Bengaluru: The Karnataka Government has extended an invitation to former US President Barack Obama to attend a special joint Assembly Session commemorating the centenary of the historic 1924 Congress session chaired by Mahatma Gandhi in Belagavi. This event marked the launch of the Indian freedom movement against British rule.

Speaking in Gadag yesterday, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs H.K. Patil announced that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has already sent a formal invitation to Obama to participate in the event.

“A joint Assembly Session will be held to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s leadership at the All-India Congress Committee (AICC) meeting. This commemorative session will take place at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi,” stated Minister Patil, who also chairs the Committee for the Centenary Celebration.

“We await confirmation from Barack Obama before finalising the date of the joint session. We invited him as a prominent leader and admirer of Gandhiji, who has acknowledged Mahatma Gandhi as a global figure, not merely an Indian icon,” Patil added.

“This will be a meaningful event. During his time in Karnataka, Mahatma Gandhi visited 120 locations. We plan to build memorials at 40 selected sites. ‘Rath Yatra Jyothis’ will also arrive in Belagavi on Dec. 26 and 27, coming from various districts across the State,” he said

Additionally, the government is planning conventions focusing on youth, women and community unity. Patil explained that the 1924 AICC meeting was the 39th chaired by Mahatma Gandhi before Independence, where he issued a call to action that galvanised the freedom movement against British rule.

This centenary celebration of the landmark AICC session holds deep significance for Karnataka, particularly in Belagavi, where the historic meeting took place.

The session also holds special meaning for Gadag district, as it was at this event that the celebrated Kannada poem Udayavagali Namma Cheluva Kannadanaadu, written by Huyilagola Narayana Rao, was first sung by Dr. Gangubai Hangal.