KOCHI: Gandhi Jayanti celebrations in Kochi took a new turn with the crew of a US Navy ship conducting a tree planting drive in the city on Sunday. Around 30 naval officers from the US Warship USS Ford (FFG54), planted saplings on the Lake View Ground in Thevara to “signify and revere the culture of manual labour in the life of Gandhiji.” The event was the result of a joint effort by Sacred Heart College, Thevara, and the American Consulate, Chennai.“Many of you might not know this, but Mahatma Gandhi holds a special place in our hearts too, because he was the one who inspired Martin Luther King, who worked for racial equality in the US,” said Jennifer McIntyre, the US Consulate General in Chennai. The event, meant to boost Indo-US ties, was also the crew’s first visit to Kochi. “The place is beautiful. Though we are yet to get a chance to explore the city, whatever we have seen till now is very scenic,” said Edward Florendo, a US Naval officer. Ryan Kelly, another naval officer, said it was the food that he was looking forward to the most. “It has been months since we have had proper home-cooked food and I also want to check out all the local delicacies.” The tree planting drive was followed by a friendly basketball match between the American naval officers and the college basketball team.
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