The East Champaran district administration will request Mahatma Gandhi Central University, Motihari, to introduce a course in Gandhian studies.
The request is being made to mark the centenary year celebrations of Champaran Satyagraha, which Gandhi had launched in 1917 and which was his first brush with a mass movement after returning to India from South Africa.
The state government has decided to organise a series of programmes in Patna and places to mark the centenary year of Champaran Satyagraha, which was a movement to free farmers from the clutches of indigo planters. The yearlong celebrations would be formally launched on March 22, which is also celebrated as Bihar Diwas to mark its acquisition of statehood status in 1912 after being carved out of Bengal.
East Champaran district magistrate Anupam Kumar told The Telegraph : "We would soon approach the central university with a formal proposal to launch a course in Gandhian studies as part of our efforts to pay tribute to Gandhiji, when the state is celebrating the centenary year of Champaran Satyagraha."
On being contacted over the likely proposal, the varsity vice-chancellor, Arvind Agrawal, said: "We intend to take forward this idea and would add a subject on Gandhian studies in the existing undergraduate courses."
The VC, however, clarified that such things take time as a panel of experts would at first make a draft to formulate the details of the syllabus for the subject.
Thereafter, the proposal would require approval from various bodies of the university for final approval of the executive council before inclusion in the course. All I can assure at this juncture is that needful would be done before conclusion of the centenary year celebrations," Agrawal added. The district administration also plans to come out with two books on Champaran Satyagraha.
"While one book would narrate the details of people from this area who took part in the movement with Gandhi ji, the second would be based on the oral history of the movement and its contents would be collected from those families whose elders were associated with the movement," said the district magistrate.
Plans are also afoot to improve the condition of roads, which connect the 15 identified places, including Chandrahaiya, Olaha, Jalaha and Jasaulipatti, related to the movement with the main roads. A proposal in this regard has been sent to the rural works department for final approval.
The state has sanctioned Rs 2.5 crore for construction of a guesthouse-cum-conference building at Gandhi Sangrahalaya in Motihari and an additional Rs 50 lakh to set up a theme park on the same premises. It would include a light-and-sound show on the Champaran Satyagraha. "The foundation stone of these two projects would be laid on March 22 and we aim to complete the work before completion of the concluding programme of the event to be held on March 22 the next year," said the DM.
Website launch
Amid these preparations, Tirhut divisional commissioner Atul Prasad launched the logo and website for Champaran Satyagraha centenary celebrations on Monday.
For getting the details provided on the website, one needs to visit https://bihargovt.wixsite.com/champaran-satyagrah. Rare information related to the movement has been provided on the website and also a calendar of events providing details of programmes to be organised to mark the event.
