Obama visits Gandhi museum, pays tribute to his hero

Sat, 06 Nov 2010

New Delhi - Mahatma Gandhi was an inspiration to the world, US President Barack Obama wrote Saturday in the visitor's book at a museum dedicated to the Indian leader in Mumbai.

Obama and his wife Michelle, who are in India on a three-day visit spent half an hour at Mani Bhavan, the house in which Gandhi lived off and on between 1917 and 1934. It has now been turned into a museum and library for Gandhi memorabilia.

Obama has on several occasions said Gandhi, who honed his philosophy of non-violent protest and self-reliance during his days at Mani Bhavan, is one of his political and ideological heroes.

"I am filled with hope and inspiration as I have the privilege to view this testament to Gandhi's life. He is a hero, not just to India but to the world," Obama wrote in the visitor's book at Mani Bhavan.

Obama has often said he admired Gandhi for changing the world just by the power of his ethics.

"The America of today has its roots in the India of Mahatma Gandhi and the nonviolent social action movement for Indian independence which he led," Obama said during an interaction with American schoolchildren in 2009, according to a White House transcript.

Another of Obama's heroes, Martin Luther King, visited Mani Bhavan with his wife Coretta in 1959 and stayed there for two days. On Saturday, Obama spent a few minutes reading comments written by King in a visitor's book during that visit.

Obama is also scheduled to visit a memorial to Gandhi in the Indian capital Monday where he would be holding talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The US president is in India on the first leg of a 10-day Asia tour that will take him to Indonesia, Japan and South Korea.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/352234,museum-pays-tribute-hero.html.