On the historic occasion of 91st anniversary of the Dandi march, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spelt out India’s journey of `atmanirbharta’ from the `charkha’ to the vaccine, as he launched 'Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav', the government's initiative to mark 75 years of India's Independence. The PM also flagged off a padyatra by 81 marchers from Sabarmati Ashram.
In a speech where PM recollected contributions made by freedom fighters, he said, “The Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav is about a resolve to work for the country. It is about taking inspiration from our freedom fighters. It is about attaining self-reliance. Even today, our achievements are not only ours. During the pandemic, the world is getting the benefit of India’s self-reliance in vaccines against the pandemic. Today we are providing vaccines to other countries. Before 1947, salt symbolized ‘aatmanirbharta’. Salt was never measured by its price in the country. ‘Hum aaj bhi kehte hain, humne desh ka namak khaya hai’ (we use salt as a symbol of loyalty). We say this not because salt is a costly commodity, but because it symbolizes work and equality. Before Independence, salt was a symbol of atmanirbharta,” the PM said, adding, “That one yatra joined every person in the country against the British.”
“Five pillars – Freedom Struggle, Ideas at 75, Achievements at 75, Actions at 75 and Resolves at 75 - are the guiding force for moving forward,” Modi said. “Many ideas will emerge from this 75-week programme. Why should schools and colleges not have competitions on events from our freedom struggle? Law schools can document legal cases leading to Independence. Those in the field of arts can contribute as well,” he said.
Modi went to Sabarmati Ashram, where he paid floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi. Modi wrote in the visitors’ book that the Mahotsav is a tribute to our freedom fighters and their struggle. “By coming to the Sabarmati Ashram and with the inspiration of Bapu, my determination for nation building is strengthened. Mahatma Gandhi gave the message of atma-nirbharta (self-reliance) and atma-vishwas (self-confidence) from here,” Modi wrote.
Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat and chief minister Vijay Rupani were also present. PM Modi later flagged off the marchers on Dandi Path led by Union minister Prahlad Singh Patel. While one group embarked on a 25-day march to Dandi, another group took a 75-km march up to Nadiad. The marchers were welcomed at various locations in the city and its outskirts.
Exactly 91 years ago, Mahatma Gandhi left with 78 Satyagrahis – who had gathered from all parts of the country to protest against taxation and British monopoly on salt. Together, with Gandhiji in lead, they embarked on a journey that shook the conscience of the world. The historic march, that lasted 25 days from March 12 to April 5, traversed diverse geographies and mobilized lakhs of people on the road for civil disobedience against the British.
Before Dandi Path – a project that established 14 centres along the route for night stay – it was largely unorganized. “We see a rise in inquiries and activities along the route. In the past couple of years, it’s being seen as an experiential trail,” said Yogesh Sutaria, coordinator for the Dandi Path project. “There’s a rise in the yatris from foreign nations, too. We recently saw a group of four from the UK that traversed the path on bicycles.”
£120 mn befitting memorial for Mahatma Gandhi, will be one of the largest in the country, is being envisioned on the 75th anniversary of Indian Independence. The Sabarmati Ashram Preservation and Memorial Trust (SAPMT) will now grow from a 5-acre precinct to 53 acres. Only 65 of the 177 buildings that exist today were part of the original campus.
“The 65 buildings will be part of the integrated campus and along with Bapu’s home, the Hriday Kunj,’ will not only offer a serene ambience for visitors but will be an intersectional space of simplicity, Gandhian ideals and philosophy. The precincts will see use of hi-tech tools for enhanced experience of the museum space.The plan has received an in-principle approval from the Union culture ministry.” said a senior state government official. The state government had proposed using the Gujarat Town Planning Act to rearrange various trust-owned land parcels that immediately surrounded the existing 5 acre SAPMT memorial, like the Guashala, the Khadi Udyog, the Ashram inmates, girl’s hostel and Ashram inmates with government and Municipal Corporation owned land that lay outside the campus of the SAPMT.
