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About Mahatma Gandhi Memorial - Detail About Mahatma Gandhi Memorial - Detail
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About Mahatma Gandhi Memorial - Detail

 
gandhiOn the recommendation of the Sub-Committee and later the Committee on Resources, the House of Representatives passed the bill (now HR 4284) without dissent on September 15, 1998. Congressman Faleomavaega, Congressman Bill McCollum, Congressman Danny K. Davis, Congresswoman Constance A. Morella and Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. spoke in strong support of the bill on the occasion.

Senator Daniel P. Moynihan of New York and Senator Paul Sarbanes of Maryland introduced a companion bill in the US Senate that was passed on October 8, 1998 by unanimous consent. The President of the United States signed the bill into law on October 26, 1998 and sent a formal communication to that effect to the Ambassador of India to the United States on May 19, 1999.

It was as early as in 1949 that the US Congress first resolved to authorize the India League of America, or any other organization which may be organized for this purpose, to erect a memorial testifying to the wisdom and leadership of Mohandas K. Gandhi as philosopher and statesman, in the city of Washington, DC.

Efforts to establish a memorial were revived in 1987 by the Indian-American Forum for Political Education and these succeeded to the extent of getting a bill passed unanimously by the House of Representatives in 1988.

India was celebrating 50 years of independence in 1997. As part of this celebration, it was resolved to set up a memorial to Mahatma Gandhi in the National Capital of the US. Through the sustained efforts of the Embassy of India and Indian-Americans, members of US Congress passed the necessary legislation in October, 1998.

The site options and design plans for the Memorial were submitted through the National Park Service for approval of the prescribed authorities by the Embassy of India.

The National Capital Memorial Commission recommended the site chosen for the Memorial. The National Park Service concurred in this recommendation and submitted the proposed site for the approval of the Commission of Fine Arts and the National Capital Planning Commission.

The National Capital Planning Commission chaired by Mr. Harvey B. Gantt approved the site and the building plans for the Memorial on August 5, 1999.

The Commission of Fine Arts chaired by Mr. J. Carter Brown reviewed the site proposed for the Memorial on May 20, 1999. The Commission held many meetings during 1999-2000 to consider the proposal and approved the design and inscriptions on February 17, 2000.