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Embassy Row: Gandhi and King
Washington Times, January 18, 2006
By James Morrison
Indian Ambassador Ronen Sen called Martin Luther King "an apostle of peace and human dignity," as he compared the American civil rights leader to Mohandas K. Gandhi, India's legendary advocate of peaceful civil disobedience.
Mr. Sen noted that King was inspired by Gandhi, who protested British colonial rule, as the ambassador hosted the Indian Embassy's first King birthday reception over the weekend.
"Dr. King's legacy was close to the hearts of the people of India," Mr. Sen said, as he recalled the 1959 visit to India by King and his wife, who were guests of Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first prime minister.
"Indians gathered in multitudes to greet Dr. King wherever he went and were inspired and entranced by his message of universal brotherhood," Mr. Sen added, calling King an "apostle of peace and human dignity."
The ambassador said King's famous "I have a dream" speech in 1963 "would resonate in the ears of generations to come."
Mr. Sen announced that the Indian Council for Cultural Relations will sponsor an annual lecture to honor both King and Gandhi.
Also at the reception, James Speight, president of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Day Committee, called on his fellow black Americans to honor King by working to rid their neighborhoods of violence.
Ohio Civil Rights Commissioner Nirmal Sinha read a message from Ohio Gov. Bob Taft, who praised Mr. Sen for hosting the reception.
"Our nation grows stronger each year thanks in part to events such as this," Mr. Taft said. "Those in attendance here today are a living testament that Dr. King's dream is still alive."
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