Gandhian Bodhi Tree in Champaran ?

[Birendra Kumar]

Gandhian Bodhi Tree in Champaran?

NEWSnet Desk | January 6, 2012 | Comments (0)

Now ‘Bodhi’ tree for Gandhians

Patna: Following the padyatra undertaken by a group of young people associated with Gandhi Shodh Sansthan in Bhitarwa last year, interest in Gandhi is being revived.  

Now a neem tree will be elevated to ‘bodhi tree’ status by a government decree. This transformation is to be at the price of 25 lakhs of rupees!

Bihar to elevate a neem tree into a tourist attraction @ the cost of 25 lakhs

The said tree ‘associated’ with Mahatma Gandhi is in Bihar’s East Champaran District. The tree is located at Turkaulia near Motihari.

The local people say that the father of the nation would meet aggrieved farmers during his Satyagraha movement  under this tree. He spent hours with them discussing strategy during his famous ‘indigo satyagraha’.

The tree, called ‘Gandhi ka Neem’ would now be preserved and conserved under the government’s plan to develop the district as a ‘Gandhi Circuit’ to attract tourists.

The government has already sanctioned Rs 25 lakh to conserve the ‘historical’ tree. The area around the tree is to be fenced and the surroundings beautified to attract tourists.

It was in East Champaran where Mahatma Gandhi led indigo cultivators’ revolt as part of the Satyagraha movement against the British after his return from South Africa.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has said that all places associated with Gandhi during his Satyagraha movement in East Champaran would be developed under an ambitious plan – ‘Gandhi circuit’.