Egypt's 2011 revolution that toppled long-time dictator Hosni Mubarak from power was Gandhian in "spirit and practice", an Indian expert said at a roundtable here to discuss the relevance of his ideas in modern day Egypt.
The roundtable entitled "Gandhi @ Tahrir" is part of three-day celebration organised by the Indian Embassy at the Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture (MACIC) to commemorate the birth anniversary of Gandhi (1869-1948).
The speakers of the roundtable were Prof. Zikrur Rehman, director of India-Islamic Cultural Center in New Delhi, Prof. Hassan Nefaa from the Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Cairo University, and diplomatic editor Gamal Nkrumah.
Zikrur Rehman spoke about the Gandhian ideology and philosophy at the event moderated by Shubham Singh, the third secretary in the Indian Embassy.
The professor related "Selmia" (peaceful), the slogan which was chanted by the 2011 revolution protesters in Tahrir square, to Gandhi.
"The 'Selmia' protest was Gandhian in spirit and practice," said Rehman.
Hassan Nefaa spoke about the significance of Gandhi for Egypt and the historical incidents that took place during the time of Gandhi.
"Gandhi is of a universal value and had a tremendous effect on society," said Nefaa.
Journalist Gamal Nkrumah spoke about the relevance of Gandhian philosophy in modern time.
India's Ambassador to Egypt Sanjay Bhattacharyya thanked the speakers and said that the presentations were very thought provoking.
The celebration featured events, which were organised in cooperation with Port Said Governorate, Suez Canal authority and gathered eminent intellectuals and friends of India from 25 to 27 October in Cairo and Port Said.
The Embassy of India's MACIC film club also screened the movie "The Making of Mahatma" by renowned India director Shyam Benegal on October 25.
The movie shows the life of young Gandhi in South Africa and how he helped the natives to fight for their rights.
On October 26, a photography exhibition and a seminar titled of "Reliving the history: when Gandhi and Egypt met on a boat" was held in el-Nadi el-Bahari port.
The seminar, which was moderated by Ambassador Bhattacharyya, focused on Gandhi's visit to Egypt, his interactions with Egyptian intellectuals, the developments that have taken since then and influence of Gandhian philosophy has on Indian and Egypt.
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