South Africa commemorates 125th year of Gandhi’s Satyagraha

New Delhi, June 7: Commemoration of the 125th year of Mahatma Gandhi’s Satyagraha in South Africa began on Wednesday with a series of events spearheaded by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj who visited the Phoenix Settlement near Durban and planted a sapling of Cape chestnut.
Swaraj paid respect to the “place that served as Gandhiji’s home and where Bapu developed his philosophy of non-violence!” the Indian Consulate in Durban said in a tweet.
Set up by Mahatma Gandhi in 1904, the Phoenix Settlement devoted to the principles of Satyagraha or passive resistance, has played an important spiritual and political role throughout its long history, promoting justice, peace and equality.
Gandhi established the Phoenix Settlement in 1904 as a community farm, giving each family two acres of land which they could develop. evoted to the principles of Satyagraha or passive resistance, has played an important spiritual and political role throughout its long history, promoting justice, peace and equality.
Swaraj also interacted with students of the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Computer Education and Information Technology, a centre established by the Indian government.
Ruchira Kamboj, India’s High Commissioner to South Africa, said the commemoration would continueover two days.
On Thursday, Swaraj would take part in an event at Pietermaritzburg to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the historic incident in a train compartment that became a catalyst for Gandhi’s Satyagraha movement.
On the day of June 7, 1893, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, then a young Indian lawyer and on his way to meet his clients, was discriminated against and was thrown out of a train at Pietermaritzburg. He was appalled by the discrimination because of his colour.
As he lay on the platform, being flung from the train, and later as he introspected in the railway waiting room, Gandhi had decided that he would stay back in South Africa to fight against this injustice.
This waiting room was the birthplace of Satyagraha, an idea, a way of life which would bring an empire to its knees and would be the cornerstone of many non-violent movements all around the world.
The Pietermaritzburg station, referred to by the late President Mandela as “once one of the most notorious symbols of discrimination, intolerance and oppression in the world”, sees many visitors, especially those of Indian origin, who come to the station to pay homage to the Mahatma at the spot where he was evicted.
The High Commission in Pretoria has organised a series of events at Pietermaritzburg to commemorate this unique moment that changed the course of world history.
A Gandhi-Mandela Youth Summit meanwhile got underway in Pietermaritzburg to spread Gandhiji’s message of peace that is specially relevant for the young.