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PIETERMARITZBURG RAILWAY STATION - A HISTORIC PLACE, WHERE MOHANDAS GANDHI WAS EVICTED FROM A FIRST CLASS TRAIN COMPARTMENT ON THE NIGHT OF JUNE 7, 1893 FOR BEING A COLORED PERSON. THE STATION BUILDING IS MAINTAINED AS IT WAS IN 1893.
GANDHI WAS 23 WHEN HE ARRIVED IN SOUTH AFRICA TOWARDS THE END OF MAY 1893. HE HAD TO UNDERTAKE A TRAIN JOURNEY FROM DURBAN TO JOHANNESBURG. WHEN THE TRAIN ARRIVED IN PIETERMARITZBURG STATION, A WHITE PASSENGER ENTERED THE FIRST CLASS COMPARTMENT WHERE GANDHI WAS TRAVELLING. HE OBJECTED TO A COLORED PERSON IN THE FIRST CLASS COMPARTMENT. GANDHI REFUSED TO LEAVE VOLUNTARILY. A POLICE OFFICER CAME ON TO THE SCENE AND REMOVED GANDHI BY HAND AND THREW HIS LUGGAGE ONTO THE PLATFORM. A PLAQUE PLACED AT THE SITE OF HIS EVICTION ON THE PLATFORM SAYS THAT 'HIS ACTIVE NONVIOLENCE STARTED FROM THAT DATE'
IN GANDHI'S LIFE, THE DATE, JUNE 7, 1893 AND THE PLACE, PIETERMARITZBURG HOLD A GREAT SIGNIFICANCE. HE HAD THREE CHOICES BEFORE HIM AT THAT TIME: 1. POCKET THE INSULT AND GO ON AS USUAL AS IF NOTHING HAPPENED. 2. RETURN TO INDIA, UNABLE TO BEAR WITH COLOR PREJUDICE AND INSULTS ASSOCIATED WITH IT. 3. STAY AND FIGHT AGAINST THIS INJUSTICE. GANDHI CHOSE THE THIRD OPTION AND THIS INCIDENT LED TO HIS FORMAL LAUNCHING OF 'SATYAGRAHA' -NONVIOLENT RESISTANCE OF INJUSTICE WHICH WAS BORN ON SEPTEMBER 11, 1906 IN JOHANNESBURG, THIRTEEN YEARS LATER WHICH PERHAPS IS THE GREATEST GIFT OF MAHATMA GANDHI TO MANKIND.
WHILE OCTOBER 2 IS THE BIRTHDAY OF MOHANDAS K. GANDHI, PERHAPS IT IS APPROPRIATE TO SAY THAT JUNE 7 IS THE BIRTHDAY OF MAHATMA GANDHI. THUS, THE DATE AND PLACE, JUNE 7 AND PIETERMARITZBURG RESPECTIVELY HAVE AN IMPORTANT PLACE ON THE WORLD CALENDAR OF PEACE AND WORLD ATLAS OF PEACE.
IT IS THE VISION AND INCESSANT EFFORT OF DR. SRIRAM SONTY FROM CHICAGO TO HAVE THE DATE AND PLACE - JUNE 7 AND PIETERMAIRTZBURG ON THE INTERNATIONAL PEACE CALENDAR AND INTERNATIONAL PEACE ATLAS. HE BROUGHT THE EVENT AN INTERNATIONAL STATURE BY PROPOSING TO ORGANIZE GANDHI MANDELA KING CONFERENCE IN PIETERMARITZBURG AFTER THE 'GANDHI KING CONFERENCE' HELD AT STANFORD UNIVERSITY IN 2019.
JOINING DR. SONTY IS MR. DAVID GENGAN, PRESIDENT OF PIETERMARITZBURG GANDHI FOUNDATION. THE JOINT EFFORT OF DR. SONTY AND MR. GENGAN BROUGHT THE WORLD TO PIETERMARITZBURG ON JUNE 6-9, 2023
DR. SRIRAM SONTY MR. DAVID GENGAN
THE INAUGURAL OF THE EVENT WAS HELD ON THE VERY RAILWAY PLATFORM WHRE MOHANDAS GANDHI WAS EVICTED ON THE NIGHT OF JUNE 7, 1893. IT WAS ATTENDED BY DELEGATES FROM INDIA, USA, SOUTH AFRICA AND OTHER COUNTRIES. INDIAN NAVY BAND PLAYED MUSIC DURING THE FUNCTION AS A MARK OF RESPECT FOR MAHATMA GANDHI. AMBASSADOR PUNEET KUNDAL WAS THE CHIEF GUEST OF THE CONFERENCE. AMBASSADOR BANU PRAKASH, DEPUTY HIGH COMMISSIONER OF INDIA TO SOUTH AFRICA, DR. SRIRAM SONTY, DR. SARADAPURNA SONTY, PADMABHUSHAN DR. ELA GANDHI, PADMABHUSHAN DR. BINDESHWAR PATHAK DR. A.V. SUBRAHMANYAM AND OTHERS PARTICIPATED. GANDHI KING FOUNDATION PARTICIPATED IN THIS CONFERENCE WITH ABOUT 45 DELEGATES FROM INDIA
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