Two years ago, the Centre sent a circular to all the states to record and preserve places Mahatma Gandhi visited by erecting memorials.
However, the state government seems to be paying no heed to the circular or the repeated pleas and letters by many freedom fighters in this regard.
In 1934, Gandhiji visited Bangalore for the first time to collect money for the “Harijan Fund”.
He held a series of meetings at a place in Malleswaram where a club stands today.
Freedom fighter and chairman of Karnataka Gandhi Smaraka Nidhi Dr H Sreenivasaiah says, “All his life Gandhiji fought against drinking and today this hallowed place has become an ‘adda for boozing’.
This is not surprising as even the place at Nandi Hills where Gandhiji stayed for three months is a club today.
” Gandhiji visited Karnataka 18 times and he was in Bangalore 14 times in an effort to intensify the struggle against the British.
Apart from Gandhi Sahitya Sangha, the present day Gandhi Bhavan is the only place in Bangalore that has been preserved.
The other places in the city associated with Gandhiji’s visits have been forgotten and converted into commercial places.
The Mahatma also stayed at Kumara Krupa Guest House for a month.
However, the government is least bothered about erecting a memorial or even remembering his stay.
Sreenivasaiah says, “There is no proper preservation of records either pertaining to Gandhiji’s visits or to the freedom movement in Bangalore as the government is least interested in furthering Gandhiji’s teachings or making them known to the next generation.
Though it was brought to the government’s notice many times, it has done nothing so far.
” The place where Gandhiji used to hold prayer meetings, Kumara Park, is today the site of a five-star hotel’s swimming pool.
At least there is a board saying ‘this was the place where Gandhiji used to hold prayers’.
Gandhiji also visited Malleswaram Ladies Club in 1934 where ladies donated their jewellery for the national cause.
The club has preserved this visit pictorially.