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James Madison University - Index

James Madison University - Madison Magazine - Winter 2009 - Index

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picTUreTHiS
Boldly in
his footsteps
a gift from the government of india to
JMU reminds students that JMU touts
Mahatma gandhi’s mantra of Be the
Change — and this
larger than life statue
in the east Campus
Library also inspires
students and alumni
to walk boldly in gandhi’s
footsteps toward a
India’s ambassador
to the United
nonviolent future. on
States Ronen Sen oct. 2, the interna-
thanks musical
performers at the
tional day of nonvio-
Gandhi statue
lence, JMU unveiled
dedication.
the bronze statue,
“gandhi in stride.” special guest Ronen
sen, india’s ambassador to the United
states, said the gift was in honor of JMU’s
Mahatma gandhi Center for global nonviolence
established by JMU professor of
Hinduism sushil Mittal. sen added, “it is
fitting for this statue to be at JMU. gandhi
embodied the principles which James Madison
and the Founding Fathers envisioned in
the United states.” The statue is the first of
gandhi in Virginia and only the third at a
U.s. college campus. JMU is the only institution
outside of india to have a center named
for Mahatma gandhi. after the unveiling
nearly 150 guests were invited to drop rose
petals at gandhi’s feet in a pushpanjali
indian offering of respect. M
— Michelle Hite (’88)
✱ Read more at www.lib.jmu.edu/
newlibrary/.
12 Madison Magazine
Nearly 150
students, professors
and
guests lined up
to place rose
petals at the
feet of the new
Gandhi statue
in the East
Campus Library.
photographs by diane elliott (‘00)