Mahatma Gandhi’s time in Delhi, particularly his stay at Birla House, which was renamed Gandhi Smriti after his assassination there in 1948, will be showcased by the Delhi government in its tableau during the Republic Day parade this year.
According to two Delhi government officials, Delhi’s entry for the parade was accepted by the Centre. This year being the 150th birth anniversary of the father of the nation, the Ministry of Defence had made Gandhi the theme for the Republic Day parade.
An official said that Mahatma Gandhi had spent 720 days of his life in Delhi, including the last 144 days of his life at Birla House. Following his assassination, Gandhi Smriti was developed as a museum dedicated to him. The official said Delhi’s tableau, which the Tourism Department is responsible for, would showcase Gandhi Smriti.
According to the department, Gandhi had visited St. Stephen’s College in 1915 along with his wife after returning from South Africa that year. He had inaugurated Tibbia College in 1921. He had also worked extensively for the upliftment of residents of Valmiki Basti and stayed there from 1946 to 1947. While Delhi did not have a tableau in the 2018 parade, the Aam Aadmi Party government had showcased its work in the field of education with its tableau in 2017.
