Curtain Raiser: 7th PU Foundation Day Lecture

Chandigarh, October 12, 2018: Panjab University, Chandigarh is celebrating its 7th PU Foundation Day Lecture On October 13, 2018 and Prof.N.Radhakrishnan, Chairman of Gandhi Peace Mission, Prof. Emeritus and visiting faculty to several world’s prestigious Universities and Peace Emeritus is coming to deliver a special lecture on the topic ‘Role of Universities in rediscovering the legacy of Gandhi: Baa-Bapu 150 Assessment’. The programme will be starting from 10.00 am in Golden Jubilee Hall, PU.
The post-Gandhi generation in the Indian Universities who have been nurtured in a civilization which Gandhi condemned have scarcely understood Gandhi for a variety of reasons. The global celebration of the 150th birth anniversary of Gandhi which began on 2nd October this year should therefore be occasion to rediscover the legacy of Gandhi with particular emphasis on the changing functional contours of the aspirations and perceptions of the youth in the Universities.
Gandhian thinker, peace-activist, educator and author of over 75 books in English, Hindi, Malayalam and Tamil on Gandhi, Peace, Education and Harmony, Professor Neelakanta Radhakrishnan is presently Chairman of Gandhi Peace Mission, Professor Emeritus and visiting Faculty to several of world’s prestigious Universities and Peace Institutes. As an influential academic and peace worker he has also the reputation of being one of world’s topmost trainers in nonviolence and runs regular training programs in Nonviolent Conflict-Management, besides organizing seminars, workshops on Gandhi-philosophy and Culture of Peace. He concluded a highly ambitious global lecture series of 250 Lectures on Gandhi, Satyagraha, Peace and Culture in April 2018 at World Bank, Washington.
As a national recognition to his work and leadership the Government of India appointed him (1990) to head Director of Gandhi Smriti (National Gandhi Memorial) the premier Gandhi Institute established by the Government at the erstwhile Birla House in New Delhi where Gandhi was assassinated in 1948. The Prime Minister is the Chairman of the managing committee of this premier Gandhi Centre. In a major national initiative during the 125th birth anniversary of Gandhi he designed an exhibition on Gandhi and Global Nonviolent and put it up at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.
Radhakrishnan also led nonviolent training programmes in several conflict zones in the world such as Cyprus, Palestine, Sri Lanka, Columbia besides running similar programmes in many areas of conflict across India during the last fifty years.
He has been conferred the prestigious Gandhi King Ikeda Peace Prize for 2017 in April 2018 by The Atlanta based Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel and Morehouse College in recognition for his efforts to guide the world to mutual respect based on his demonstrated commitment and action for courageous dialogue and for humanity to overcome barriers to a more peaceful future.”
The national and international community has honored him with several prestigious awards/ recognitions and titles.