The United States has expressed its 'indebtedness' to India and the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi for contributing to America's ability to combat social evils like discrimination and injustice.
"While we still experience problems of discrimination and injustice in the United States, our society's ability to combat these pernicious problems is made more effective by the greater self-awareness and understanding we have gained from our exchange with India," US Consul General Henry V Jardine said in Kolkata on Thursday.
Speaking at a function to mark the birth anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr, Jardine said America's social experiment had been enriched by the contribution from India and its great visionary Mahatma Gandhi.
Equating King and Gandhi for dedicating their lives to the fight against social injustices, Jardine said the people of the United States owed a great debt to the Mahatma and India for the freedom and opportunity that the US was presently experiencing.
"Gandhi's example was very influential for the Reverend King and the civil rights movement in the United States. King was at a loss on to how to apply the religious teachings of Christ to fight the oppressive racism in the United States, ultimately he found the answer in Gandhi's work," the Consul General said.