Villagers seek memorial tag for Gandhiji’s Navalihal stay

Belagavi: Many places visited by Mahatma Gandhi have been preserved as memorials, but the house where he stayed in Navalihal village of Chikodi taluk has been left abandoned. Gandhiji visited the village on March 7-8, 1934, during the Harijan Uddhar and Gramoddhar movements. Villagers have now urged the state govt to declare the building a memorial and preserve its historical importance.Mahatma Gandhi toured Karnataka nine decades ago during the freedom movement. He had stayed for two days in the house belonging to Akshay Chand Gujjar, a businessman in Navalihal.
Gandhiji had planted a sapling to commemorate his visit. A well was constructed near the residence for drinking water, which is still called 'Gandhi Bavi' by residents. With the aim of providing free health services to the poor, Rajaram Maharaj of Kolhapur and Gandhiji had started the ‘Mission Hospital' in the same village. Unfortunately, the house where Gandhiji stayed, the well built through community donations, and the building that houses the free hospital are on the verge of collapse. Villagers, including Sachin Hukkeri, the president of the gram panchayat, said the dilapidated house should be preserved as a memorial and an information plaque detailing Gandhiji's visit should be installed.Rekha Mehta, the owner of the house where Gandhiji stayed, said they would be happy if the Gandhi memorial is renovated. They are ready to give up the land in lieu of reasonable compensation.Rajesh Burli, the tahsildar of Chikodi, said since the house is a private property, prompt restoration could not be ensured. If the property is transferred to the panchayat, a restoration plan report will be prepared and sent to the govt.A short story titled ‘Gandhiji in Our Village', authored by Vishwanath Dhumal, a teacher from Navalihal, offers some consolation as it chronicles the details of Gandhiji's visit.