Washington, Feb 11: The US House of Representative
today unanimously passed a resolution recognising the
influence Mahatma Gandhi had on Martin Luther King Jr, the
great civil rights leader of America who has been a source of
inspiration to President Barack Obama.
Passed by a roll call vote of 406 to 0, with 26
abstaining, the resolution commemorates the 50th anniversary
of King's visit to India in 1959.
It was introduced by Congressman John Lewis and
co-sponsored by five other lawmakers -- John Conyers, Jim
McDermott, Robert C Scott, Henry Johnson and Adam B Schiff.
The resolution urged all Americans to commemorate King's
trip to India in 1959 to know more about Mahatma Gandhi and
the influence his study of Gandhian philosophy had in shaping
the US Civil Rights Movement, in creating political climate
necessary to pass legislation to expand civil rights and
voting rights for all Americans.
Observing that the great American leader was tremendously
influenced by the non-violence philosophy of Gandhi, the
resolution says King encountered this during his study of
Gandhi, and was further inspired by him during his first trip
to India. King successfully used this in the struggle for
civil rights and voting rights, it says.
A US delegation, including several lawmakers are
scheduled to visit India later this month to commemorate the
50th anniversary of visit of Martin Luther King to India from
February 10, 1959 to March 10, 1959.
During his month-long stay, King was accompanied by his
wife Coretta Scott King, and Lawrence Reddick, then chairman
of the history department at Alabama State College. King
visited various places associated with Gandhi.
He met then Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, land
reform leader Vinoba Bhave and other influential leaders to
discuss issues of poverty, economic policy and race relations.
All this deepened King's commitment to nonviolence, and
revealed to him the power that nonviolent resistance holds in
political and social battles, the resolution says.
"The trip to India impacted Dr King in a profound way,
and inspired him to use nonviolence as an instrument of social
change to end segregation and racial discrimination in America
throughout the rest of his work during the Civil Rights
Movement," the Congressional resolution says.
Congressman John Lewis is part of US delegation to visit
India this month to commemorate the visit. Others are Martin
Luther King III and legendary jazz musician Herbie Hancock.
The delegation will meet in New Delhi with government
leaders, social activists, and youth, and will travel around
India to some of the principal sites associated with Gandhi.
Two special musical performances featuring Herbie Hancock
and others will be organised by the Thelonious Monk Institute
of Jazz. In Chennai, Indian musicians will conduct a special
tribute, including performances of music on the theme of
non-violence created by leading composer A R Rahman.
Bureau Report
First Published: Wednesday, February 11, 2009, 00:00