JOIN US Prime Minister Narendra Modi will invoke Mahatma Gandhi during his forthcoming visit to South Africa to reaffirm that racism remains an anathema for India.
As prime minister’s visit to South Africa comes close on the heels of a series of attacks on African people in India; he is expected to send out a reassuring message across the continent — right from the Pietermaritzburg Railway Station, where white men had once thrown Mahatma Gandhi off a train 123 years ago.
Modi will commence his visit to Africa with a visit to Mozambique on Thursday. He will visit Johannesburg, Durban and Pietermaritzburg in South Africa on Friday and Saturday, before travelling to Tanzania and Kenya.
PM’s first visit
This is prime minister’s first visit to mainland Africa, but the third high-level engagement of New Delhi with the continent, where India has of late joined China in the race for influence and resources. Vice President M Hamid Ansari visited Morocco and Tunisia from May 30 to June 1.
President Pranab Mukherjee visited Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire and Namibia from June 12 to June 18.
Amar Sinha, Secretary (Economic Relations) in the ministry of the External Affairs, told journalists that prime minister’s visit to the four nations were aimed at consolidating the progress made in strengthening New Delhi’s ties with the continent during the India Africa Forum summit held here in October 2015.