‘Remove encroachments from Gandhi memorial’

On February 12, 1948, almost a fortnight after the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi in Delhi on Jaunary 30, 1948, his mortal remains were immersed in major rivers of India. Some remains were immersed in the Sutlej and a memorial was constructed at the banks of the river in Phillaur.
To commemorate that immersion of mortal remains of Bapu, a Sarvodaya Mela was launched which was celebrated every year. During the fair, the freedom fighters owing allegiance to Gandhi’s ideology from Punjab mobilized people from villages for this annual fair. Schoolchildren in thousands along with their teachers used to come in the mela that was spread in acres. The children before turning up at the fair site were asked to bring spun yarn from homes as made by their mothers for offering at the memorial in tune with economic philosophy of self-sufficiency of Gandhi .Weavers and artisans of all sorts came at the site to exhibit and sell their products. Many sports events were organised with the involvement of local administration.
The celebration of Sarvodaya Mela was doing well under the command of freedom fighters like Ujaggar Singh Bilga and Santa Singh Bilga. But, the turn of events in Punjab leading to dark days of terrorism had a telling impact on the annual fair. Now things have come to such a pass that only 20 to 25 workers of Punjab Khadi Mandal visit the place annually and the event is closed after some lecture session at nearby Gandhi Nature Care Ashram. Mahatma Gandhi Peace Mission, however, too ensured that they visit the place at least thrice i.e on October 2, January 30 and February 12, by involving children of the nearby charity home. Unfortunately, several plants that were grown over the site of memorials, have been uprooted and the memorial site has been encroached upon by the locals.
A police complaint too was made. The matter was raised in the media and also taken up with the Punjab Government, but to no avail.
The place remains abandoned throughout the year. However, the MC Phillaur takes care to clean the memorial site only a day prior to Sarvodya Mela. Jalandhar MP Chwodhry Santokh Singh announced a grant of Rs 5 lakh in 2015 for the site, but that never came and so was the paltry amount of Rs 80,000 announced by Santosh Chwowdhry in 2000. Sadely, the successive Punjab governments have failed to take care of this important national monument which could have been developed as a befitting tourist site by building parks and libraries on the banks of the Sutlej where memorial stands.
All encroachments at the Gandhi Dham should be removed and national memorial be taken care of by the government authorities. The world over Gandhi’s economic philosophy of self sufficiency of villages is being revisited in this era of intense globalization which has increased income gaps between rich and the poor. It’s high time for all to follow the father of the nation with letter and spirit.
(Writer is the organising secretary of the Mahatma Gandhi Peace Mission)