World Bank wakes up to Gandhi

Washington, Oct 3 (PTI) The Word Bank has celebrated Gandhi Jayanti for the first time in its 64-year history with its President Robert Zoellick saying that the institution can draw lessons in leadership from the Mahatma's legacy.

"What a gift India gave the world," Zoellick said
pointing to the wide ranging influence Gandhi had across the
world.

He said the greatest lesson the world can learn from
Gandhi was the "Lesson of Leadership" and claimed that the
Bank holds up to his principles.

The event marking Gandhi's 169th birth anniversary at
the World Bank headquarters was jointly sponsored by the
Executive Director for India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri
Lanka, the Embassy of India and the Gandhi Memorial Center.

The Managing Director of the Bank Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
called Gandhi a "citizen of the world".
"Calling him a visionary will be an understatement,"
he said.
Charge D'Affairs of the Indian Embassy Ambassador
Raminder Singh Jassal and the Executive Director for India at
the Bank Group Dhanendra Kumar was also present at the event.

Calling the Mahatma as "one of the greatest souls of all
times", Kumar said there was "a striking resemblance" between
Gandhi's philosophy and World Bank's objectives.

During the function, some of Gandhi's favourite hymns
were recited. PTI SK