Background

It was 30th January 1948 that Mahatma Gandhi, the architect of India's independence was assassinated by a fanatic. This grim tragedy befell the nation when the wounds of partition were still bleeding. There are few parallels in the world's history to the massive migration of people which took place from the newly born Pakistan into India and from India into Pakistan and the enormous amount of misery and devastation it brought in its train. What was worse was brutalizing of human nature which was taking place in our two countries and the many new tragedies that lay concealed in it. It was the brutalization which Gandhiji was heroically fighting with his well known weapons of truth, non-violence, fellow feeling and compassion. With all the wrong and brutal things that were taking place, people still listened to him and responded to his healing touch in many places and drew back from the path of hate, revenge and violence. But there were not few in the country who hated this healing touch and the message it embodied. There conception of strength and justice was more in the line of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth and its more aggressive forms. These misguided men saw the cure of India's ills in the violent removal of Gandhiji from the Indian scene. And this one of their representatives did when on fateful evening Gandhiji was proceeding to his prayer meeting. The whole world felt the impact of Gandhiji's assassination. The common mass of humanity in almost all parts of world was deeply shocked by the tragedy and world leaders came out spontaneously with their heartfelt tributes.

The Beginning

Overcoming the shock of the assassination of Mahatma, top leaders of the grateful nation decided to perpetuate his memories and under the Chairmanship of Dr. Rajendra Prasad constituted an eleven members committee. J.B. Kriplani and J.C. Kumarappa were its Secretaries. Other members were Jawahar Lal Nehru, Sardar Patel, Maulana Azad, Rajgopalachari, Raj Kumari Amrit Kaur, Jagjeewan Ram, Dev Das Gandhi, and Jai Ram Das Doulat Ram. It decided to raise a fund and resolve to create a Gandhi Memorial Trust, the Central Gandhi Smarak Nidhi.

In 1958 the Central Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya Samiti, constituted by the Nidhi in 1955, decided to setup a Gandhi Sangrahalaya in Bihar. But the location was not immediately finalised. For the implementation of the programme in Bihar, Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya Samiti was constituted in 1959 with 14 members. The then Chief Minister, Dr. Shri Krishna Singh was nominated its Chairman. In the beginning, Motihari was selected for the location of the Sangrahalaya and formalities for acquiring a suitable site was completed. But in the light of the recommendation of an expert committee, constituted to consider the technical aspects of the project, the idea of building the Sangrahalaya at Motihari was dropped. And from the utility and service points of view Patna was considered an appropriate place for the Gandhi Sangrahalaya and Library. The task of search for a suitable location was entrusted to the Bihar Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya Samiti by the Govt. of Bihar and finally the present site was located and on 9th November 1967, the present complex was handed over to the Samiti for setting up the Sangrahalaya.

The Management

Till the middle of July 1971, Bihar Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya Samiti was a unit of the Central Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya Samiti, New Delhi. In the light of the decision of the Central Committee to make the five existing units (Ahmadabad, Madurai, Bairakpore, Mumbay, Patna) autonomous bodies, it also became autonomous and a self-governing institution. It was also decided to get the Samiti registered under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860. In the first meeting of the newly constituted Society held on 23rd July 1971, the Memorandum of Association and Rules and Regulations were adopted. After registration it became the basic guideline (Constitution) of the day to day working of the Samiti.

With the lapse of time and acquired experience, the Samiti felt the necessity to amend certain clauses of the Memorandum of Association and Rules and Regulations suited to the circumstances. At its meeting held on 18th December 1978, the Chairman was authorised to constitute a sub-committee to suggest suitable amendments and changes in the Memorandum of Association and Rules and Regulations. The Chairman, Sri Krishnakant Singh constituted a sub-committee comprising of Shri Kumar Kaushalendra Prasad Narayan Singh, Shri Prabhunath Tiwari and Dr. Razi Ahmad for that purpose. The sub-committee met on 23rd March 1979, and suggested certain amendments and changes. Those amendments and changes were adopted by the Samiti at its meeting held on 9th March 1998, and now they are enshrined in the present Memorandum of Association and Rules and Regulation of the Samiti.

Construction Phase

The Samiti started the Sangrahalaya activities on a modest scale and pictures covering the life and activities of Mahatma Gandhi were displayed in small rooms of the old building. Acharya Badrinath Verma, a close associate of Maulana Mazharul Haque and Dr. Rajendra Prasad and former Education Minister of Bihar, inaugurated the first gallery on December 16, 1967.

In 1975, the then Governor of Bihar, Dr. R.D. Bhandare unveiled the huge white statue of Mahatma Gandhi on 10th June. On March 12th , 1976, the then Speaker of Lok Sabha Sri Baliram Bhagat inaugurated the newly constructed picture gallery. Sri Sadiq Ali, a prominent freedom fighter and associate of Jawahar Lal Nehru, Chairman of the National Gandhi Sangrahalaya Samiti, New Delhi, presided over the inaugural function . On 2nd October 1977, the then Governor of Bihar Sri Jagannath Kaushal inaugurated the Library Hall. The following year on 2nd October 1978, the then Education Minister Sri Thakur Prasad Singh inaugurated the Conference Hall (Present Kasturba Gandhi Conference Hall). In 1979, Sri Jai Prakash Narayan inaugurated the Guest House. On 2nd Oct. 1997, the then Governor of Bihar Dr. A. R. Qidwai opened the Gandhi Sahitya Kendra. On 9th August 1998, Sri Sadiq Ali inaugurated the 2nd Conference Hall ( Present Badshah Khan Conference Hall). The function was presided over by the then Governor of Bihar, Sri Sunder Singh Bhandari. Sri Sadiq Ali was felicitated on the occasion, as he happened to be one of the Secretaries of the All India Congress Committee, Mumbai, when on 9th August 1942, Quit India Resolution was adopted. On 2nd October 1998, the then Governor of Bihar, Sri Sunder Singh Bhandari and Sri Devendra Prasad Singh jointly unveiled the huge statue "Hindustan Hamara" in the campus. Justice Sarwar Ali opened the 256 sq. ft. Mural on 2nd October 1999. On 9th December 2006, the present Governor Dr. R.S. Gawai opened the Gandhi-Tagore Mandap in the campus. On 30th January 2007, H. E. Governor of Bihar, Dr. R. S. Gawai and Hon'ble Chief Minister of Bihar, Sri Nitish Kumar jointly inaugurated the Satyagarah-Shatabdi-Smarak-Mandap. It has been constructed with the financial assistance of Gandhi Darshan and Smirti Samiti, New Delhi and Concept Committee, Bihar.