It being Gandhi Jayanti and the 154th birth anniversary of the Mahatma, I wish I was in Gamdevi. On silent and sleepy Laburnum Road. Standing in the dappled sunlight before Mani Bhavan. And gazing at the balcony on the second floor. Imagining Gandhiji standing there. Taking a break. Enjoying the tranquility for a moment in between pl nning Satyagraha. His new and effective weapon of non-violence in the freedom struggle. Gandhiji spent 17 years at Mani Bhavan between 1917 and 1934. During which he went from being an agitator to a world figure. And from where he edited his weekly bulletin ‘Satyagrahi’. It was here that Gandhiji undertook a historic fast to restore peace in Bombay in 1921 after the disturbance and disorderly scenes following the boycott of the visit of the Prince of Wales. And from where the
Congress Working Committee’s members went bravely forth with their civil disobedience movement charged by Gandhiji with a sense of service and sacrifice. For which he was arrested on the
terrace in 1932.
My history is dodgy. But you will get the entire story of India’s Freedom Struggle at Mani Bhavan. It is now a Museum known as the Mani Bhavan Gandhi Sangrahalaya. A hallowed memorial to the Mahatma that is now a tourist attraction. Also a source of inspiration for lovers of freedom and peace the world over. And for students, teachers and scholars who use its library of over 40,000 books for reading and reference. If you visit Mani Bhavan, do go up to the second floor, where the room Gandhiji lived and
worked from is preserved in its original setting. His spinning wheels and books by the bed. You can feel his presence here. I feel it outside on Laburnum Road, as well. Only a handful of the old
Laburnum trees that lined it during Gandhiji’s time survive. Blooming golden yellow in summer. Other trees have outgrown them. Tall redeveloped buildings overshadow them. Outside there
will always be foreigners. Taking pictures. Like fans of Amitabh Bachchan do outside Jalsa in Juhu round the year.
About Mark Manuel
The above thoughts/content has been proudly copied from the wall of Sir Mark Manuel. Being interviewing almost every role model of this country and going stronger each day. Mark Manuel is a respected Mumbai editor, writer, and columnist.
With over three decades of journalism in leading publications. This includes the Free Press Journal, Times, Dainik Bhaskar, Mid-Day, and Afternoon. He is famous for his brilliant pen interviews. He himself is a TEDx speaker.
Further
His interviews have been featured in several leading media houses. They include the Hindustan Times, Huffington Post, BBC, and Network 18. Almost every famous person has been interviewed by him in the country from Mother Teresa to Muhammad Ali. His first book is just out. It’s titled Moryaa Re! It is a crime thriller that is perhaps the country’s first police procedural. He began his career covering crime. And in a tribute to his experience and knowledge of this beat.
Several distinguished officers of the Mumbai Police and its Crime Branch collaborated with him to make this book possible. Amitabh Bachchan wrote the forward in a statement of friendship for Mark Manuel and admiration for his work.
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