Miscellaneous - This Day That Age   

dated October 4, 1957 (there being no issue of the paper dated October 3): Gandhi Jayanti

The nation celebrated on October 2 the 88th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi by launching several National Extension Service schemes as a symbol of its determination to fulfil the dream of rural reconstruction for which Gandhiji struggled during his life time. President Rajendra Prasad, Prime Minister Nehru and other leaders joined millions of their countrymen in celebrating the day marked by mass spinning, singing of the favourite bhajans of Gandhiji and flag salutation ceremonies. Over 50 NES schemes were inaugurated in the States of Bombay, Mysore and Madhya Pradesh and the Ernakulam Municipality launched its campaign to eradicate beggary from the town and provide able-bodied beggars with facilities for training in vocational trades. The Sewagram Ashram, headquarters of Gandhiji for many years, came to life again after two years with the return of many of the inmates who had left to propagate the Bhoodan mission which Acharya Vinoba Bhave started as part of a programme to complete the work Gandhiji had begun when the Ashram was closed on April 18, 1955. The Congress President, Mr. U.N. Dhebar, and the entire village of Sewagram welcomed the All-India Bhoodan Padayatra party which reached the Ashram after trekking over 6,000 miles in the 20 months since it started from Cape Comorin. The 15-member party, led by Dr. Sushila Nayyar, during its yatra across the country received 26 villages in Gramdan, over 2,13,000 acres of land in Bhoodan and Rs.4.90 lakhs in Sampattidan.

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