Ahmedabad: The historic Gandhi Ashram at Sabarmati is the only site from Gujarat included in the tentative list jointly submitted by India and South Africa to Unesco. Ahead of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary, Hriday Kunj remains closed to visitors as restoration work continues. Officials associated with the project said the objective is to restore the structure to its original form while preserving as much of the original material as possible.Earlier, Nandini Guest House and the rooms used by Mirabehn and Vinoba Bhave opposite Hriday Kunj were restored to help visitors understand their role and usage during the peak years of India’s freedom movement.According to the Unesco nomination description, the Ashram was established on the banks of the Sabarmati River in 1917 and served as Gandhi’s residence till 1930. It became a centre of India’s independence movement and several other initiatives led by Gandhi. It was also from the Ashram that Gandhi launched the Dandi March on March 12, 1930, as part of the Salt Satyagraha against British salt laws.The Unesco description highlights Hriday Kunj as Gandhi’s modest living quarters, preserved with items such as his writing desk and spinning wheel, along with the Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya designed by noted architect Charles Correa.Foreign students turn to Bapu’s philosophyThe first batch of Gujarat Vidyapith’s Gandhian Non-violence: Theory and Application course was inducted last year after a gap of nearly five years. The programme, which attracts students from several countries, has long served as an introduction to Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy for international scholars, said Prem Anand Mishra, professor and dean of the department of Gandhian studies.“So far, 92 students from more than 20 countries have participated in the programme, and the number of alumni will soon approach 100. They are now working in different parts of the world,” Mishra said.He added that many alumni have applied Gandhian principles to contemporary issues. While a former student from Brazil is working on social transformation and addressing domestic violence, an alumna from France is involved in campaigns for land rights.Officials said one former student from Russia is currently working with communities in north India and is also learning Hindi as part of her engagement with local society.
