Durban: Tracing Mahatma Gandhi’s historic train journey that shaped his decision to resist racial segregation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on a train journey to Pietermaritzburg in Durban, South Africa on Saturday.
Speaking to reporters at the Pietermaritzburg station, Modi said, “I am talking from the place where a lawyer named Mohandas was off loaded in 1893 while travelling. This place (Pietermaritzburg) marks the transformation of that ‘Mohandas’ into ‘Mahatma’. That day, journey of Mohandas, a lawyer ended, but a new journey of a ‘Mahatma’ commenced.”
Narendra Modi waving from the train at the Pietermaritzburg station (Photo: Twitter)
He added, “Memories of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela will keep inspiring the future generations. South Africa's journey has become ‘tirth yatra’ for me, have visited all 3 places, significant in India's history and that of Mahatma Gandhi.”
The train journey was intended to commemorate the incident in which a young Gandhi in 1893 was ejected from a South African train when he refused an order to move from a first-class carriage because of his race.
The encounter shaped Gandhi's decision to resist racial segregation and other injustices with non-violent protest, first while living in South Africa and then in India.
In the footsteps of the Mahatma. PM @narendramodi relives the train journey to Pietermaritzburg. pic.twitter.com/1fXgOGUfXd
— Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) July 9, 2016
Tracing the journey, Modi, in a wood-paneled car with local officials, moved ahead under heavy security from Pentrich railway station to Pietermaritzburg in Durban.
Modi also opened an exhibition on Gandhi's life at the train station in Pietermaritzburg, where Gandhi was ejected.
Recounting that it was the first country to cut trade relations with South Africa over its former harsh system of racial segregation, which lasted for decades and ended in the 1990s, Modi said, “South Africa has fought a long battle & India has been a part of that struggle. Today South Africa & India are working shoulder to shoulder for development.”
WATCH: Memories of Gandhi & Mandela will keep inspiring the future generations, says PM Modi in Pietermaritzburg(SA)https://t.co/Ux39Go1Ig8
— ANI (@ANI_news) July 9, 2016
In his meeting with South African President Jacob Zuma earlier on Friday, the two leaders paid tribute to what Zuma called "two liberation icons," Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, South Africa's first black president, who was elected in the first all-race elections in 1994. Modi also met with members of South Africa's community of Indian origin, which numbers more than 1 million.
Modi is currently on the second leg of his four-nation tour and will visit Tanzania later on Saturday and then proceed to Kenya. The tour, which began with Mozambique, is aimed at improving India's profile in Africa, where China has been gaining increasing foothold.
