For bringing back to life the role played by the father of the nation in Indian history for the benefit of the younger generation, the Gandhian Study Centre, Kerala University and Gandhigram Books Publications have been compiling a photo album on Gandhiji over the past one year. And, finally, the project has become a reality with the release of the photo album, ‘Mohandas Muthal Mahatma Vere’, taking place the other day at University Senate Chamber.
The collection begins with pictures of Gandhiji as a child of seven years, taken in the year 1876 and a black and white picture of his father Karamchand Gandhi and mother Putlibai. As we all know, Gandhiji was a vegetarian and a picture taken in 1890 in England along with the members of the London Vegetarian Society shows how actively he was taking part in the activities of the club.
In 1905, when Gandhiji was in Johannesburg, he had a good number of friends and this can be seen in a photo were he is seen posing with his college mates.
The place where he used to stay, ‘The Tolstoy Farm’, in South Africa is also in the photo collection. Gandhiji named it ‘Tolstoy Farm’ for the affinity he had towards Leo Tolstoy. For him, this farm was not just a place to reside, but also a place for meetings and for furthering his plans towards his vision.
“During the early years of his marriage, he was all by himself in South Africa, but later Kasturba, his wife, also joined him. And it was on January 15, 1915 that the couple came back to India, leaving South Africa for good,” says J A Rahim, Co-ordinator, Gandhian Study Centre, Kerala University. A picture of them soon after their return was taken and is supposed to be a unique photo in the collection.
The next picture in the album is of his first ashram at Kokhra in Ahmedabad. “The initial hindrance for having an ashram was the space for it. That was when kind-hearted friend and barrister Jeevanlal Desai gave him a vast area of land,” says Rahim.
Other personal and unusual photos of Gandhiji are the ones where his wife is found washing his feet and a picture of a barber giving him a clean shave.
Most of the vegetarians not only abstain from having meat, but also develop a liking for animals and so did Gandhiji. The album has a snap of Gandhiji cuddling a two-hour-old black sheep in the fields.
One of the days Gandhiji cried the most in his life was at the demise of his beloved wife, who was his everything from the tender age of eleven years. During the ‘Quit India Movement’, when Gandhiji and his wife had to spend time in Aga Khan Palace in Pune as prisoners, Kasturba fell ill and passed away on February 22, 1944 and the album shows Gandhiji grieving near the body of his wife.
Historic pictures like that of Chauri Chaura, a town near Gorakhpur where 22 policemen were killed, are also included in the album. “Gandhiji accepted his guilt in the court and on hearing this, the judge, out of respect, stood up to deliver the judgment,” adds Rahim.
The album comes to an end with the dark day Gandhiji was shot dead.
Photos in the collection are mostly contributions from the Gandhi Museum in New Delhi selected by Shaji Gandhigram, who has played a vital role in publishing this photo album. Collections from the Gandhi Study Centre have also been added to the moments of history.
The album will soon be hitting the school and college libraries in the State, giving students a better understanding about the man who fought for freedom with the mightiest of weapons - truth and non-violence.
A copy of the photo album has been priced at ` 500.