Hon'ble Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi flagged off a symbolic 386-kilometre – 25-day long 'Dandi March' from Ahmedabad, which will culminate on April 6 at Dandi in Navsari district from Sabarmati on March 12, 2021, commemorating the 91st anniversary of the historic Dandi March. Shri Narendra Modi also launched the 'Azaadi ka Amrit Mahotsav' event on the occasion. The mahotsav will continue till August 15, 2023. India will celebrate the 75th Independence Day on August 15, 2022.
The honourable Minister of Culture and Vice-Chairman GSDS Shri Prahlad Singh also began his padyatra (march) on this occasion from Sabarmati to Nandiad. Leading a team of almost 27volunteers from Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti along with Director GSDS, Shri Dipanker Shri Gyan and other officials, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel will cover a distance of 75 kilometres before reaching Nadiad. Before reaching Nandiad, he will cover places such as Chandola Talav; Aslali, Bareja, Navagam, Wasna, Matar and Dabhan.
Participating in the yatra are Smt. Geeta Shukla, Research Officer, GSDS, Shri Rizwan Ur Rahman, Shri Jagdish Prasad, Shri Arbindo Mohanty, Shri Dilip Kumar, Shri Narendra Kumar, Shri Yatendra Singh, Shri Praveen Dutt Sharma, Shri Piyush Haldar, Shri Vivek Kumar, Shri Deepak Tiwari, Shri Deepak Pandey, Shri Sunil, Shri Naveen, Shri Mahendra Singh, Shri Dharam Pal, Shri Rakesh Sharma, Shri Harendra, Shri Ganesh, Shri Manish, Shri Dhanraj, Shri Manish Kumar, Shri Dharamraj Kumar, Shri Arvind Kumar and Shri Arun Saini.
Before the padyatra commenced, Director GSDS, Shri Dipanker Shri Gyan cheered up the volunteers from Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti and narrated them about the importance of the Dandi Yatra and asked them to participate with full determination enthusiasm in the interest of nation-building and to remember the martyrs.
The Yatris led by Hon’ble Minister of Culture and VC GSDS Shri Prahlad Singh Patel started from Sabarmati Ashram, passing through Aslali and reached Jaitalpur, where he offered his salutations to Lord Swami Narayan at the Swami Narayan Dham (Mandir) and also sought the blessings of Rev. P.P.Swamiji, the Mahant of the Dham. He then reached Bareja on Day two. It was at Navagam, where Gandhiji had also halted her on March 13, 1930 during his epic Salt Satyagraha that the padyatris had halted on March 13, 2021. Shri Devusinh Chauhan, hon’ble Member of Parliament from Kheda Gujarat also joined Shri Prahlad Singh Patel here.
On March 14, as the yatris led by the Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (I/C) and Vice Chairperson GSDS Shri Prahlad Singh Patel left from Navagam Dharamshala, Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, honourable Shri Giriraj Singh joined the yatris on the occasion. They reached the Primary School of Govindpura, where in 1930 Mahatma Gandhi had stayed, where a grand welcome was given by the locals to the padyatris. Shri Prahlad Singh Patel offered tributes at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi.
Travelling through the pious land of Gujarat the padyatris reached Vashna (Vasna) Bujarg by the evening. The yatra then proceeded towards Matar, a village, where Mahatma Gandhi had halted during the night of March 14, 1930 and where he led a prarthana sabha. Here an inter-faith prayer organised at Shri Natarwal Chottalal Parik Sarvodaya Vinay Mandir in Matar village. Here Shri Prahlad Singh Patel along with other dignitaries, were given a warm welcome.
Addressing the gathering that included the yatris besides many other people from the Matar Village, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel said that there is a need to rededicate ourselves to the cause of nation and live our dreams of making India strong, vibrant and self-reliant.
A drama on ‘Salt Satyagraha’ and a musical presentation were other highlights of the evening programme on March 14, 2021.
The fourth day of the Dandi Yatra began in the morning from Matar on March 15, 2021. At Matar, the sight of children and women showering rose petals on the padyatris led by Shri Prahlad Singh Patel brought in tears of joy to many eyes as they proceeded on their journey from Matar to Dabhan.
On route to Nadiad, the Yatris reached Dabhan Dharamshala via Sokhra, Sandhana, Palana, Davra. It was in Dabhan Dharamshala that Gandhiji had also rested during his epic 1930 march to Dandi. Shri Prahlad Singh Patel thereafter led the Padyatra from Dabhan for Nadiad.
The yatris then reached New English School & C B Patel Arts College in the late afternoon of March 15, 2021. Local Artists through a rich colourful presentation of the art and culture of Gujarat, the land of saints and seers and of Mahatma Gandhi, extended their greetings to Shri Prahlad Singh Patel as he led the Padyatris to Patel Chowk where a grand welcome was given to the Union Minister of Culture and VC GSDS along with the Yatris. It was at Patel Chowk in Gujarat where Mahatma Gandhi had halted and addressed the gathering during his epic Dandi March of 1930.
Hon’ble Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Vijay Ramniklal Rupani also marched along from here with Shri Prahlad Singh Patel for the culminating point at Shree Santram Samadhi Sthan (Santram Mandir). The holy room of the Santram Mandir in Nadiad, Gujarat is the place where Mahatma Gandhi had stayed on 15 March 1930.
Here the 75 kilometers Dandi Yatra led by Shri Prahlad Singh Patel culminated. 110 padyatris (foot marchers) from far-flung of the country joined in this Yatra along with Shri Patel. Shri Vijay Ramniklal Rupani, hon’ble Chief Minister of Gujarat; Member of Parliament from Kheda, Shri Devusinh Chauhan; Member of Legislative Assemble, Hon’ble Shri Vikram Singh and others were present at the evening programme that was organised to honour the Yatris.
Shri Prahlad Singh Patel also addressed a huge congregation of the yatris who marched along with him as well as the general public who attended the concluding ceremony. The Union Minister of Culture thanked everyone for their sincerity dedication and commitment and asked them to contribute their services for the development of the nation.
The Yatra, however, is continuing further led by many other leaders which included chief ministers of different states, members of Parliament local leaders, and others and will culminate at Dandi on April 6, 2021.