Pakistan’s Shafqat Amanat Ali sings Gandhi’s favourite hymn in tribute to Indian leader

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani singer Shafqat Amanat Ali is among the 124 artists from over 124 countries who have contributed musically in paying homage to Mahatma Gandhi as part of his 150th birth anniversary celebrations.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday launched a medley version of the famous hymn 'Vaishnav Jan To Tene Kahiye' during the closing ceremony of the Mahatma Gandhi International Sanitation Conference.

Gandhi’s favourite Gujarati hymn was penned by the 15th century poet Narsimha Mehta.

According to details, all the Indian missions abroad identified a local artists/group to record the bhajan in the run-up to Gandhi Jayanti.

“From Armenia to Angola, Sri Lanka to Serbia, Iraq to Iceland, prominent local singers/groups have showcased their talent to this favourite hymn of the Mahatma. 1-2 videos from different regions of the world were then put together in a fusion video of about 5 minutes to give a flavour of the bhajan as recorded by different artists. It is expected to have contribution from all the countries recognised by the United Nations,” the statement from Indian External Affairs Ministry said.