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Gandhi spinning yarn on the charkha (wheel) - Wikimedia Commons  “My life is my message,” once said Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi – Mahatma Gandhi as he is known the world over. India's national leader, reformer was a great communicator. He connected with the masses, mobilised a whole country against the mighty British Empire and spearheaded India's quest for freedom. He recognised the power of effective communication to garner popular support. “Gandhi was successful because he had a latent skill in communication that surfaced in South Africa, where he had gone initially to set up practice as a lawyer,” said Prathit Misra, second secretary, High Commission of India in Jamaica. “What began in South Africa gave him the impetus to spread his message to the masses and rally millions of Indians.” Gandhi was a prolific writer and believed in the power of pen over the sword – promoting the principles of non-violence. To the world, the images of Gandhi – a frail-framed, modestly clad gent...

Published July 29, 2012 The Sunday Gleaner He is India’s most famous citizen, his lessons on non-violence and civil disobedience inspired freedom and civil right movements across the world; Mohandas Gandhi, or Mahatma (saint) as he is called, is now immortalized at Inspiration Garden of the Faculty of Education and Humanities at the University of the West Indies, Mona campus . The bronze statue, gifted by the Government of India by the High Commissioner of India to Jamaica, Mohinder Grover, encapsulates Gandhi’s persona and simplicity. Sculpted by Indian sculptor Anil Sutar, the lifelike 6ft. 4 inches high statue has Gandhi in a brisk walk pose - clutching his tall walking stick, a shawl draped over his shoulders and a pocket watch dangling from the loin cloth. Sutar has, through his intricate detailing, to capture the mahatma’s simplicity, exuding the aura of the man himself. As the rays of the sun fall on the silhouette, Gandhi’s figurine manages to rad...