The growth of the banyan sapling will signify the enduring friendship of the people of India and the people of PNG.
This was what the President of the Republic of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, said during his visit to the University of Papua New Guinea today.
He also paid his respect to the statue of Mahatma Ghandi that was installed by the Late Sir Bill Skate in 1997.
President Mukherjee addressed more than 290 people in the UPNG main lecture theatre saying Mahatma Ghandi is the father of the Nation of India and to this day, is known all over the world as a beacon of peace.
He says he was honoured to have planted the sapling of the banyan tree to mark his visit to one of PNG’s leading universities, adding that the tree is the international tree of the Republic of India and is considered to be a symbol of eternal life by the people of India.
(President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee planting the banyan tree at UPNG today.)