ID :
144593
Sat, 10/02/2010 - 21:33
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https://oananews.org//node/144593
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Gandhi`s teachings helped President Obama shape his life:Blake
Lalit K Jha
Washington, Oct 2 (PTI) Mahatma Gandhi's autobiography
and his teachings on social justice through non-violence have
helped US President Barack Obama shape his life, a senior US
official has said.
"Barack Obama, first African-American President and a
student of those principles, identifies Gandhi's autobiography
and Taylor Branch's terrific three-part biography of (Martin
Luther) King as works that helped shape him," said Robert
Blake, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central
Asia.
"The President has repeatedly noted that Gandhi and
King were among his heroes," he said while delivering the 27th
Annual Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Lecture at San Diego State
University in California.
Earlier this month, Blake had said, Washington was
abuzz with unveiling of the new Oval Office decorations – a
tradition that follows the election of each new President.
The new Oval Office rug is the centrepiece of the
room, and on it President Obama had inscribed the famous Dr
King mantra which reads: 'The arc of the moral universe is
long, but it bends toward justice.'
"That same sentiment helps animate our foreign policy
agenda and our strategic partnership with India. We are
democratic countries founded on the principles of tolerance
and pluralism, driven by optimism and knowledge-based
economies," Blake said.
Gandhi's message, along with his philosophy and
brilliant strategy of social justice through non-violence, was
always consistent, he added.
"Dedicating his life to the peaceful empowerment of
Indians of all backgrounds, he inspired hope and peace among
many and set a powerful example for future change-makers to
follow," Obama's point man for South and Central Asia said.
Referring to Gandhi's statue here, he said, this is a
permanent reminder of the enduring relevance of social justice
in US and often invokes comparison to another great visionary.
Martin Luther King furthered the causes of peace and
tolerance in US by dedicating his life to peaceful movements
against segregation, discrimination and poverty, he added.
Last year, US celebrated the 50th anniversary of Dr
and Mrs King's historic 1959 visit to India that in many ways
inspired and invigorated the civil rights movement in the US.
King's trip was a landmark of the Civil Rights
Movement – a moment in US history that gave due reverence to
the impact of one historical movement to another, a continent
away, he noted.
"In his autobiography, Dr King wrote that 'Gandhi was
the guiding light of our technique of non-violent social
change. His wholehearted embrace of 'Gandhian' principles was
clearly instrumental to the eventual success of the American
civil rights movement," Blake said. PTI
Washington, Oct 2 (PTI) Mahatma Gandhi's autobiography
and his teachings on social justice through non-violence have
helped US President Barack Obama shape his life, a senior US
official has said.
"Barack Obama, first African-American President and a
student of those principles, identifies Gandhi's autobiography
and Taylor Branch's terrific three-part biography of (Martin
Luther) King as works that helped shape him," said Robert
Blake, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central
Asia.
"The President has repeatedly noted that Gandhi and
King were among his heroes," he said while delivering the 27th
Annual Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Lecture at San Diego State
University in California.
Earlier this month, Blake had said, Washington was
abuzz with unveiling of the new Oval Office decorations – a
tradition that follows the election of each new President.
The new Oval Office rug is the centrepiece of the
room, and on it President Obama had inscribed the famous Dr
King mantra which reads: 'The arc of the moral universe is
long, but it bends toward justice.'
"That same sentiment helps animate our foreign policy
agenda and our strategic partnership with India. We are
democratic countries founded on the principles of tolerance
and pluralism, driven by optimism and knowledge-based
economies," Blake said.
Gandhi's message, along with his philosophy and
brilliant strategy of social justice through non-violence, was
always consistent, he added.
"Dedicating his life to the peaceful empowerment of
Indians of all backgrounds, he inspired hope and peace among
many and set a powerful example for future change-makers to
follow," Obama's point man for South and Central Asia said.
Referring to Gandhi's statue here, he said, this is a
permanent reminder of the enduring relevance of social justice
in US and often invokes comparison to another great visionary.
Martin Luther King furthered the causes of peace and
tolerance in US by dedicating his life to peaceful movements
against segregation, discrimination and poverty, he added.
Last year, US celebrated the 50th anniversary of Dr
and Mrs King's historic 1959 visit to India that in many ways
inspired and invigorated the civil rights movement in the US.
King's trip was a landmark of the Civil Rights
Movement – a moment in US history that gave due reverence to
the impact of one historical movement to another, a continent
away, he noted.
"In his autobiography, Dr King wrote that 'Gandhi was
the guiding light of our technique of non-violent social
change. His wholehearted embrace of 'Gandhian' principles was
clearly instrumental to the eventual success of the American
civil rights movement," Blake said. PTI
