Ban greets India on I-Day; says UN takes inspiration from it

The UN takes inspiration from various contributions made by India to the world, including the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi's non-violent teachings and the harmony of Yoga, the world body's Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said.
In his message to India on its 70th Independence Day, Ban said the occasion also celebrates India's partnership with the UN.
"We are also celebrating India's strong partnership with the UN," he said in his message, which he began with a 'Namaste'.
The video message was played during Oscar-winning composer A R Rahman's concert at the UN yesterday.
India is a founding member of the UN, Ban said and expressed his gratitude to the country for its significant contributions to the world body's peacekeeping operations.

"We take inspiration everyday from many other Indian contributions - from the non-violent teachings of Mahatma Gandhi to the harmony and unity represented by the International Day of Yoga," the UN chief said.
The UN looks forward to further strengthening "those ties in every dimension of our work from peace to sustainable development to human rights", he said, concluding his remarks with "Aap sap ko mubarak ho (congratulations to everyone)".