A granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi, Tara Gandhi Bhattacharjee, was on Wednesday conferred a French honour for her contribution in the fields of culture, education and environment.
French Ambassador Francois Richier conferred the L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of Arts and Letters) on Bhattacharjee at the French Embassy here.
"The honour comes in recognition of Bhattacharjee's remarkable work for promoting peace, solidarity, culture, education and development through her commitment to perpetuating the memory and legacy of her grandfather, Mahatma Gandhi," an embassy statement said.
Bhattacharjee has been working for the Kasturba Gandhi National Memorial Trust for the past 28 years. Founded by Mahatma Gandhi, the trust serves the needy women and children in rural India.
She is also active in the movement to protect rivers and environment in India. She has been involved in the Ganga Bachao Andolan for the past 18 years.
The Order of Arts and Letters is given to persons who have distinguished themselves by their creativity in the fields of art, culture and literature or for their contribution to the influence of arts in France and throughout the world.
Some noted Indian recipients of this honour are Shahrukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Bharti Kher, Subodh Gupta, Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia, Raghu Rai, Ebrahim Alkazi, Habib Tanveer, and Upamanyu Chatterjee.
