2 October, the Birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, had been declared as International Day of Non-Violence by the United Nations as per the UN Resolution adopted on 15th June 2007. The Republic of Uzbekistan was one of the 142 co-sponsors supporting the Resolution initiated by India. The function at TSIOS, thus, was a part of various events organized worldwide in the memory of the apostle of truth and non-violence.

The Rector of TSIOS, Prof. A. Mannanov opened the conference with his welcoming statement. In his speech, the Ambassador of India, Prof. (Dr.) Syed Manal Shah Alquadri, provided a comprehensive view of valuable contribution of Mahatma Gandhi to Indian freedom struggle and the making of modern India.

He emphasized the importance of adhering to his message of non-violence in present-day world and called for following the Gandhian spirit in seeking innovative and constructive solutions to present day problems. Prof. Azad Shamatov, Head of the South Asian Languages Department of the Institute, spoke about the views of Mahatma Gandhi on the language issue in India.

He emphasized Gandhi’s role as a great unifying factor in multi-lingual, multi-religious and multi-ethnic country. Further continuing the tradition of Indological studies at the TSIOS, several young and emerging scholars also spoke at the conference.

The conference was attended by teachers & students of TSIOS and other eminent scholars and guests. The conference concluded with the show of a short and impressive documentary film “Does Gandhi Matters” on the International Non-Violence Day.