Gandhi Vatika (museum) — a dream project of the previous Ashok Gehlot – led government, which was conceptualised by the Gandhi Peace Foundation and built and inaugurated under his regime last year, is now scheduled to be opened to the public on Bapu’s birth anniversary on Wednesday.
Assertion by Gehlot- in Gandhian style with a resolve for dharna outside the museum last week, has paved the way for its opening after being delayed by almost one year.
The serious issue about Gandhi, his deeds, persona, the Gandhian history, culture and values, is raised well by the Congress stalwart from Gandhian stream in the party, and is dealt well even by the incumbent Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma by way of positive response to his political predecessor Gehlot.
Despite good dealings, the issue was dragged into a political row by state Education Minister Madan Dilawar who took potshots against the leaders of the grand old party.
Infact, the project is viewed as a cultural initiative by the then Gehlot Government with the objective to counter the attempts to “destroy Gandhian values by erasing GandhiJi and his deeds from people’s memory”.
The Gandhi Vatika will provide a platform for inspiring the youth with virtual shows of key events of the Freedom movement and enabling them to imbibe Gandhian values and philosophy.
Actually, this Rs 85 crore project is partly of the then Congress government’s mega programme for saving Gandhi’s legacy. The government had taken a number of steps to promote Gandhian ideology and activities among the public and passed a Bill for the establishment of the Gandhi Vatika Trust for the purpose.
It had also established the country’s first Peace & Non-Violence Directorate to propagate the teachings and preaching of Gandhi.
This very thought perhaps became a bone of contention between the ruling BJP and the rival Congress leading to ideological tussle and delay in decision on the project’s opening by the saffron party-led government in the state.
The fact that the idea and concept of the project is perceived by the Gandhi Peace Foundation also seems to be another cause of annoyance to the ruling BJP.
Unhappy over the government’s reluctance in taking an early decision, Gehlot on Monday last announced to sit on dharna on September 28, demanding the museum’s opening for people on Gandhi Jayanti.
This evoked swift and positive response from Chief Minister Sharma who announced the Gandhi Vatika’s opening for visitors from Wednesday, October 2.
The BJP government’s positive decision gave elated Gandhian thinkers and followers in the state and country, a reason to celebrate Gandhi Jayanti this year with added fervour.
However, this spirit of elation generated by the Chief Minister’s positive decision and good will gesture did not last long as Education Minister Dilawar levelled allegations against the Congress and its leaders including the LoP in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi and the former CM Gehlot.
Dilawar during his visit to the venue on Saturday has announced that on Wednesday Chief Minister Sharma will inaugurate the vatika that has already been inaugurated by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party MP Rahul Gandhi on September 23 last year.
The policy and stances of the BJP and the Congress on issues related to the Mahatma and Gandhian values have always been a point of conflict and confrontation leading to chronic political crossfire between them.
This holds good in the present context. Sensing the conflict and reluctance over the issue, the Congress stalwart, Gehlot swung into action on Monday last week exactly one year after inauguration of the museum under his regime.
In a brief chat with reporters here last Friday, Gehlot has said “I and all Gandhians in the country were sensing that the Rajasthan government was having a tendency of blocking propagation among masses, of the ideology, values and message of Mahatma Gandhi. The very purpose of the creation of the museum was to propagate the message of “Satya and Ahimsa” and evoke awareness among people, particularly the youngsters over life, ideology and historic role of the Mahatma in the Freedom movement and various other walks of life.
“However, despite my repeated personal requests and formal letter to Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, the government did not open the museum to the public even after one year since its inauguration.
”Hence, I declared to hold a day-long dharna outside the Gandhi Vatika on Saturday, September 28, demanding the opening of the museum from Gandhi Jayanti”.
”The call for agitation evoked fairly good response from the people. Sensing the unprecedented support to call for the sit-in from the masses has brought the government under pressure that forced them to announce the opening of the museum from October 2.
”Our task is achieved, henceforth, there is no need for dharna on the scheduled day…This indeed is the people’s victory”, Gehlot said.
On the other hand, the ruling BJP’s annoyance over inauguration of the museum has come forth on Saturday during State Education Minister Dilawar’s visit to the museum to supervise the preparation for its opening on Gandhi Jayanti.
The minister said “Gandhi Vatika will be inaugurated (again) by Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma on October 2”.
Dilawar also pointed out ‘certain flaws’ in selecting pictures, scriptures and other materials for display in the museum gallery. He said that ”foreigners who ruled our country were glorified in the museum galleries while pictures of many divine figures and our national heroes, including lord Ram, were missing”.
The minister said that a committee of experts will look into this aspect and would carry out required corrections to discrepancies.
He also targeted Gehlot for “corruption in buying stone slabs and tiles of inferior quality for use in the museum” and ridiculed Rahul Gandhi for being born to a foreign origin woman. “The Gandhi scion has no emotional connect with India”, he quipped.
He also accused Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul of misusing Gandhi surname. Dilawar said many leaders in the grand old party were not in agreement with Gandhiji’s views.
Since Gehlot is out of the state, he could not be approached for response on minister Dilawar’s allegations.