JOIN USSixty four years after his death, Mahatma Gandhi's name today created a fresh world record in the Guinness Book as 485 underprivileged boys brought out a peace march dressed as 'Bapu'.
Flaunting khadi attire and Gandhi caps, the group of boys wore round-framed spectacles and walked with sticks as they brought alive memories of Gandhi's historic Dandi march.
Aged between ten and sixteen, the kids, most of whom are from single mothers, walked for half a kilometre distance at Mayo Road in central Kolkata during the peace march.
Upholding the morals and ethics of the Father of the Nation, the walk metaphorically reminisced his principles of truth, justice and non-violence.
After evaluating and monitoring the event, officials from the Guinness Book awarded the world record certificate to the UK-based organisers TRACKS (Training Recourse and Care for Kids).
"I am myself a Gandhi follower. This peace march is meant to inculcate Gandhi's values and messages in poor children. We don't want the underprivileged kids to forget the rich legacy of Gandhian ideology," said Michael Anthony who runs the NGO.
The last such record of a gathering dressed as Gandhi was made in June 2010 when a group of 255 students achieved this in Coimbatore, Nikhil Shukla, India adjudicator of the Guinness, told PTI here.