Mahatma Gandhi had left India but the call of the nation brought him back. He had lived in South Africa for 21 years and when he returned he became the leader of the

Indian Nationalist Movement which finally got India its independence from the British. The Father of the Nation, as he is known, was earlier a member of the Indian diaspora. Celebrating Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday on 2nd October, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that Indian diaspora should be looked at, not just in terms of numbers, but also in terms of strength. He said that the strength of Indian diaspora can convert ‘brain drain’ to ‘brain gain’. PM Modi added that when the world is keen to engage with India, the Indian diaspora can help to overcome the obstacle of the ‘fear of the unknown’. PM Modi inaugurated a centre for the Indian diaspora in New Delhi named ‘Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra’.
Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday was celebrated by the students of Omdurman Indian School which was organized by the Embassy of India, Teachers of the school and members of the Indian community. The students participated in Essay and Drawing competitions and three students spoke on Mahatma Gandhi. There was uninterrupted live telecast of Prime Minister Modi’s speech on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s (the Great Soul) birthday also observed as International Day of Non-Violence by United Nations.