Nitish plans grand Champaran centenary

AFTER SUCCESSFULLY hosting Prakash Parv celebrations, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has set his eyes on the centenary of Champaran Satyagraha in April.

The Bihar CM, who has started most of his yatras from Champaran, recently visited West Champaran district to take stock of the preparations for the celebrations, which will begin on April 10. The state government has requested the Centre to run special trains between Porbandar and Motihari so that people from Mahatma Gandhi’s native place can easily visit Champaran.

The education department will be the nodal agency for the function. Art and culture and tourism departments will assist the education department.

The Dalai Lama and Nobel laureate Amartya Sen are likely to attend the function.

A government official said, “Gandhi Peace Foundation has played a key role in preparations. The international convention centre near Gandhi Maidan is being given final shape and will be inaugurated by the CM before the celebrations. Padyatras will be taken out on roads Mahatma Gandhi took on his way from Patna to Champaran.”

JD(U) spokesperson KC Tyagi told The Indian Express: “Champaran centenary celebrations will give us a great opportunity to introduce Gandhi to new generations. There could not be a bigger secular and tolerant leader than Mahatma Gandhi. We will invite Gandhian scholars from across the world.”