King had recently visited the sites of the November Mumbai terror attacks.
Almost fifty years later, Martin Luther King III was staring at the large picture of the man who changed the course of his father's life — a life that changed the course of the American history, as he stood at the same ground as Martin Luther King Jr once did. King Jr and his wife had visited Gandhi Ashram in 1959 to learn the Gandhian way and interact with Gandhians.
Thanking God for being given the opportunity to be at Gandhi's hometown, King III said, "My wife and I are humbled to be in the city where Gandhi worked, lived, talked and preached."
King had recently visited the sites of the November Mumbai terror attacks. Criticising the act of terrorism, he said, "We are at a critical stage where people want to leave behind terrorism and embrace positivity. Now, is the right time to embrace Gandhian values of love and non-violence."
But would values like non-violence hold significance in this era of terrorism and how effective it would be? "Mahatma Gandhi practised these values, which evoked mass response despite the absence of modern communication devices like internet, telephone and fax machines. He used his words, action and body to bring about the change. If he can do it then, we can very well do it now and apply it globally by spreading awareness on love and non-violence."
The famous 'I have a dream' speech by his father during the Montgomery Bus Boycott has become a guiding line for King III, who
now wishes to take his father's dream further.
"After my mother's death in 2006, I started an organisation called 'Realising the dream', which works towards promoting non-violence." His dream consists of a world where people co-exist peacefully and there is no poverty and inequality.
The election of Barack Obama as the President of the US is a vindication of King Jr's influence on the world's most powerful country. Obama has become the first African-American to hold the highest office in the US. So, has the prejudice against the coloured been totally eradicated? "No," said King, adding, "It would be wrong if I say that there are no prejudices. Somewhere deep down, a few Americans still hold a grudge against the coloured."
King said, "Mahatma Gandhi and my father are up there, watching us, waiting for us to do our part in the best possible way."
Ensure peace: KingHistory seemed to come alive on Friday when Martin Luther King III visited Gujarat Vidyapith, which his father, Dr Martin Luther King Jr, had visited in 1959. His visit to the university, established by Mahatma Gandhi, King described as a pilgrimage. He was accompanied by US Congressmen and women on Friday. "My father had described his visit to India as a pilgrimage and that was because of the message Mahatma Gandhi gave to the world. It teaches us all how to live together, without destruction of people or property," he said.
King was pleased with the way the Vidyapith welcomed the delegation. Addressing its students, he said, "You are the future of this country. We need your leadership and your example. My father had said that there is a thermometer, which records the temperature throughout the day, and there is another device, the thermostat, which controls the temperature. Now, you have to decide whether you want to live like a thermometer or thermostat," King said.
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