Abu Dhabi Crown Prince becomes 3rd gen UAE leader to plant sapling at Rajghat
This was the first time in the history of Rajghat that three generations of leaders from a single country have planted trees to honour the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi
Crown Prince Khaled Bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Monday became the third generation of the ruling family of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to plant a sapling at Rajghat, the memorial dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi.
In 1992, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father and first president of the UAE, planted an Aaaltas or Cassia Fistula sapling at Rajghat during his visit to India. His son and the current president, Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, continued the tradition by planting a Molshri or Mimusops Elengi sapling at Rajghat in 2016.
On Monday, Sheikh Khaled planted an Amaltas sapling, further strengthening the legacy. This was the first time in the history of Rajghat that three generations of leaders from a single country have planted trees to honour the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi, officials said.
The move also reflects the deep-rooted and growing relationship between India and the UAE, they said.
“In the footsteps of the Mahatma for a greener planet: Continuing a historic tradition HH Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, planted a sapling at Rajghat today, highlighting the India-UAE sustainability connect and Mahatma’s universal teachings,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X.
The sustainability partnership forms a key pillar of the multifaceted relationship between India and the UAE.
Sheikh Khaled observed a minute’s silence and laid a wreath at the memorial, paying respect to the “father of Indian independence and his significant contributions to the country’s development”, a statement from the UAE said.
He also tended to the trees planted by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed.
Sheikh Khaled expressed pride in the bonds of fraternity shared by the two countries and said collaborative efforts to nurture growth will strengthen bilateral ties and benefit communities in both sides.
In his message in the guestbook. Sheikh Khaled wrote: “Mahatma Gandhi will always be immortalised in the hearts of his people and the entire world for his sacrifices that promoted the values of love and peace. Similarly, our Founding Father, Sheikh Zayed, instilled these same noble values worldwide through his legacy of generosity and humanitarian action.”
Rajghat is a memorial dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi, with a black marble platform marking the spot where he was cremated on January 31, 1948 following his assassination. It has been a tradition for visiting heads of state and government to plant a sapling at the complex.
Close to 200 saplings have been planted by foreign dignitaries and VVIPs during their visits to Rajghat since 1950. Among the dignitaries were Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, former US president Dwight D Eisenhower, former UK prime minister Margaret Thatcher, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, and Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev.