Before Boris Johnson, what 5 foreign heads wrote in Sabarmati Ashram visitors' book
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited the Sabarmati Ashram in Gujarat's Ahmedabad on Thursday. He tried his hand at spinning the charkha and left a note in the visitors' book at Mahatma Gandhi's ashram.
"It is an immense privilege to come to the ashram of this extraordinary man and to understand how he mobilised such simple principles of truth and non-violence to change the world for the better," he wrote.
There has been a tradition of visiting the Sabarmati Ashram and writing a note in the visitors' book by dignitaries who visit Ahmedabad.
Take a look at 5 such messages by foreign heads of states:
US President Donald Trump, 2020: US President Donald Trump was on his maiden India visit in February 2020 when he visited the Sabarmati Ashram along with his wife Melania Trump.
"To my great friend Prime Minister Modi, Thank you for this wonderful visit" were the words Trump penned down on the visitors' book at the ashram.
Trump was criticised by many, mostly on social media, as his message in the visitors' book had no mention of Mahatma Gandhi.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, 2018: In January 2018, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came to Ahmedabad during his India visit.
He, along with his family and PM Modi came to Sabarmati Ashram and described Mahatma Gandhi as one of the greatest prophets of humanity.
"An inspiring visit to the hearth of one of humanity's great prophets of inspiration - Mahatma Gandhi,” wrote the former Israeli PM.
Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, 2018: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited the Sabarmati Ashram in February 2018, during his week-long state visit.
"A beautiful place of peace, humility and truth, that is as needed today as it ever was," read the Canadian PM's message in the visitors' book.
Trudeau, along-with his family, also tried to learn to use the charkha.
Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, 2017: In September 2017, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe came to Ahmedabad during his two-day visit to India.
“Love and Thanks,” Abe wrote in a short message in Japanese in the visitors' log book, reported PTI.
During this visit, Abe also inaugurated India's ambitious bullet train project in Ahmedabad.
Chinese Premier Xi Jinping, 2014: Chinese premier Xi Jinping arrived in Ahmedabad in September 2014, during his three-day India visit that was aimed at ramping up trade and investment ties between both the countries.
He visited the Sabarmati Ashram with Narendra Modi, where the Indian PM gifted Xi Jinping a Chinese translation of the Gita.
Xi wrote in the visitors' book of the ashram with the hymn Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram being sung in the background, reported IANS.
INDIAN HEADS OF STATES AT SABARMATI ASHRAM:
Narendra Modi, 2021: Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad in March 2021 as part of the Amrit Mahotsav programme to mark the 75 years of India's independence. After paying tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, he also wrote in the visitors' diary at the ashram.
“By coming to the Sabarmati Ashram and with the inspiration of Bapu, my determination for nation building is strengthened. Mahatma Gandhi gave the message of atma-nirbharta (self-reliance) and atma-vishwas (self-confidence) from here," Modi wrote.
"Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav is a tribute by our people to our freedom fighters and freedom movement. During the celebrations the country will not only remember all the important milestones, important times during the freedom movement but also gain new energy for the development of our future," he added.
This was the third time he wrote a note in the ashram's visitors' book. He had visited the ashram in 2019 and 2017 too.
Manmohan Singh, 2013: During his second term as the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh in 2013 visited the Sabarmati Ashram.
He said that Mahatma Gandhi was a source of eternal inspiration.
"A visit to Sabarmati Ashram is a source of eternal inspiration," Manmohan Singh wrote in his message in the visitors' book at the ashram.
"Bapu's life and work are of eternal value and will continue to inspire the people of the world for many generations to come," the former PM wrote.