Yes, I know this — these were the words from US president Barack Obama when his guides for the tour of the Gandhi memorial Mani Bhavan showed him exhibits and explained their
history.
The guides, veteran Gandhians like Usha Gokani, Mahatma Gandhi’s grand daughter, Vasant Pradhan, chairman of the Mani Bhavan trust and Usha Thackker, trustee, were surprised at Obama’s deep knowledge of Gandhi and his teachings.
It struck them that the American president seemed to know about most stories from Gandhi’s life that the memorial seeks to tell visitors.
Usha Trivedi, a trustee who has been associated with Mani Bhavan for more than 50 years, had a short conversation with Obama. “I told him about Dr Martin Luther King’s stay in 1959, the visit later by his son, Martin Luther King III and now his visit. He was happy to know that and shook hands with me,” she said.
Gokani said, “He is a well-read man and knows a lot about Gandhiji’s life. He seemed to have loved the tour of the memorial because he looked very relaxed.”
The simple, vernacular-styled, two-storied building on Laburnum Road was where Gandhiji stayed whenever he visited Mumbai between 1917 and 1934.
It was later converted into a museum and research centre. Obama and Michelle Obama spent about 45 minutes at the memorial, paying homage to the saint of non-violence and probably thinking of the president’s idol, Dr King, who stayed at the building for two days, some 51 years ago.
Martin Luther King III visited Mani Bhavan in February 2009 and spent some time in the same room in Mani Bhavan where his father spent two days.
Obama has repeatedly said he had always looked up to Gandhi as an inspiration. “He embodies the kind of transformational change that can be made when ordinary people come together to do extraordinary things. That is why his portraits hang in my senate office,” he had said two years ago during the presidential poll campaign.
Obama put a garland of cotton around a bust of Gandhi at the memorial. He also visited the room that Gandhi occupied during his visits to Mumbai, the picture gallery, the library hall and the terrace, from where Gandhi was arrested on January 4, 1932.
He also visited the special section for Gandhi’s books in the library. After the tour, the American first couple met all the museum trustees who had gathered in one room. They shook hands and also clicked photographs with all of them.
Meghshyam Ajgaonkar, executive secretary of Mani Bhavan Gandhi Sangrahalaya, told DNA, “He could not have a special interaction with us because of the tight schedule.”
As he left the library, the US president told museum officials that he would come back one day with his daughters, Malia and Sasha.
