The district administration is considering installing a commemorative sculpture at the railway station here, as was suggested by some senior citizens, to immortalise the historical moment of Mahatma Gandhiji’s visit to the town during the Indian Independence movement in 1946.
Khammam etched its name in the freedom movement when Gandhiji visited the town on February 5, 1946.
He reportedly addressed a meeting near the railway station a little later on the same day spreading the message of non-violence and Swadeshi movement as a means to achieve independence for the country from the British rule, leaving an indelible impact on the denizens of the town, sources said. The town-based Guru Dakshina Foundation has gifted an old photograph dated February, 5, 1946, showing Gandhiji addressing a huge gathering in the backdrop of a train at Khammam railway station, to the district authorities in 2016 with an appeal to treasure the glorious moment through a work of art.
Some senior citizens of the town recently made a renewed appeal to Collector R.V. Karnan to ensure erection of a commemorative sculpture at the railway station here as a tribute to the Father of the Nation.
The district administration had written to the Railway authorities seeking their nod and cooperation to explore the possibility of setting up a sculpture at the railway station.
The authorities are mulling collaborative efforts involving all the government departments and agencies concerned and the technical expertise of firms specialised in making commemorative work of art to transform the idea into a reality.
Sources said that a team of experts from a Hyderabad-based firm met the district authorities here on Thursday to share ideas on the proposal.