Watch: Mahatma Gandhi makes 'special appearance' at United Nations

A special life-size hologram of Mahatma Gandhi was projected during a panel discussion at the United Nations on Friday to convey his message of holistic education, reports have said.

The hologram avatar made a special appearance to animate a discussion on "Education for Human Flourishing" organised on Friday by India's Permanent Mission to the UN and UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP) at the UN headquarters.

“Literacy is not the end of education or even the beginning. By education, I mean an all-around drawing out of the best in the child and the man, body, mind and spirit. By spiritual training, I mean education of the heart,” a voiceover echoed his words.


Digital graphic files were merged with motion graphics to produce a high-definition hologram that spoke Gandhi's words, IANS reported. It was for the first time at the UN that a life-size hologram of Mahatma Gandhi led the panel discussion.

"We want to provide only such education as would enable the student to earn more. We hardly give any thought to the improvement of the character of the educated. Schools and colleges and really a factory of turning out clerks for the government," Gandhi's words were heard at the discussion.

Director of the Mahatma Gandhi Digital Museum in Hyderabad Birad Yajnik told the audience that the hologram was the second edition of the Gandhi hologram in 4k., PTI reported.

“The future of this hologram is to enable it with AI (Artificial Intelligence) voice engine that can engage the people of the world. The message of Mahatma Gandhi is a message of peace and love, a message that the world desperately needs today. And this would be our small effort to bring it to the youth of the world through the language of technology,” Yajnik was quoted as saying

The panel discussion featured India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj; CEO of The King Centre, Atlanta Bernice King; and youth representative and digital education transformation champion Princess Hayu of Indonesia.