Study visit of Prof Basvaraj N. Akki

 Research Project on Mahatma Gandhi and the Belgaum INC Session of 1924

Dr. Basvaraj N. Akki, Professor of History (Rtd.), Government First Grade College Dandeli,  Uttara Kannada District, Karnataka, came to Sevagram Ashram, on 23^rd July and stayed here upto  30 th July, 2024. He is currently engaged in a Research Project of Indian Council of Historical Research, New Delhi entitled History of Freedom Movement in Bombay Karnataka. He is in the final stage of his research work. He used the archival collections of Library and Research Centre of the Sevagram Ashram Pratishthan during his stay here. He consulted Dr. Siby K. Joseph, Director of the Centre for guidance and assistance. They also discussed a research project coinciding with the centenary of Indian National Congress Session held at Belgaum, Karnataka in 1924. This was the only session held in Karnataka and presided over by Mahatma Gandhi himself. It is pertinent to note that even though Gandhi associated with Congress for a quite long time this was the only session he took the Presidentship of the INC session.  A preliminary outline of the work was discussed and decided to work on a project entitled Mahatma Gandhi and the Belgaum INC Session of 1924. The outcome of this project will be published in a book form.  The responsibility  of the execution of the project will be jointly undertaken by the Director of the Centre, Dr. Siby K. Joseph and Dr. Basavaraj N. Akki, a historian and expert in archives. Efforts will be made to finish the project at the earliest and disseminate the outcome coinciding with the Centenary of the session. It was also decided to create a separate archive of 1924 Belgaum Congress consisting of photographs, documents and other archival materials in the Library and Research Centre of Sevagram Ashram Pratishthan relating to the same taking note of its historic significance.