149 yrs on, Amritsar preserves Gandhi’s legacy

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 2

According to historians, Mahatma Gandhi visited Amritsar twice — once in 1917 and later in 1919, after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

He was instrumental in getting a memorial built for Jallianwala Bagh martyrs and offered to generate funds for it as well when the terror of the massacre was still fresh in public memory.

Marking his 149th birth anniversary, the city remembered him through the tangible and intangible legacy. “The Hall Gate that was named after British Deputy Commissioner HC Hall at the time is popularly called Gandhi Gate. The tradition continues to date,” said conservation expert Prof Balwinder Singh.

“Another structural legacy of Gandhi is the statue that was erected inside the Company Bagh after the Bagh was extended towards Malviya road and Mall road,” he said.

Apart from this, one of the residential avenues in Islamabad area, 12 Makaan Mohalla, is named after Gandhi. “The area was known to have houses of many prominent nationalist leaders at the time and many avenues are named after Nehru, Subhas Chandra Bose and other leaders,” said historian Dev Dard.

The Gandhi ground also known as Guru Nanak Dev Stadium, too, is known after him. “It was an international stadium and hosted many tournaments, including an international cricket match. The Swaraj Ashram in Chatiwind, too, was established in his memory in 1918, and was a meeting and training spot for many nationalist leaders,” Dev Dard said.

Prof Balwinder said Gandhi’s legacy also included his principles of honesty, peace and non-violence. “We do not seem to have preserved that legacy despite knowing that it is supposed to be his most-valued treasure.”

Homage to Mahatma 

• A statue of Mahatma Gandhi was installed inside the Company Bagh after the Bagh was extended towards Malviya road and Mall road
• One of the residential avenues in Islamabad area, 12 Makaan Mohalla, is named after the Father of the Nation
• Guru Nanak Dev Stadium is also known as Gandhi Ground