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Sarvodaya leader Dhaddha marks his 98th birthday

Special Correspondent

JAIPUR: Veteran Sarvodaya and Gandhian leader Siddharaj Dhaddha celebrated his 98th birthday in a cottage ward of Sawai Man Singh Hospital here on Sunday, with a stream of wellwishers congratulating him. Mr. Dhaddha is hospitalised because of his general weakness at the advanced age.

The condition of the nonagenarian leader was ''stable'' with glucose being supplied through a tube injected in his arm. Doctors in SMS Hospital also conducted blood transfusion on him a couple of days ago.

Governors Pratibha Patil of Rajasthan and Nawal Kishore Sharma of Gujarat, and former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot visited Mr. Dhaddha to greet him on his birthday. A large number of Gandhians, Sarvodaya activists and his admirers and followers also went to the hospital to congratulate him and wished him an early recovery.

Mr. Dhaddha has had his movements restricted since last year, when he suffered a paralytic stroke. Despite his frail health, he has been spearheading a campaign against the bottling plant of softdrink giant Coca Cola at Kaladera and a movement resisting the prohibition on the sale of non-iodised salt.#The Sarvodaya leader, deeply inspired by Gandhian thoughts, was involved in the preparations for centenary celebrations of Hind Swaraj before his hospitalisation. He also edits "Satyagraha Meemansa'', a fortnightly Hindi journal which has completed 20 years.

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