Culture Ministry drafts 32-point plan to mark Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary

Photo: PTI

New Delhi: A list of 32 activities has been prepared by the Culture Ministry to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, even as other government departments are in the process of readying their proposals for the October 2, 2018-March 30, 2019 extravaganza, a senior official of the ministry said.

The government, which has already announced its plans to celebrate the occasion both in India and abroad, has asked all the ministries to keep their proposals ready for approval from the six sub-committees, consisting of secretaries of central ministries, by August-end.

The sub-committees were formed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month.

The Ministry of Culture, the nodal ministry for the celebrations, has drafted a 32-point plan with events ranging from a philatelic exhibition on Gandhi Parv, international seminars, plays, exhibitions on Gandhi across the country to "kavi sammelan" and astronomy shows.

It has also planned cycle yatras, a Gandhi-specific tableau on Republic Day, releasing a commemorative coin, a conference on value addition, Gandhi katha among other programmes. 

The ministry is also likely to unveil the Gandhi Gram at the Kumbh Mela to be held in Allahabad next year.

The ministry will also launch an exclusive Gandhi portal, on which all other ministries and sub-committees will list the activities planned by them for the October-March event. The committee of secretaries will review the plans every quarter.

The Railway Ministry has planned to run a special salt rake from Sabarmati on March 12 next year to commemorate Gandhi's Dandi March. "Swachhata" trains from Sabarmati will connect various places linked with Gandhi's life. Tickets with a watermarked image of Gandhi will also be printed.

Murals of Gandhi at the administrative offices of the railways, thematic paintings of all the stations connected to Gandhi's movement and setting up digital museums are also part of the blueprint. A special logo designed by the Ministry of Culture has been proposed to be displayed outside the coaches as well as next to the seat numbers.

Similarly, the Tourism Ministry is planning to activate all its foreign offices to organise activities related to Gandhi in their regions. It also plans to hold functions at the tourist places related to the Father of the Nation, particularly in Gujarat.

While the Sanitation Ministry is planning to award the "Swachhagrahis" (cleanliness volunteers), the Human Resource Development Ministry has proposed a "Padyatra" by 150 youngsters, walking 10 km a day for 150 days.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had, during his budget speech, allocated Rs 150 crore for the celebrations.

Once all the central ministries are ready with their proposals, they have to be vetted by the sub-committees as well as the executive committee, headed by the prime minister, to be finally made operational.