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Visit of the President of India

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  Prez Murmu visits Sevagram Ashram in Wardha; impresses locals with simplicity and curiosity President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday visited the historic Sevagram Ashram in Maharashtra’s Wardha, touring Mahatma Gandhi’s residence, including Bapu Kuti, Ba Kuti, and Adi Niwas. During her visit, she paid tributes to Gandhi, toured the premises, and took a keen interest in the historical significance of each location. The President also participated in a prayer meeting, planted a sapling to support environmental sustainability, and engaged in traditional thread spinning (sut katayi). Accompanying the President were Governor Jishnu Dev Varma, state Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Guardian Minister Dr Pankaj Bhoyar, and Collector Vanmathi C., among other dignitaries. The residents of the Ashram were deeply moved by the President’s visit, citing her remarkable simplicity and her asking detailed, thoughtful questions. While examining the preserved artefacts of Mahatma Gandhi’s dai...
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Reflections on Jallianwala Bagh

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Walking Alone, Walking Together: Tagore and Gandhi on Jallianwala Bagh Siby K. Joseph On the eve of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, I wrote a brief piece titled The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre: Gandhi’s Shift from Loyalty to Rebellion. In response, a friend pointed out that Tagore returned his knighthood during this period, marking the first significant difference between Tagore and Gandhi regarding their course of action in a public cause. Because I had not referred to Tagore’s renunciation of his knighthood or Gandhi’s return of his Kaiser-i-Hind medal in 1920, I was prompted to look into their correspondence concerning the nationwide "Satyagraha" against the Rowlatt Act. On 5th April 1919, Gandhi wrote to Tagore seeking "a message of hope and inspiration for those who have to go through the fire." Gandhi acknowledged that he valued even "adverse opinions from friends," as they serve as "lighthouses to give out warnings of dangers lying in the stormy p...
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107th anniversary of the Jallianwala Bagh

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  The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre: Gandhi’s Shift from Loyalty to Rebellion By  Siby K. Joseph After leading Satyagraha in South Africa from 1906 to 1914, Gandhi returned to India in January 1915. While his early intervention in Champaran in 1917 demonstrated the power of non-violence, its scope remained localized. In 1919, the British government enacted the Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act, popularly known as the Rowlatt Act, to suppress rising nationalist sentiment. Gandhi viewed this law as a "shock" designed to "rob the people of all real freedom" and called upon the public to offer Satyagraha against the oppressive act. In Amritsar, renowned national leaders Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlu and Dr. Satyapal organised protests against the Rowlatt Act. People from all sects participated in peaceful gatherings at Jallianwala Bagh. This led to significant misunderstandings among the British authorities, who subsequently ordered the arrest and deportation of both Kitchlu ...
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Lokmat News IFPNP IV

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  Lokmat ePaper - http://epaper.lokmat.com/articlepage.php?articleid=LOK_HWAD_20260329_2_6
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Ramchandra Pradhan Memorial Symposium

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 Legacy of Gandhian  Scholarship and Compassion: A Tribute to Ramchandra Pradhan Siby K. Joseph   I  had  privilege of meeting and spending  significant time with Dr. Ramchandra Pradhan in 2009- the centenary year of Hind Swaraj -while  I was  serving as the Dean of Studies and Research at the Institute of Gandhian Studies, Wardh,an institution founded in memory of Jamnalal Bajaj. At that time, following a distinguished teaching career spanning several decades, he had retired as a Reader from the Political Science Department at Ramjas College, Delhi University, and was deeply engaged in research regarding the Indian Socialist Movement. Dr. Pradhan was already a distinguished figure in Gandhian circles, highly regarded for his scholarly works such as Raj to Swaraj, Reading and Reappraising Gandhi, and Colonialism in India. To commemorate the Hind Swaraj centenary,  the Institute organised an international seminar in collaboration with the Gand...
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Official Declaration of Peace Fellows of IFPNP IV 2025–26

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 From Students to Peace Fellows: A Global Commitment to Nonviolence in a War-Weary World The Fourth International Online Fellowship Programme on Nonviolence and Peace (IFPNP IV) reached its final milestone on March 24, 2026, with the formal declaration of Peace Fellows and the issuance of certifications. Following a rigorous evaluation of monthly assignments and comprehensive project reports submitted by fellows through February, 33 participants were officially designated as Peace Fellows. This four-month initiative was inaugurated on October 2, 2025, to mark the International Day of Nonviolence, and concluded its academic sessions on January 30, 2026, the anniversary of the martyrdom of Mahatma Gandhi. The programme was a collaborative global effort involving Sevagram Ashram Pratishthan (India), Gandhi International (France), the Academic University for Non-Violence and Human Rights (AUNOHR) (Lebanon), the International Centre of Nonviolence (ICON) at the Durban University of Tech...
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Interview with Radha Behn Bhatt by Siby K Joseph Vivek Kumar Shaw

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  Gandhi Marg Quarterly 47(3): 364–370 © 2025 Gandhi Peace Foundation, New Delhi http://gandhimargjournal.org/ ISSN 0016—4437  Interview  with  Radha Behn Bhatt  Siby K. Joseph  Vivek Kumar Shaw   IN KAUSANI, A TRANQUIL mountain setting, Radha Behn Bhatt, recipient of the Padma Shri in 2025, embodies a life dedicated to social work, aligned with Gandhi’s principles of truth, non-violence, and creativity. At 18, she left home to serve society shortly after India’s independence, embodying Gandhi’s vision of a renewed nation. Throughout her life, Radha Behn has contributed significantly to organizations like Lakshmi Ashram and the Gandhi Peace Foundation, championing women’s rights, rural development, and environmental conservation. Her activism includes pivotal movements to protect the Himalayas and foster inter-community peace, nurturing a connection between humanity and nature amidst the challenges of modernity. Even at 92, her spirit inspires youth, a...
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