NEW DELHI, Oct. 2 Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh welcomed Tuesday as the first International Day of Non-Violence coinciding with Mahatma Gandhi's 138th birthday.
The 192 members of the U.N. General Assembly unanimously adopted the date as a commemoration of Gandhi's message of non-violent conflict resolution, equality and harmony. The United Nations adopted the resolution June 17, 2007.
Prime Minister Singh acknowledged the occasion highlights the continued relevance of Gandhi's message.
The prime minister also announced the release of a postage stamp to mark the occasion.
Mahatma Gandhi received five Nobel Peace Prize nominations for his message of resistance by mass civil disobedience and other non-violent techniques.
Michael Sohlam, executive director of the Nobel Foundation, said not awarding the prize to Gandhi was a big mistake, the Press Trust of India reported.
Copyright 2007 by UPI
