The government has made the education department the nodal department to oversee all arrangements for centenary celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi's Champaran Satyagraha, Bihar's next big event after the Prakash Utsav, which will start in April.

In 1917, farmers of the Champaran region had launched a movement under the leadership of Gandhi to protest the conditions under which the British colonial forced them to cultivate indigo.

Historians say the Britishers had imposed a system called tinkathia in Champaran. Under this, tenant farmers were forced to grow indigo (a blue dye) on three cottahs of every bigha (three out of twenty parts of their land). The farmers were poorly compensated for their indigo crops and if they refused to plant indigo, they had to face heavy taxation. As a result, the reduced production of much-needed food crops and exclusive indigo farming (they were not allowed to grow any other crop even during the indigo off-season) had led to untold sufferings for the ryot farmers, including a famine-like situation.

The education department, along with tourism and art, culture and youth affairs departments, has drawn up a blueprint for the celebrations that it will be submit to chief minister Nitish Kumar for approval. The government will also take the help of the Gandhi Peace Foundation to make the event successful.

Several high-profile guests, including the Dalai Lama, Amartya Sen and Noam Chomsky, are expected to visit the state during the yearlong celebrations.

"A series of lectures will be organised on the Champaran Satyagraha in which all these dignitaries will take part," a state tourism official said on Monday. " Padyatras (processions) will be taken out from every single place that Mahatma Gandhi had covered during his journey from Patna to Champaran in 1917."

Gandhi had launched his satyagraha against the British rule in Champaran district on April 10, 1917.

"We have also planned various types of competitions in government schools and colleges across the state," said the official. "The competitions will be based on themes related to Gandhi ji and will include theatre, debates, painting and essay competitions and cultural programmes. The department will hold laser shows in Patna and Champaran based on Gandhiji's life. The elementary schools that Gandhi ji had launched during his visit to Champaran in 1917 are also being revived. Most of those buildings need to be renovated and basic amenities installed. Funds have been sanctioned for four such schools in Champaran for development of basic infrastructure and purchase of books."

The state has also sought a direct train from Patna to Porbandar in Gujarat. "Porbandar being the birthplace of Gandhi ji, we are expecting a large number of visitors from there to come to Bihar during the centenary celebrations," the official said.

However, the art, culture and youth department could not give any timeframe within which the blueprint would be submitted before the chief minister.

"How can the minister tell when the blueprint will be submitted," was the terse reply of the person who picked up the official mobile of Shivchandra Ram, the minister concerned.

Similar was the story with the tourism department.

"I have to enquire about it and only tomorrow I can tell you by what time the blueprint would be submitted for the chief minister's approval," tourism minister Anita Devi said.