India's Ambassador to the United States Ronen Sen held a black tie reception on the evening of January 14 to commemorate the 77thbirth anniversary of Dr Martin Luther King Jr.
The reception -- the first-ever initiative by the embassy to celebrate Dr King's legacy -- was held at the Embassy Residence in Washington, DC, and was attended by a large gathering of prominent African Americans from different parts of the US and others who had been closely associated with Dr King and had met Mahatma Gandhi.
The gala event was organized in partnership with the Dr Martin Luther King Jr Celebration Day Committee Inc. State governors and US Congressmen sent special messages appreciating the initiative and drawing attention to the role played by Mahatma Gandhi, India's Father of the Nation, in inspiring the life and work of Dr King.
On the occasion, Sen said Dr King's legacy was close to the hearts of the Indian people, and recalled Dr King and his wife's visit to India in 1959 as guests of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Indians gathered in numbers to greet Dr King wherever he went, and were inspired and entranced by his message of universal brotherhood.
Describing Dr King as an apostle of peace and human dignity, Ambassador Sen said his 'I have a dream' speech of 1963 would resonate for generations to come.
Sen recalled that Mahatma Gandhi's experience in South Africa had deeply influenced his own thinking, and added that he was proud to have worked under Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, who felt that India's independence would not be complete as long as apartheid existed in South Africa and till Namibia, the last bastion of colonialism in South Africa, had achieved its independence. Sen said Rajiv Gandhi's relentless efforts and leadership role in influencing international opinion to achieve these goals were recognized at the Namibian Independence Day in 1990, where he was the only non Head of Government to be treated as a special guest
Sen also announced that the Indian Council for Cultural Relations would sponsor an annual lecture to honour the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr, which will be delivered by prominent people from the two countries, alternately in India and the United States.
James Speight, president of the Dr Martin Luther King Jr Celebration Day Committee Inc, introduced the winners of an essay competition for school students organized by them on the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr King, and called upon members of the African American community to create violence-free neighbourhoods and to take a pledge of non-violence.
Nirmal Sinha, Civil Rights Commissioner of Ohio, read out on the occasion messages of congratulations from Governor Bob Taft of Ohio and also Senator George Voinovich who was associated with Dr Martin Luther King Jr.
