Washington: A life-size statue of Mahatma Gandhi has been unveiled in North Dakota’s capital, Bismarck, bringing Indian-American community members and state officials together to honour his message of peace and non-violence.
The monument, which the Consulate General of India in Seattle described as the first Gandhi statue in North Dakota, was unveiled on October 29 at Peace Park in downtown Bismarck.
North Dakota first lady Kjersti Armstrong, state Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring and the Indian consul general in Seattle attended the ceremony. Officials of the Bismarck Parks and Recreation District also joined members of the state’s Indian-American community.
The statue was installed with assistance from the Seattle consulate and technical support from the Indian-American community of North Dakota and the North Dakota Trade Office, according to a consulate release.
The ceremony opened with the national anthems of the United States and India. School students from North Dakota then performed musical renditions of Gandhi’s favourite hymns.
The programme included a rendition of “Vaishnav Jan To”, according to captions accompanying photographs supplied by the consulate. The photographs were also captioned as showing Armstrong, Goehring and the consul general offering floral tributes to Gandhi.
Addressing the gathering, Goehring highlighted the growing friendship between India and North Dakota. He said Gandhi’s message resonated with the people of the state as well as with India and the wider world, according to the release.
The agriculture commissioner described the statue as a symbol of peace and non-violence and recalled Gandhi’s words, the consulate said.
Armstrong expressed admiration for Gandhi and said it was an honour to celebrate his legacy. She described that legacy as more important today than it had been in a very long time, according to the consulate’s account of her remarks.
The statue stands at Peace Park, located at 400 East Front Avenue in the heart of Bismarck. The consulate described the installation as a further step in cultural and people-to-people engagement between India and North Dakota.
It is the fifth Gandhi monument within the Seattle consulate’s jurisdiction.
India’s engagement with North Dakota has included visits by the Consulate General in 2024 and 2026 for meetings with the governor, Bismarck’s mayor and leaders in agriculture, business and education.
The consulate also organised a consular camp in Fargo in February 2026 and International Day of Yoga activities there. Senior representatives of the North Dakota Trade Office visited India earlier this year, the release said.
Peace Park was developed shortly after the September 11, 2001, attacks and already houses a Peace Pole installed by the Gandhi Peace Network of North Dakota and other bronze sculptures.
Other Gandhi monuments in the consulate’s jurisdiction include those at Bellevue Public Library, installed in October 2009; the base of Seattle’s Space Needle, in October 2024; Nebraska’s State Capitol in Lincoln, in December 2024; and the University of Montana’s Mansfield Center in Missoula, in March 2026.
(IANS)
