with the World Business Chicago. The event took place as a tribute to the 150th Birth Anniversary of the respected personality in civic activism, Mahatma Gandhi. Smita Shah, who is the head of the Delhi Committee in the larger Chicago Sister Cities, introduced the distinguished guests, including Lori E. Lightfoot, as well as Richard J. Durbin, United States Senator.
Also, in the event were Consul Generals from South Africa, India, the United Kingdom, and Nepal. The personalities were Phumzile Mazibuko, Sudhakar Dalela, John Saville, and Marvin Brustin. Other remarkable guests involved Nick Patel, Vijay Dave, Maarten de Jeu, Babu Patel, Niranjan S. Shah, and Keerthi Kumar Ravioli. Smita Shah says that Chicago has a unique history with the Indian state since the Parliament of World Religions dating back in 1893. She added that it was only logical for Chicago to be one of the first cities to acknowledge the 150th birth Anniversary of the great legend.
Andrea Zopp, who is the former Deputy Mayor as well as the chief executive officer of World Business Chicago, says that Chicago, along with the Delhi Committee, were among the first to host a yearly celebration of Mahatma Gandhi. She added that it was a unique position, and the World Business Chicago was glad to be a part of it. Smita Shah said that the Chicago Sister Cities through their Delhi Committee was dedicated to promoting economic, social, and cultural exchange between the Indians and the residents of Chicago. She added that the day served as a great example of the significance of international transactions.
Durbin, the United States senator, talked about how Mahatma Gandhi was encouraged by Henry David Thoreau, who was a philosopher in the United States in the idea of civil disobedience. As a result, he motivated several global leaders such as Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela. He added that people could all feel the effect of improving the lives of others through working together. Senator Durbin discussed further the significance of immigrants in Chicago. Smita Shah added that Senator Durbin was a strong advocator for immigration and endorsed the communities in Chicago.
When introducing the Chicago Mayor, she added that the struggle for independence saw Mahatma Gandhi filled with a desire to put an end to poverty, develop social, economic chances for residents and guarantee the conservation of humanitarian situations. Lori Lightfoot delivered an impassioned and moving speech focusing on the efforts of Mahatma Gandhi and what people can learn from his contributions. Learn more: http://chicagosistercities.com/sister-cities/delhi-india/
Background Details
Taking a page from Gandhi’s philosophies, Lori Lightfoot said that poverty was the worst type of debt and that people must be willing to do more for their communities and the immigrant society. Smita Shah said that Lori Lightfoot was battling the same struggle for the dignity of humankind. Lori Lightfoot mentions that the community and residents of the city need to do the best for every member of Chicago.
