Mahatma Gandhi was the 'Greatest Pravasi': PM

New Delhi, Jan 7 (UNI) Describing Mahatma Gandhi as the 'Greatest Pravasi', Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said India's freedom struggle and the process of nation-building had been one of the greatest adventures of humankind cutting across race, language, religion and ethnic identities.

Inaugurating the 5th Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas, he said it was an occasion for celebrating the homecoming of the global Indian.

''It is on the 9th of January that the 'Greatest Pravasi', Mahatma Gandhi returned home from South Africa and inspired us to wage a non-violent peaceful struggle for freedom from foreign rule.'' He said India's civilisation pluralism made it possible for the Indians to reach out to the world and seek its support for freedom and independence.

''When I was in South Africa last year, I was moved by the deep bond that unites the peoples of India and Africa. In the past, this was the bond of our shared struggle against colonialism. Today it is the bond of our combined effort to regain our due place in the comity of nations,''he added.

UNI