BRIC Team reports: Hasthampatti in Salem district carries historical significance. It was at a single-storeyed house here that Mahatma Gandhi, as part of his countrywide tour for the abolition of untouchability, stayed during his eight-hour-long visit to Salem in February 1934. Since July 1962, the building has been accommodating the local post office, the place of which was then called Komarasamipatti.
Nearly 35 years later, the postal authorities established a philatelic museum on Gandhiji at a room of about 170 sq.ft on the first floor of the building, which was owned by Natesa Pandaram about 90 years ago. Built in an architectural fashion that illustrated what was prevalent in the British era, the heritage structure has a bust of the Father of the Nation near the portico. When Gandhi came to Tamil NaduSalem held a special significance for him as it was the home town of two Congress stalwarts, C.
Background
Vijiaraghavachariar and P. Varadarajulu Naidu, who was lauded by C. Rajagopalachari ( Rajaji or CR) as “one of the most intelligent and imaginative brains we had in the early Congress in south India with a background of work among the masses.”In August 1920, it was at the residence of Naidu that Gandhiji, Rajaji and their colleague in the Khilafat movement, Shaukat Ali, stayed before leaving for Bengaluru.
Key facts
- Hasthampatti in Salem district carries historical significance.
- Since July 1962, the building has been accommodating the local post office, the place of which was then called Komarasamipatti.
- Built in an architectural fashion that illustrated what was prevalent in the British era, the heritage structure has a bust of the Father of the Nation near the portico.
- When Gandhi came to Tamil NaduSalem held a special significance for him as it was the home town of two Congress stalwarts, C.
- Varadarajulu Naidu, who was lauded by C.
What this means
Vijiaraghavachariar had encouraged Gandhi to persuade fellow Congress members to take to the route of non-cooperation from the traditional constitutional path. At a special session of the All India Congress Committee in Kolkata during September 1920, Vijiaraghavachariar and Motilal Nehru advised him to include the demand in his proposed resolution for “swaraj.” How the Tamils celebrated the Mahatma Visitors taking a look at the stamp collection that was kept on display at the Mahatma Gandhi Philately Museum, India Post Office building, in Hasthampatti where Mahatma Gandhi stayed during his visit to Salem in 1934 | Photo Credit: E.
Lakshmi Narayanan Of his dozen visits to the Madras State between 1896 and 1946, the Mahatma left his footprint in every part he visited. He went to Salem, currently one of the thriving tier-II cities, in 1920, 1923 and 1934. Of this, 1934 was of greater importance as it was then Gandhiji had gone around the country as part of his campaign for the abolition of untouchability.
