В Керале заброшен дом и офис борца за свободу Раджаваджи, ученика Ганди

The house where freedom fighter N.P. Raghava Pothuval, popularly known as Raghavji, lived and worked for Gandhian ideals now stands neglected at Shoranur in Palakkad, Kerala. So does the office from where he promoted self-reliance. Raghavji was among the 78 followers who accompanied Mahatma Gandhi on the historic Dandi March in 1930. A close disciple of Gandhi, he devoted his life to his ideals. His niece N.P. Sarala remembers him as a man who remained committed to Gandhian values until the end. “He kept his commitment to Gandhiji and his ideals until the end. Self-reliance and service remained central to his life,” she recalls. Born in 1906, Raghavji studied at schools at Kavassery and Shoranur before joining Visva-Bharati, founded by Rabindranath Tagore. He went to the Sabarmati Ashram in 1927 and decided to return home only after India gained independence. He joined Gandhi’s march to Dandi to oppose the British salt law. After Gandhi was arrested at Karadi, Raghavji and the other volunteers continued the protest. “Raghavji was later arrested at Dharasana and taken to Mambalam Jail in Chennai, where Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was among his fellow prisoners,” Sarala recalls. After Independence, Raghavji worked to promote Gandhi’s vision of self-reliant villages. He turned his 3.5-acre ancestral property on the banks of the Bharathapuzha at Paruthipra into an ashram-like centre. A handloom centre there trained people in spinning and other village industries. The centre also promoted sesame cultivation, gingelly oil production, honey farming and soap making. Raghavji continued the work until his death in December 1992. The words ‘Swayam Prakashitha Giri Sadanam', meaning a dwelling that shines by itself, remain on the walls of his home. The words reflect the self-reliant life he sought to build. His contribution was recognised nationally. Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi invited him to Dandi and felicitated him. Gandhi memorabilia Raghavji also preserved letters written by Gandhi and other memorabilia. Many were lost over the years. “He had very few possessions. Some gifts and an old wristwatch were among the things he kept. He was deeply saddened by the loss of many of the letters and other memorabilia,” Sarala says. Social activist Prasad K. Shoranur sees the neglect of Raghavji’s home as a sign of the fading Gandhian legacy. He founded the Gandhi Seva Vedi in 2014, on Raghavji’s 22nd death anniversary, to keep his memory alive. Raghavji had donated his house and office to the Sarvodaya Sangham to promote Gandhian ideals. The premises, once a centre of Gandhian activity, now stand largely abandoned, with little upkeep and few visitors. Mr. Prasad has documented Raghavji’s life through a blog. He has demanded that a major road leading to Raghavji’s ancestral area in Shoranur municipality should be named after him. For those who remember Raghavji, preserving his memory also means preserving the values he lived by: self-reliance, service and simple living. Published - August 15, 2026 03:54 pm IST