By Dr Sanjay Ramkissoon
Distinguished religious and community leaders, honored guests, devotees of various mandir within the FOHM and members of the general public, thank you for gathering here today.
We come together in a spirit of profound unity and reflection for this Gandhi Peace March. Today, we walked to honor Mahatma Gandhi’s enduring legacy of peace, non-violence, and harmony. In the world we live in now, there are many acts of violence and wars and at the last UN conference Sept 2026 the President of Finland Mr. Alexander Stubb opened his remarks with a Quote form Ghandi ji, stating the breach of one rule inevitable leads to the breach of all rule. Underscoring that Ghandi ji peace message is perhaps more relevant today.
In this time of pitri paksha we walked to pay homage and respects to our ancestors for passing on their tradition and values shaping our identity to who we are today. No man is an island.
And now we are gathered here to share the memory in our hearts as we pause to memorialize the millions of lives lost to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the Covid 19 pandemic we were all isolated —the Viruses do not recognize borders, race, or religion. Our healing shouldn`t either. By gathering together from different walks of life we show that our diversity is our greatest strength. Now we can gather together without masks of fear of getting ill.
Special thanks to the all the health care workers who risked their lives to take care of others. Thanks to scientific community for quickly developing a vaccine to assist in the control and containment of this deadly virus.
This gathering represents a bridge between remembrance and renewal. A few years ago, we planted this tree together. We planted it during a time of immense grief to serve as a living symbol of regrowth, resilience, and hope. As we look at it today, we see how life persists, stretches toward the light, and heals.
The pandemic brought deep chaos and isolation, yet Gandhi reminded us that real peace must come from within and stand firm against outside circumstances. Today, we draw on that inner strength together to honor those we lost.
Thank you all for your presence, your leadership, and your shared commitment to peace.