Gandhi Jayanti- Missing the tallest Gandhian at Rajghat

On Gandhi Jayanti tomorrow (October 2), an all religion prayer will be held at the Rajghat. But this time, a lady would not be there who is an integral part of it for over 50 years. We are talking about Katsu San. She has been unwell for the past several months. Katsus Saan has been reciting passages from Buddhist scriptures in these interfaith prayer assemblies.

- VIVEK SHUKLA

Katsu San has been the enduring face of the interfaith prayer orayers on Gandhi Jayanti at Rajghat and at Gandhi Smriti for more than half a century. Katsus San's energy is worth witnessing. During these interfaith prayer assemblies, she has recited prayers from Buddhist scriptures in the presence of presidents such as Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, Shankar Dayal Sharma, K.R. Narayanan, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Pratibha Singh Patil, Pranab Kumar Mukherjee, Ram Nath Kovind, Droupadi Murmu and prime ministers. Presidents and prime ministers themselves stand by her side to inquire about her well-being. She has been ill for the past several months. Therefore, she will not participate in the interfaith prayer assembly at Rajghat and then at Gandhi Smriti on Gandhi Jayanti.

The diminutive Katsus San as the foremost Gandhian in the country. In these interfaith prayer assemblies, recitations are done from the religious scriptures of Hinduism, Islam, Parsi, Sikhism, Buddhism, Bahá'í, and Judaism.

It is under Katsus San's leadership that these interfaith prayers have continued. Everyone calls her Katsus Behn. Her devotion to Gandhiji's principles of truth and nonviolence is unquestionable. Katsus San is originally Japanese. She came to India, the land of Lord Buddha, in 1956 to understand him more deeply. Once here, she also encountered Gandhism. After that, she decided to settle in India.