New Delhi, The Embassies of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia commemorated the 37th anniversary of the historic Baltic Way at the National Gandhi Museum in Rajghat, New Delhi. The event was organised by the Embassy of Lithuania in collaboration with the National Gandhi Museum and the Embassies of Estonia and Latvia.
The Baltic Way took place on August 23, 1989, when around two million people across Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia joined hands in a peaceful human chain stretching nearly 600 kilometres from Vilnius through Riga to Tallinn. The demonstration became a powerful symbol of peaceful resistance and the Baltic states’ pursuit of freedom and independence. The Baltic Way has also been included in the UNESCO Memory of the World Registry.
As part of the commemoration, the Lithuanian Embassy gifted a portrait of Mahatma Gandhi by renowned Lithuanian artist Darius Tamkevičius to the National Gandhi Museum. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania also presented three framed historical photographs depicting the Baltic Way in 1989. A temporary exhibition featuring photographs from the Baltic Way was also displayed at the museum.
Marija Tamkevičiūtė, daughter of the Lithuanian artist who created the Gandhi portrait, travelled to Delhi for the occasion and shared the story behind her father’s inspiration for portraying Gandhi, a global symbol of non-violent resistance.
The ceremony was attended by representatives of the National Gandhi Museum, members of the diplomatic community, artists, academics and friends of the three Baltic nations. The event was also graced by Tara Gandhi Bhattacharjee, granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi and Chairperson of the National Gandhi Museum Trust, along with Vinayak Bhattacharjee, great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi.
The commemoration highlighted the historical connection between Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violent resistance and the peaceful independence movements of the Baltic states. The Baltic independence movement, widely known as the “Singing Revolution,” combined peaceful civic mobilisation with the region’s strong traditions of music and cultural expression.
The National Gandhi Museum will display the donated works as part of its efforts to showcase Gandhi’s global influence and legacy. Historical photographs from the Central State Archives of Lithuania will remain on display at the museum until the end of September.