Mahatma memory reduced to sporadic Ashram visit

Its Martyr's Day and the Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad stands serene, hugging the banks of the Sabarmati. Tourists stroll in and out solemneyed, stopping to read a plaque here or stare at a picture there of days long gone by.

The ashram organised a prayer meeting for all religions in the morning followed by a lecure and an evening of bhajans to mark Mahatma Gandhi's death anniversary on Wednesday.

The ashram get 1,000 visitors a day, according to the secretary, Sabarmati Ashram Preservation and Memorial Trust, Amrut Modi, on Sundays and holidays the figure is higher. Of course, the bulk of the visitors are tourists. From the archival point of view, the memorial ranks first in the country among Gandhi memorials, while in terms of visitors it is second only to Raj Ghat in Delhi, he says.

One of the visitors on Wednesday, Sumit Agarwal from Delhi, chose this day to visit the ashram as he wanted his 11-year-old son, Ishan, to learn something about Gandhiji. "When I am at the ashram I realise that earlier, we never really knew him. Many questions have been answered here. Spending some time here helps one relate better to the Mahatma's philosophy," he says.

The history of the memorial museum at the ashram is interesting. After Gandhiji's death, the mill workers in Ahmedabad contributed one day's salary to set up and maintain the memorial. The amount collected was Rs 23 lakhs. Mill owners made an equal contribution. Half the total collected formed a corpus. Donations and an annual government grant of Rs 2 lakhs together with this money, cover the annual expenditure of Rs 15 lakhs, Mr. Modi says.

Gandhiji stayed at the ashram for 12 years between 1918 and 1930. The library at the ashram has 40,000 books on Gandhi and the freedom struggle. The ashram also has 360 films on the subject.

The memorial museum is also a treasure trove of ancient manuscripts. It has 34,000 letters written to and by Gandhiji, 135 awards given to him, 11,000 pages of articles written by him and files of Indian Opinion (a newspaper he edited in South Africa), Young India, Navjeevan and Harijan.

How relevant is Gandhiji's ideology in the present troubled times is a much debated topic. "Today we need a Subhash Chandra Bose or a Sardar Patel. Gandhiji's philosophy of non-violence will not work today. We need an aggressive leader," says Kumaran, a student from Tamil Nadu, who has come to the ashram with his father. Surprisingly, his father agrees.

Mr. Modi disagrees, "People are more interested in Gandhian principles today because of the increase in violence in the world. Apart from visitors, nearly 50 people from all parts of the world come to do research and stay at our guest house," Mr. Modi says.

To expose young minds to Gandhian values, the ashram invites schools to send their high school students for a three hour programme - one hour to see the place, a one-hour film and one hour for discussion.

Some youngsters do feel Gandhiji is old-fashioned and can't relate to his views. But not the young inmates of a hostel in Ramnagar in the city. Twenty of them have walked down from the hostel to the ashram specially because it is Gandhiji's death anniversary. When asked who is the greatest leader of Indian they answer in chorus: "Gandhiji" Why? "Because he laid down his life to get Independence for the country".

Some things will not change with time.

Republished from The Asian Age