Bhubaneswar: A host of leaders in Odisha including Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday mourned the death of Nelson Mandela hailing him as a symbol of anti-apartheid who dedicated his life to fight injustice and racial discrimination.
"He (Mandela) was a great advocate of humanism and a symbol of struggle for justice, service, dedication and sacrifice," Patnaik said, paying tribute to the South African leader in a message.
Stating that Mandela had strong faith in Ganjhiji`s belief in truth and non-violence, Patnaik said in his death the world has lost a great Gandhian.
Congress stalwart and leader of opposition in Odisha assembly, Bhupinder Singh described Mandela as a great revolutionary and said he was imprisoned for 27 years during his struggle against the policy of apartheid.
Stating that Mandela was actually a humanist having faith in non-violence, Singh said he was a great follower of Mahatma Gandhi`s non-violence for which he was endeared to India.
CPI state secretary Dibakar Nayak said Mandela would be remembered for his battle against apartheid, while CPI-M state unit said in a statement that the world has lost a great leader who dedicated his life for the fight against racial discrimination.
As a unique tribute to the South African leader, internationally-acclaimed sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik created a 5-ft high sand sculpture of Nelson Mandela with a message "Tribute to Mandela" at Puri beach.
Sudarsan used 3 tonnes of sand and took 5 hours to create this sculpture. Many visitors gathered at Puri beach to give tribute to Madiba.
