Shimla: Referred to as the summer capital of British India, Shimla in Himachal holds a special place in Mahatma Gandhi's journey. That he had quite a significant attachment to the city is evident from the fact that he had visited the place as many as ten times.
As the nation pays homage to Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi on his death anniversary, Shimla too joins, remembering Gandhi's deep connection with the place.
Memories of Bapu, as he was fondly called, are still alive in Chadwick House, one of the buildings in Shimla where Mahatma Gandhi used to stay. Once declared unsafe, Chadwick House has now been renovated and stands tall as a magnificent building here.
Echoing the memories of Bapu, the building houses a museum which preserves both Gandhi’s legacy and India’s audit and accounts history. Visitors are allowed entry after availing tickets. Through a short film, visitors get a glimpse of the history of Chadwick House and the present form of the building including Bapu's Shimla connection and his last visit to the city.
Gandhi's Last Visit To Shimla
Mahatma Gandhi stayed in Chadwick House from May 2-14, 1946, during which he used to organise prayer meetings and preached peace and self-reliance. On the very first day of his stay, Bapu urged people to have faith in the Divine and not to worry about the future.
ETV Bharat spoke to Vinod Bhardwaj, author of the famous book 'Gandhi in Simla', about the history of Chadwick House, Mahatma Gandhi's last visit, Bapu and his memories. Vinod Bhardwaj has been associated with writing and research work for nearly four decades. He has collected rare information on the historical buildings and places of Shimla during the British period. Along with this, he has a special interest in the great works of Mahatma Gandhi.
Bharadwaj says, "During his last visit to Shimla in 1946, Bapu stayed at Chadwick House. This building was in a dilapidated condition but was renovated in 2018. A museum was also set up."
According to Vinod Bhardwaj, Gandhi's last visit to Shimla coincided with the Cabinet Mission meetings. Leaders like Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Acharya Kriplani, Sardar Patel's daughter Manuben and others accompanied Gandhi during his last visit to Shimla. Jawaharlal Nehru stayed in a separate building. The Cabinet Mission meeting started in Shimla on May 5, 1946. The next day Gandhi met Viceroy Lord Wavells. On May 8, Mahatma Gandhi paid homage to Vishwakavi Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, and called him a sage. Gandhi also spoke about Swaraj in Shimla and highlighted how it is tied to the dignity of labour and the string of hand-spun yarn.
A statue of Mahatma Gandhi has been installed at the Ridge ground of Shimla. Behind the statue, there is an inscription on white marble detailing Mahatma Gandhi's visits to Shimla. It is worth mentioning that earlier there were some errors in this description. But thanks to Vinod Bhardwaj, and former IAS and famous writer and historian Srinivas Joshi, whose efforts forced the system to correct the inaccuracies in the official records of Gandhi's visits.
Vinod Bhardwaj is of the opinion that the new generation needs to connect with the rich history of Shimla. "It is important to educate the younger generation about Mahatma Gandhi's Shimla connection. The administration should also make efforts to promote historical places like Chadwick House to keep the memories alive," he says.
