‘Nagaland’s Gandhi’ Natwar Thakkar ill, low-key Gandhi Jayanti celebration at ashram

Guwahati, October 2, 2018:

It was a low-key celebration of “Gandhi Jayanti” at the Nagaland Gandhi Ashram in Chuchuyimlang town in the state. The locals spent most of their time praying for Natwar Thakkar, the ashram’s founder who is ill and hospitalised in Guwahati.

The 86-year-old Thakkar, who is a Gandhian and a Padma Shree, had set up the Gandhi ashram at Chuchuyimlang in 1955. It was owing to his efforts to spread Gandhian philosophy in Nagaland and his social work that Thakkar is known as “Nagaland's Gandhi”.

He fell ill on September 9 and was subsequently, hospitalised in Dimapur town. On September 20, he was admitted to the Apollo Hospital in Guwahati as advised by the doctors in Dimapur.

According to family sources, the renowned Gandhian was showing signs of recovery.

“His health condition is improving. He was in and out of ventilation support. He has now been out of ventilator. His illness started with high fever and then there were other complications including chest congestion etc. He is now breathing by himself,” Thakkar’s son Aochuba told InsideNe on Tuesday.

He said even though Thakkar was not physically present in Chuchuyimlang, the locals there celebrated Gandhi Jayanti.

“The Gandhi ashram and two institutes that he founded – National Institute of Electronics & Information Technology and Mahatma Gandhi Academy of Human Development – celebrated the day. The people offered special prayers for his speedy recovery. The Church and the Chuchuyimlang Village Council too participated in the prayers. There was a candlelight prayers organised by students and faculty of the two institutes,” Aochuba said.