The Gandhi ashram at Sodepur: Preservation cry

Gandhiji had opened an ashram and khadi centre in Sodepur, on the northern outskirts of the city, on January 2, 1927.

According to a plaque in the Gandhi Memorial Ashram close to the railway station, Gandhiji had visited it several times in the years 1939, 1945, 1946 and 1947, and stayed there for any length of time between five days and seven weeks. On his visits, he would stay in a particular room.

Several important personalities of those times, such as Rabindranath Tagore, had visited the ashram and it was associated with the Charkha movement and khadi.

Although the ashram, a simple, single-storeyed structure, has become a Gandhi memorial, it has, for long, been at the centre of controversies. In the past, allegations of siphoning of funds have been levelled against those in charge.

Now, it seems to be involved in another controversy. This time over its restoration.

Work at the ashram has come to a standstill as two factions of the trustee board level charges against each other over its maintenance and supervision. The ashram building is falling to pieces.

The room in which Gandhiji used to live is hardly ever swept, and its effects are just rotting away. Neglect is visibly taking its toll. Yet, a building has come up behind it.

Recently, Calcutta High Court appointed North 24-Parganas district magistrate Manoj Pant a special officer of the court so that he could renovate and protect the memorial.

The district magistrate was authorised to handle the funds released by the Centre ? Rs 12 lakh ? for the upkeep of the ashram.

The court also authorised him to operate the bank account of the trustee board with the Punjab National Bank, College Street branch.

Ever since he took over, Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi has shown a keen interest in the restoration of the ashram, associated with his grandfather. At his behest, a team, comprising the district magistrate of North 24-Parganas, G.M. Kapoor of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) and restorer Biswadeep Sen visited the ashram on July 15.

Subsequently, INTACH advised the public works department (PWD) not to use cement and concrete to repair the ashram structure. The PWD was specifically advised against replacing the roof with concrete.

Yet, on July 29, the executive engineer (PWD), Barasat division, put out a tender notice in a local daily for the ?development and renovation of Mahatma Gandhi Ashram at Sodepur Phase I casting roof slab, flooring, plastering, taking out existing truss (R.T.) etc in the district of North 24 Parganas during the year 2005-06, under Barasat Sub-Division from Regd. Unemployed Engineers? Co-Op Societies Ltd (Reserved).?

Last date for receiving applications, August 2.

INTACH has written to the chairman, West Bengal Heritage Commission, drawing his attention to the notice, and stressing the need to restore and preserve the ashram without changing its original character and matrix.

INTACH feared that ?irreparable damage? will be done to the structure if this delicate job is handled by the ?Registered Unemployed Engineers Cooperative Society.?