By Rajan Zed
Auckland, largest city of New Zealand, at the request of Gandhi Monument Council, has kept “Mahatma Gandhi Marg” for a possible future street name.

Right Reverend Gene Savoy Jr. and Rajan Zed, coordinators of GMC headquartered in USA, who made the request to name one of Auckland’s major streets after peace icon Mahatma Gandhi, in a communiqué to the City of Auckland, said that they would prefer the name of this proposed street to be “Mahatma Gandhi Marg” (marg means path). While Savoy is Head Bishop of International Community of Christ, Zed is the president of Universal Society of Hinduism.

Mark Vinali, Manager Auckland City Environments which administers the naming of streets in Auckland, in the reply to GMC’s request, said, “We will keep your name proposal on file as a possible future street name…Community Boards have the authority to approve new street names…it is certainly possible that a Community Board could find it very suitable to recognise the outstanding contribution of Mahatma Gandhi to world peace by naming a new street after him.”

Meanwhile, City of Christchurch has forwarded the GMC’s request of naming a major street after Mahatma Gandhi to City’s Building Approvals Team so they can pass it on to developers of new sub-divisions in the city.

The Gandhi Monument Council is formed of Christian (various denominations), Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Baha’i, Native American, etc., clergy. According to Zed and Savoy, the purpose of this Council is to commemorate Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence, his commitment to world peace, and his work for the upliftment of the downtrodden.

Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) was one of the few men in history to fight simultaneously on moral, religious, political, social, economic, and cultural fronts. His life and thought had an enormous impact on the world, and he continues to be widely revered as one of the greatest moral, political, and peace leaders of the twentieth century.

‘City of Sails’ Auckland, with its spectacular harbor and bridge, is sandwiched between Pacific Ocean and Tasman Sea, where one is never far from breathtaking scenery. ‘The Garden City’ Christchurch is the second largest city in New Zealand.