Mumbai, Aug 24: Veeranjali Yatra of the ashes of freedom fighter Shyamji Krishna Varma has been organised from today. Gujarat Chief Minister NArendra Modi returned here from Geneva with an urn containing these ashes. The yatra will continue in 17 districts of Gujarat to enable people pay their tributes to the leader.
A native of Mandvi in Kutch district, Varma breathed his last in Geneva in 1930 and since then his ashes have been preserved in a museum there.
The 'kalash' is likely to reach Mandvi, the hometown of Varma, on September 04.
Returning from his foreign tour, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday night lambasted previous governments for not fulfilling the final wish of freedom fighter Shyamji Krishna Varma, who wanted his ashes brought to India after Independence.
Modi, who arrived in Mumbai from Geneva with the ashes, was welcomed by thousands of activists of the Shree Kutchi Bhanushali Seva Samaj Trust at the international airport.
"It is unfortunate that no earlier government tried to fulfill Varma's wishes," Modi told the gathering adding Varma's contribution to the freedom struggle had inspired almost all the revolutionary leaders of the country from Bal Gangadhar Tilak to Veer Savarkar.
Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani and the Ministry of External Affairs had pursued the process of bringing back the ashes in the last 12 months, he said.
Modi received the ashes in Geneva, Switzerland on August 22 - the day Verma hoisted the Indian flag designed by Madam Cama.
The ashes will be kept for public viewing at Bhanushali Wadi, Ghatkopar, on August 24 from 7:00 to 8:30 am, a release from Shree Kutchi Bhanushali Seva Samaj Trust said.
Bureau Report