Resolution reintroduced in US Congress to posthumously award Congressional Gold Medal to Mahatma Gandhi

An influential US lawmaker from New York on Friday reintroduced a resolution in the US House of Representatives to posthumously award the prestigious Congressional Gold Medal to Mahatma Gandhi in recognition of his promotion of peace and nonviolence. The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest civilian award in the United States.

“Mahatma Gandhi’s historic Satyagraha (Sanskrit for “soul-force”) movement of nonviolent resistance inspired a nation and the world. His example energizes us to devote ourselves to the service of others,” Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney said after she introduced a resolution in this regard in the US House of Representatives.

“His legacy inspired civil rights movements around the globe, from Martin Luther King Jr.’s movement for racial equality to Nelson Mandela’s fight against apartheid. As a public servant, I am inspired everyday by his courage and example. Let us all follow Gandhi’s directive to ‘be the change you wish to see in the world,” Melony said.

Gandhi would be the first Indian to receive a Congressional Gold Medal, an honour bestowed upon such great figures as George Washington, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Teresa, and Rosa Parks.