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Grief still lingers at Tees January Marg

Vivek Shukla FROM the clamour of Janpath or Akbar Road, a turn onto Tees January Marg is like stepping into another world. A sense of profound stillness settles upon you. The silence is almost absolute, in stark contrast to the...
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Vivek Shukla

FROM the clamour of Janpath or Akbar Road, a turn onto Tees January Marg is like stepping into another world. A sense of profound stillness settles upon you. The silence is almost absolute, in stark contrast to the cacophony of Lutyens’ Delhi. While surrounding arteries pulse with traffic, Tees January Marg seems to hold its breath, as if grief is its permanent resident. Here, you see people clad in khadi, silently approaching or departing from Gandhi Smriti, formerly 5 Birla House.

The strains of “Vaishnav jan to tene kahiye...” envelop you. The gentle melody of Bapu’s favourite bhajan creates a fleeting illusion that he might appear at any moment. It’s a bittersweet feeling, tinged with the awareness of his absence.

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The aged neem, arjun and jamun trees that line Tees January Marg, planted before 1931, bear witness to a time gone by. They stand as silent sentinels, having witnessed the saintly figure walk this very path. They must have heard the echoes of those fateful moments when, at 5:17 pm on January 30, 1948, Nathuram Godse unleashed violence upon Bapu.

Gandhi resided at Birla House on Tees January Marg from September 9, 1947, until his assassination. In 1971, the government acquired the residence, transforming it into Gandhi Smriti.

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It was on this ground that Gandhi observed his last fast, from January 13 to 18, 1948, successfully appealing for peace in Delhi. Though weakened by his fast, he resolutely attended the Sarva Dharma prayer meetings, where on January 29, 1948, MS Subbulakshmi recited bhajans. Sunderlal Bahuguna was also among those present that day.

Standing outside Gandhi Smriti, you are transported to the day of Gandhi’s funeral, January 31, 1948. The trees of Tees January Marg stood witness as his funeral procession made its way to Rajghat, a sombre tableau etched forever in history.

This road was once called Albuquerque Road, named after Afonso de Albuquerque (1453–1515), the Portuguese Governor of Goa. After Gandhi’s assassination, it was renamed Tees January Marg, perhaps the first renaming in the capital.

Those touched by Gandhi’s life often find themselves moved to tears on visiting Tees January Marg. One of them was Martin Luther King Jr, who visited Rajghat in 1959. King, who dedicated his life to fighting for the rights of African Americans, said, “Gandhi is my guide. Following the path of truth and non-violence, I find strength.”

Stand outside Gandhi Smriti at 10 in the morning and witness the stream of people, many barefoot, making their way inside. They explain, “A place where Gandhi lived is a holy place. It is not right to go there with shoes on.” They carry with them a collective weight, a silent question: “Why did this country kill Gandhi?” A feeling of guilt hangs heavy in the air. And then, as they leave Tees January Marg, they are engulfed by the relentless energy of Delhi, the sombre mood slowly dissipating.

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