Speakers at a discussion on works of Martin Luther King Jr held at the EMK Centre in the city recently. photo : observer
Panellists talked about the life and works of Martin Luther King Jr, influence of Gandhian philosophies on him, the intersection of the American civil rights movement and post-colonial South-East Asian struggles for equity, and his relevance and importance in the 21st Century. Every year, on Monday around the 15th of January, which is King's birthday, the world observes the annual Martin Luther King Jr Day to commemorate his memory. As it happens, this year's date fell on the very day King was born. To this end, the Edward M Kennedy Center organized an open discourse on Monday, January 15th to celebrate the life of Dr King. The event started at 6 in the evening with a screening of a couple of clips detailing the life and legacy of Dr King. In quick succession, the audience heard from Dr Brother Leo J Pereira and Asif Bin Ali, who is a journalist. Panellist presented interpretation of King's message, and their first-hand experiences with racism and discrimination in the different parts of the world. Dr Brother Leo J Pereira talked on the events of civil rights movement and how King Jr played an important role. He said, "History teaches us that the struggle is never ending process where people like King Jr stands for human rights and advocate for structural adjustment". Asif Bin Ali said, "Discrimination, even today, exists profoundly in our homes, in the form of our treatment of servants and helpers." He also added "It's important to create values among ourselves in order to form a world where individuals are not judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their characters".
