Gandhi memorial, philosophy lie in ruins

Mohit Khanna

Tribune News Service

Phillaur, October 1

Gandhi memorial, located on the banks of Sutlej river in Phillaur, the place where some of Mahata’s ashes were immersed, is crying for attention.

The memorial, situated a few meters away from the National Highway- I, is at present home to anti-social elements and is lying in utter neglect. Stray dogs, buffalos, waste papers and polythene bags dot the area. Barbed wires are broken at some points, tap, too, has been stolen and the passage leading is also in a dilapidated condition.

It is a safe haven for drug addicts. The apathetic condition of the memorial is a testimony of a concerted effort to ruin the Gandhian ideology from the region.

Leave alone the BJP, even Congress leaders, who are self-proclaimed custodians of Gandhian philosophy, have never bothered about the plight of the memorial.

The place will get its ritual attention on Gandhi Jayanti. The wild grass around the memorial has been cut. A sweeper also did a good job and cleared liquor bottles from the memorial as the local leader would pay a visit.

At some distance, under the old bridge which is no longer operational, three youngsters were filling marijuana. On being asked about Gandhi, one of them took a long puff of marijuana and said: “What has he done for the country?”

A few Gujjars have made their colony around the memorial and have dug up the area, where rain water has accumulated posing threat to several water-borne deceases.

An elderly man, who works at a school and is also the caretaker of the shrine situated close to the memorial, rued: “There is no one to look after the memorial. However, we sometimes shoo away drug addicts with the help of the police, but as soon as we leave the place others replace them.”

Mani Dhaliwal, a resident of Phillaur, said: “While politicians, officials and self-proclaimed followers of Gandhiji pay tributes to him at the memorial, the place is ignored throughout the year and provides a safe shelter to all kind of anti-social elements.”

Monumental neglect of Gandhi Smarak

Brij Bhushan Goyal, organising secretary, Mahatma Gandhi Peace Mission, said: “On the eve of the birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation, we are pained to point out the mischievous neglect of the Gandhi memorial site which was built by the Central government. Parts of immortal remains were immersed in the river here after his assassination in 1948. Sarvodya Mela on the scale of Chappar Mela was held every  year till early 1980s, but the Punjab terrorism phase also saw the demise of Sarvodya Mela celebrations gradually.”

Encroachers have eclipsed the site by building illegal tenements. It does not have any direct access from the GT Road Sutlej Bridge and there is only muddy path to reach. Requests to Deouty CM, SDM and Tehsildar, Phillaur, were never heeded. “We met the Patwari concerned to identify the exact dimensions of the area from the fard. We were shocked when he told us that the name of Gandhi Dham Memorial did not exist in the revenue records,” he said. 

“We have planted ornamental plants thrice there but all were deliberately uprooted by encroachers the very next day. Police complaints were made, but no investigation was conducted,” Goyal said.

“There is criminal neglect of the place by the governmental machinery itself. but permitting encroachments needs to be urgently probed  and the guilty should be taken to task. We will, however, continue to remember Mahatma Gandhi at the site on crucial occasions till we are alive. We have now thought of seeking help from big corporates from Ludhiana for the regular upkeep of the memorial.”