PM Modi was given a traditional South African welcome on stage on Friday evening before he began his address to the Indian community living in the country.
He thanked the cheering members of the Indian disapora for coming to lend him support. He began his speech with a humourous strain of references to the South African and Indian cricket teams.
After talks with South African President Jacob Zuma, the Prime Minister on Friday had paid glowing tribute to Gandhi as well as Nelson Mandela.
Gandhiji’s train journey from Pretoria to Durban on 7th June 1893
On the second day of his visit to South Africa, Modi boarded a train at Pentrich and travelled to Pietermaritzburg, a distance of around 15 km, paying tribute to Gandhi’s fight against racial discrimination.
On 7 June 1893, while Gandhi was on his way to Pretoria from Durban, a white man objected to his presence in a first-class carriage, and he was ordered to move to the third- class compartment.
Gandhi had a valid first-class ticket and refused to obey the orders following which he was thrown out of the train at Pietermaritzburg station in a winter night.
He had stayed at the station that night in shivering cold and the bitter incident had played a major role in Gandhi’s decision to stay on in South Africa and fight the racial discrimination against Indians there.
The Prime Minister visited the spot where Gandhi was offloaded from the train. Modi will also visit the Phoenix Settlement, which is very closely associated with Gandhi.
For me personally, this visit is an opportunity to pay homage to two of the greatest human souls to have ever walked this Earth - Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela. We stood together in our common fight against racial subjugation and colonialism. It was in South Africa that Gandhi found his true calling. He belongs as much to India as to South Africa.Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Video Editor: Prashant Bhardwaj
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