Muhammad Enyaet Hossain, the consul general of Bangladesh in Los Angeles, will be the keynote speaker for a celebration of Mahatma Gandhi’s 142nd birthday from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2, at California State University, Fresno’s Peace Garden.

Hosted by the Central Valley Cultural Heritage Institute at Fresno State, the free, public celebration will include a flower ceremony, a pledge against hate and violence and a candlelight vigil for world peace. Also on the program are classical and folk dances, a musical tribute and a photo exhibition on Gandhi’s life Participants are asked to bring their own flowers.

Hossain, a career diplomat who promotes intercultural relations and speaks several languages, will join university President John D. Welty for a garlanding ceremony at the monument to Gandhi.

Located just north of the Henry Madden Library, the Peace Garden is a sprawling expanse of greenery and pathways dedicated in 1990 and now adorned with statues of Gandhi, Jane Addams, César Chávez and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Local community and civic leaders will offer brief statements and youth leaders will speak about  “How to Deal with Corruption in Our Life and Society,” said event organizer Dr. Sudarshan Kapoor, a Fresno State professor emeritus of social work.

For more information, contact Kapoor at 559.435.2212 or the Central Valley Cultural Heritage Institute at 559.278.6946.

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(Copy by University Communications news intern Reganie Smith-Love)