Obama praises Gandhi on anniversary of his birth

[October 02, 2009]  WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama is expressing appreciation for Indian spiritual leader Mohandas K. Gandhi.

Gandhi was born on Oct. 2, 1869, and Friday is the 140th anniversary of his birth.

Obama says the U.S. joins the Indian people in celebrating a man who dedicated his life to the causes of justice, tolerance and creating change through nonviolent resistance.

The president also says the America of today has its roots in Gandhi's India because the teachings he shared with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. helped change U.S. society through the civil rights movement.

Gandhi was known as "Mahatma" or "great soul." He was assassinated by a Hindu radical in 1948.

[Associated Press]

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