ગુજરાતી
English
Dilip Patel
Ahmedabad – 12 July 2023
The village, known as Kasturbadham and Tramba, is located on the Rajkot-Bhavnagar highway road in Rajkot taluka of the Saurashtra region of Gujarat. Kasturba, the wife of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, and Maniben, the daughter of Sardar Patel, were imprisoned in a small palace in Tramba village. The jailers were the Raja of Rajkot and British agents. Tramba village is now named Kasturbadham. Kasturba and Maniben were kept in captiv jail for 29 days in Tramba village.
On 13 February 1939, Kasturba came to Rajkot by train with Sardar Patel’s daughter Maniben. As soon as he reached Rajkot, he was arrested 16 km away. Sanosara was taken. Mridula Sarabhai was also arrested on the previous day. She was also sent there. The room where all three were kept was known as Dharmendra Niwas.
No protection
The building where Kasturba was kept under house arrest is dilapidated. Years old construction, furniture, windows and doors have all rotted. During the Rajkot Satyagraha, Kasturba was kept under house arrest in a small palace at Tramba. The small palace has not been protected by being declared a monument. The walls of Kasturba Ashram have deteriorated. An institution named Kasturbadham was started. Many creative activities took place in it.
Gandhi’s valuables missing
Articles once used by Gandhiji were displayed here. But no one knows where went. Which is internationally important and very expensive. For 30 years there was no investigation as to where it went.
Monument destroyed
Due to lack of maintenance, Gandhiji’s rare books kept in the cupboard have got termites. Water seeps into the walls. There is humidity all around. The rare photographs in the exhibition have been damaged. Instead of becoming a national monument, the monument itself is being destroyed. The edifice of Gujarat’s glorious history has been destroyed.
Gandhiji studied at Alfred High School in Rajkot. Today its name has been changed to Gandhi Vidyalaya. Also the school has been closed and the building has been converted into a museum. People protested a lot but it was not counted. The same has happened in Kasturba Dham.
Because there have been governments that did not understand Gandhi’s values and opposed them. After BJP came to Gujarat, all the institutions of Gandhiji were affected. Now salt has started falling in the Sabarmati Ashram of Ahmedabad as well.
Vulture show off of builders
This is the only monument in Rajkot preserved in memory of Kasturba. If it is not maintained, it will collapse anytime. So, vulture like builders are sitting on this building and land. Now its condition is desolate. Land worth crores was sold.
Heartbeat of Kasturbadham
Gandhijan Kanubhai Gandhi, who was Gandhiji’s last resident, lived in the palace. After independence, an ashram based on Gandhian ideas was started at Tramba Palace. Khadi work, spinning, weaving, carpentry work, blacksmith work, paper work, experiments of organic animal husbandry were started.
The basic chhatravasi sala started here. Weaving is done. Today all these activities have stopped one by one. Classes 9th and 10th are taught only in the North Basic School. No other activity based on Khadi idea is going on. The door of the Dham has been locked. No one can go in this.
3 rivers meet in this village. People visit the nearby Triveni river confluence. There are hardly any visitors to the Kasturbadham Ashram. The construction of the temple started here at a cost of Rs 2 crore.
Kasturba wanted to go to Gandhiji for the Rajkot Satyagraha on 11 February 1939. When she was accompanying Maniben Patel, she was banned from entering Rajkot and arrested. She was arrested in a sudden raid in Sanosara village. Maniben and Kasturba separate. Kasturba was put under house arrest at the Dharmendra-residence in Tramba village. To stay together, Maniben kept both of them together during the fast.
What is history?
In the history of Rajkot, Satyagraha started on January 26, 1939 against the atrocities on the public. A popular movement started against the tyranny of the Raja of Rajkot. Non-violent fighters were lathicharged. Arrests were made. Despite being ill herself, Kasturba reached Rajkot from Wardha to fight for Satya. Sardar Patel’s daughter Maniben also came with her. She was kept under house arrest first in Sardar Jail and then in Tramba.
Rajkot has not forgotten Uchrangarai Dhebar, who grew up with the idea of Khadi like a star in the history of independence. But Rajkot has forgotten Maniben and Kasturba.
After the death of Raja Lakhaji Raj in 1930. His son Dharmendra become raja. The state was being run arbitrarily. Danapeeth’s house was sold. Wanted to sell the power house. A company named Carnival was given a license to gamble on Janmashtami. Since then, even today, the practice of gambling is seen to have increased in the whole of Saurashtra.
There was a mass movement against gambling.
There was a mass movement to stop gambling. Dharmendra’s police closed the meeting by lathis. The king took the help of the agency of the British to oppress the people. The echo of the current incident had reached Mumbai. On 18 August 1938 in Mumbai, Sardar Patel criticized the administration of Rajkot in a public meeting and called for a struggle against the Raja.
Fight against Dharmendra
Satyagrahis held meetings, processions, marches for the cause. Leaders including Usrangarai Dhebar were arrested. 37 km from Halenda village, there was a foot march. Women joined in. Kasturba came to Rajkot after hearing about the atrocities. Later Sardar and Gandhiji also came.
Tyranny of the king of Rajkot
The Raja of Rajkot arrested 1558 Satyagrahis. With the intervention of Durgaprasad Desai, who had lent money to the princely states, and Anantarai Pattani, the dewan of Bhavnagar, Sardar Patel came to Rajkot for reconciliation. The Rajkot Satyagraha was resumed from 26 January 1939. The strike happened.
The Raja of Rajkot again took drastic measures to suppress the Satyagraha.
People were arrested, thrown into the bushes, stripped of their clothes. Saddened by these events, Kasturba Gandhi came from Wardha to Rajkot, but the king barred her entry and sent her to jail. These were the same kings who used to pay ransom to the Gaekwad and Maratha kings every year.
Gandhi came running
Gandhiji came to Rajkot after seeing the misrule of Rajkot king. State’s invitation declined. Gandhiji fasted for five days at the National School. Gandhiji came to Rajkot on 27 February 1939, on 3 March he fasted at Rashtrashala. Kasturba and Maniben, who were kept under house arrest, were finally released by the Rajkot state on 6 March. Gandhiji broke his fast on 7th March.
It was decided to accept the decision of the Chief Justice of India, Sir Maurice Gwaper, for settlement. He put Sardar Patel in charge of the members of the Conciliation Committee. 1
Gandhi’s assassination attempt
When the talks broke down on the evening of 6 April, the king’s men, 500 to 600 girasdars with drawn swords, marched towards Rashtriyashala. The plan was to attack Gandhiji at the time of evening prayer. But Harisinghji Gohil, president of the Girasdar Association, supported Gandhiji and sent him in a motor home to the host Nanalal Jasani. The idea of killing GANDHI came not to the British but to the Garsdars of the Raja of Rajkot.
Defeated Gandhi
Those who were not defeated by the British, were defeated by our king. Gandhiji’s father was the Diwan of Rajkot Raja. Gandhi ji himself lived in Kaaba Gandhi Dela of Rajkot. On 24 April 1939, Gandhiji decided to leave Rajkot in distress. Gandhiji declared that – I am defeated. Having said this, he left Rajkot. Atrocities were committed by the king of Rajkot, even the British did not do so much.
The people of Tramba village and Rajkot have forgotten this history.
There was a time when people used to fight, now people have forgotten to fight. Have made a mindset of accepting everything. Politicians are interested in their votes and money. Now in Rajkot, there is no one like those brave freedom fighters.
Leader’s negligence
Rajkot MLA and EX. Minister Jayesh Radadiya can come to Tramba and organize a reception but cannot save Kasturbadham Jail. Bhupat Bodar, the BJP chief of Rajkot district panchayat, was not ready to do anything even after coming to the village. Nitin Rayani, who was the sarpanch of Kasturbadham Tramba, did not pay any attention. Mohandham Ashram is developing, lakhs of money is collected for its welfare by doing Ramkatha, but the people and saints of Gujarat have forgotten the sacrifice of Kasturba. MLA Kunvarji Bavaliya comes here for the elixir of freedom, but he doesn’t care about preserving the legacy of Kasturba and Mani Behan who contributed to freedom. He was a seasoned Congressman. Now in BJP.
BJP party leaders Vinoo Ghawa, Bhagwan Thakia, Shivlal Ramani give speeches here. But avoid remembering Kasturba.
MLA Arvind Raiyani comes here to impress the youth of Leuva Patel community in Tramba village with the thoughts of Swami Vivekananda. They remember Vivekananda but don’t care that Kasturba’s memory is being erased. Leaders Sanjay Trapasia, Nilesh Virani, Chetan Paan, Nitin Raiyani, Manu Trapasia, Mahesh Asodariya, Ajay Moliya remembered the society. But the society which has benefited the most after independence has now forgotten that Sardar Patel’s daughter Maniben was jailed here. Maniben’s prison and her sacrifice have been forgotten.
Development or destruction
The village has facilities like anganwadi, panchayat ghar and primary school. Kasturba Manav Mandal runs an ashram for mentally challenged people. Kasturbadham village is now developing as an educational center also. There are 4 engineering colleges, 2 M.B.A. Are. There are colleges and 6 schools here. A university has opened nearby.
9th and 10th post-basic school operators are not interested in preserving the memories of Kasturba.
How was Kasturba?
Mahatma Gandhi’s first woman Satyagrahi and Karma Yogi Kasturba Gandhi breathed her last on 22 February 1944 in Aga Khan Mahal Jail, Poona. Kasturba remained illiterate. Independent thinking children flourished in Kasturba. She insisted on truth. Kastur Kapadia was born in Porbandar in 1869 to Gokuldas and Vrijkunvarba Kapadia. Mahashivratri breathed his last on February 22, 1944, at the Aga Khan Palace in Pune.
Since Rajkot was her hometown, Kasturba considered herself a daughter of Rajkot. 14-year-old Kasturba was married in 1882 to 13-year-old Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who was studying at Alfred High School in Rajkot.
Gandhi’s family lived in a house called Gandhi Dela.
1888 Gandhiji went to England to study law. Kasturba gave all her jewelry to Gandhiji. There were ornaments worth three thousand rupees.
On 22 February 1944, Kasturba breathed her last in Gandhiji’s lap at 7:35 pm in the Aga Khan Mahal Jail in Pune, Maharashtra. Standing there, his son Devdasbhai Gandhi started crying. Tears fell from Gandhiji’s eyes.
On the 23rd, Kasturba’s body was cremated near the mausoleum of Mahadevbhai Desai. Gandhiji prayed to all religions. Gandhiji sat near the pyre till 4 in the evening.
The village was named after Rajkot’s daughter Kasturba, while the memory of the daughter is being forgotten. Who is he who wants that Gandhi ji’s every memory has been eaten by Meeta?
