Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur attended a meeting organized at Rashtrapati Bhawan for discussing the preparations for year long celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi ji’s 150th Birth Anniversary from 2ndOctober 2018 to 2nd October 2019 at New Delhi today. The meeting was chaired by Sh Ramnath Kovind President. Shri Venkaiah Naidu Vice President and Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi were present in the meeting.Shri Jai Ram Thakur while presenting the action plan of Himachal Pradesh informed that state government was making elaborate plans to celebrate the occasion in a befitting manner.He said that Shimla was a historical place and Mahatma Gandhi Ji visited Shimla several times between 1921 to 1946 and stayed at 10 places including Shanti Kutiya in Chakkar, Manor Ville in Summer Hill etc and trial of Nathuram Godse was held at Peterhoff. He said that all the sites associated with him will be converted into Cultural Heritage Commemorative Circuit under the Scheme of APURSA (Aaj Purani Rahon Se). Special cultural guides will be entrusted to these circuits, he added.
Chief Minister said that souvenirs of Mahatma Gandhi Ji’s statue installed at Ridge with other memorabilia will be made for sale, converted into posters, comic books and posted in special gallery in the museum . He said that various competitions, seminars, plays in schools, universities, colleges will be held on Gandhi Ji’s life especially based on My Experiments with Truth and freedom struggle.He said that a Coffee Table book will be made on Gandhi Ji’s Shimla Chapter of freedom struggle from 1921-46 besides adding nostalgic sound bytes from Shimla people recollecting Gandhi Ji in a film titled ‘’ In the footsteps of the Mahatma -the Shimla Chapter ‘’.Shri Jai Ram Thakur said that a Jugalbandi fusion of dance, music, theatre based on Gandhi Ji’s favourite bhajans, an on the spot painting by many will capture the Shimla Chapter of his Life.Chief Ministers of various states were present in the meeting.