Nitish Kumar government has planned year-long celebrations to mark the 100th anniversary of his first visit to Bihar and the Satyagraha movement led by Mahatma Gandhi.
Two years after his return from South Africa, an England-trained barrister on April 10, 1917, alighted from a third-class compartment at Patna railway station to set foot in Bihar for the first time that will change the course of history of the entire country.
The barrister was 48-year-old Mohandas K Gandhi and the turn of events over the next few years including the Champaran farmers' movement led by him would earn him the exalted moniker of 'Mahatma'.
Starting this month, the Nitish Kumar government has planned year-long celebrations to mark the 100th anniversary of his first visit to Bihar and the Satyagraha movement led by Mahatma Gandhi eventually united the whole nation in its fight for freedom.
The Tourism Department is also exploring ways to promote Mahatma Gandhi circuit in conjunction with the Satyagraha centenary. A whole host of activities, from seminars to workshops and exhibitions, have been planed from Patna to Motihari (district headquarters of East Champaran) during this period.
Mahatma Gandhi came to Bihar at the invitation of indigo cultivator Raj Kumar Shukla who wanted him to take up the cause of the farmers who were forced to grow indigo by the British.
He arrived at Bankipore station (old name of Patna railway station) on April 10, and a framed painting showing him alighting from a third-class compartment, put up at the Patna Junction commemorates his first visit to Bihar's capital.
An interesting incident took place that day when Shukla took him to the residence of Rajendra Prasad, a Congress leader and a lawyer who had just started practising at the Patna High Court and went on to become the first President of the country.
"Shukla took Gandhi to the house of Rajendra Prasad, a lawyer, he and other indigo-growers had engaged. However, the lawyer was out of town, and judging Gandhi to be of low caste, did not allow him to draw water from the well or use the lavatory in the house," reminisces his grandson Rajmohan Gandhi in his book "Gandhi: The Man, His People and the Empire".
Patna-based noted historian Surendra Gopal says Mahatma Gandhi travelled in a third-class compartment in humble clothing, and in India he had not arrived on the scene yet until the Satyagraha happened, so not many people saw him with such aura as he would enjoy soon for the rest of his life.
"Gandhi had known fellow barrister Mazhar-ul Haq from England days and sent a note to him about his arrival in Patna. Haq, then came immediately and took him to his palatial house on Fraser Road. The house known as 'Sikander Manzil' is still existing albeit obscured by construction of new buildings in its front portion, and I have requested the Bihar government several times to put up a plaque to commemorate his stay in Patna but of no avail," he said.
Mahatma Gandhi's first visit to Patna was very brief as he was on his way to Champaran district, which in 1970s was bifurcated into East Champaran and West Champaran (district headquarters Bettiah).
Haq put him on a train to Muzaffarpur and Mahatma Gandhi arrived in that north Bihar town at midnight where he was received by J B Kriplani, another Congress leader and professor at a college.
During his visit there he also stayed at Greer Bhumihar Brahmin College (now renamed L S College) and held meeting with Secretary of Bihar Planter's Association James Wilson and Commissioner of Tirhut Division L F Morsehead on the peasant's situation.
65-year-old Delhi-based Gandhian scholar Shobhana Radhakrishna says, "At Muzaffarpur station students had crowded to receive him. A horse carriage was parked outside the station to transport him but students were so excited they unyoked the horses and themselves rolled the carriage to its destination."
Mahatma Gandhi's tryst with Bihar then continued until his assassination in 1948 and during these years he paid several visits to the state and its capital.
In Patna, he used to stay at the house of Dr Syed Mehmood near the Patna Lawn (now Gandhi Maidan), where he used to address prayer meeting. One of the last such meetings he held was in August 1947, a few days ahead of the Independence and said "15th August should be celebrated by fasting, spinning and prayer," as per his memoirs.
He also came to Patna on March 28, 1947 soon after the assassination of Congress leader Abdul Bari and in his prayer speech the next day paid tribute to the slain leader.
Gandhi Maidan and Gandhi Sanghralaya (established in late 1960s) situated next to it have been two of the most enduring memorials to the Mahatma. The historic Patna Lawn was renamed as Gandhi Maidan in 1948 after his assassination as a tribute.
A statue of Mahatma Gandhi was erected in 90s near the southern end of the Maidan.
In February 2013, a 70-ft-tall statue, said to be tallest statue of Mahatma Gandhi, was unveiled by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar at the Maidan's north-western end costing Rs 10 crore, which also attracted criticism from few quarters as the Mahatma stood for simple living.
Incidentally, nearly 200-year-old Patna Collectorate, located close to Mahatma Gandhi Maidan, was also used during the shooting of Oscar-winning film 'Gandhi' starring Ben Kingsley in a stellar role. While the old Record Room was shown as the Motihari Jail, part of the DM Office was used for the court room scene.
The historic Collectorate buildings are facing demolition threat, a move that has upset people and several of them including eminent historians and formers judges and bureaucrats, among others have sent a petition to the chief minister to spare the demolition and instead turn it into a tourist site, and highlight its historicity including its association with the film on Mahatma Gandhi.
"Government has planned to mark the 100 years of Gandhi's arrival in Bihar and Patna. Why can't they use this occasion to link the Collectorate to the Gandhi circuit of tourism thanks to the filming of the biopic here? It will attract a lot of people from home and abroad," said J K Lall, Convener INTACH Patna Chapter, which sent the petition.