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| Three bullets and the sounds of silence | | | New Delhi, Jan 28
While the nation observes the anniversary of the martyrdom of Mahatma Gandhi Jan 30, few people are aware of the exact place where one of the most infamous political assassinations in history took place.
The streets of Delhi that lead to 5, Tees January Marg - earlier known as Albuquerque Road - seem to hold little or no significance for many. The building, today called Gandhi Smriti, is the historical place where Mahatma Gandhi lived the last 144 days of his life.
After his arrival from Calcutta (today Kolkata) on Sep 9, 1947, Mahatma Gandhi was motored straight to the building, then called Birla House. On his visit to Delhi, Gandhi preferred staying at the Harijan Basti, also called Valmiki Mandir, at Panchkuiyan Road, but as the refugees from West Punjab occupied the Basti, after the partition of India, there were concerns over his security.
The epic life of the Father of the Nation ended in the sacred place of the prayer ground of this hallowed house, which today treasures many memories of the last few days of his life. The old Birla House was acquired by the government of India in 1971 and converted into a national memorial and dedicated to the nation Aug 15, 1973.
The imposing structure of the simple Lutyen's style bungalow where Gandhi occupied just a small room has been witness to the developments in post-independent India. It was here, impelled by the communal riots, that Gandhi declared his intention to fast for an indefinite period. Only on receiving assurance from all communities, Mahatma Gandhi broke his fast - the last one - by taking a glass of orange juice from Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad.
"Gandhi Smriti", says Savita Singh, director of the organisation, "is a place of pilgrimage for millions of people from all parts of India and even beyond her shores", adding, "a mass of humanity continues to come to the memorial as if to atone for the sin committed by one of us on a Friday evening almost six decades back."
The preserves at Gandhi Smriti also include the room where Mahatma Gandhi lived and the prayer ground where he held a mass congregation every evening. It was here that Nathuram Vinayak Godse's bullets felled Gandhiji on his way on Friday, Jan 30, 1948, at 5.17 p.m.
A larger than life statue of Mahatma Gandhi, with a boy and a girl holding a dove in their hands standing on either side, emerging out of the globe - sculpted by eminent sculptor Ram Sutar - symbolising Gandhi's universal concern for the poor and the deprived, welcomes everybody at the main entrance of the Gandhi Smriti with these words: "My life is my message" revealing Gandhi's practical moral attitude.
In total contrast one can't help but notice the impassive structure of the National Defence College just across the road, with three cannons staring in the direction of the place personifying the eternal message of truth, peace and ahimsa (non-violence) which Gandhi stood for all his life. The structure (read cannons) stands either in total defiance of these ideologies or can even be interpreted as a salutation in 'silence' to that eternal spirit.
On display in the museum are photographs, sculptures, paintings, frescos, inscriptions on rocks and relics pertaining to the years Mahatma Gandhi spent here. The meagre personal effects of Gandhiji too are carefully preserved.
If the Martyr's Column indicates the spot where Gandhi was assassinated, a bronze flame next to the lawns sends the message of continued hope and faith. The sparkling white walls inside the museum are covered with well-documented photographs on the life and message of Gandhi.
The latest addition to the museum is the Eternal-Gandhi Multi-Media Exhibition - opened to the public on April 14, 2005, and dedicated to the nation - which uses state-of-the-art electronic hardware, making it interactive and interpretative.
By presenting all this through the latest technology, it is an endeavour to reaffirm and relive Gandhian values.
This unique multi-media presentation displays a language of physical interface, actions derived from classical symbols of the spinning wheel, turning of the prayer wheels, touching symbolic pillars, the act of hands touching sacred objects, collaboratively constructed quilts, sacred chanting in the collective group, the touching and rotating of prayer beads and so on.
"Today Gandhi Smriti is not just a heritage sight. It is an educational centre for people of all ages, especially for children. And children are bound to carry the eternal message of peace and non-violence of Mahatma Gandhi", says Tara Gandhi Bhattacharjee, vice-chairperson of Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti and granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi.
"It is important to give good memories to children in their formative years, and the message which they (children) take back from here will help build good citizens, make them strong and courageous and also full of compassion".
By adding new dimensions to the historical place, Gandhi Smriti is a centre of pilgrimage, a place of learning. Gandhi is remembered every moment for his passionate adherence to truth and non-violence. He was modern and yet rooted to timeless traditions and values. He was not just a political revolutionary but also a great social thinker.
As Albert Einstein on hearing the news of Gandhi's assassination said, "Generations to come, it may be, will scarce believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth."
Sainthood often distances men from men, yet Gandhi was for the poorest of the poor. To stand in silence at least one day in a year for a minute - leaving the daily life chaos behind - before the Martyr's Column, will be a tribute to the man who helped us think as citizens. This would be far greater than the emotional homage that has obscured the thrust and significance of his teachings.
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