The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Keeping spirit of ‘Gandhigiri’ alive

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Oct 14, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Keeping spirit of ‘Gandhigiri’ alive

Suresh Krishnamoorthy

The Mauritian Government has accepted Edida Gopala Rao’s proposal of making a film on the Mahatma’s visit to Mauritius

Inspired role: Edida Gopala Rao in Mauritius.

HYDERABAD: He swears he has been an ardent admirer of the Mahatma since childhood. With a diploma in theatre arts, writing as a passion and serving as a radio artiste for most of his life, he strove to follow Mahatma Gandhi’s preachings.

The turning point came post retirement. In 2002, 70-year-old Edida Gopala Rao donned the robes of the Father of the Nation for the first time in a drama called ‘Bapu Cheppina Mata’ (Bapu’s Sayings). His mission, he says, is to propagate Gandhism or ‘Gandhigiri’ -- as it is now more popularly known -- and remind people of the need for peace.

And so, he goes on playing the role of Mahatma Gandhi as many times as he can. Thus far, he has enacted the role 59 times, including performing at the Wagah border between India and Pakistan.

‘Dandi March’

More recently, he has taken part in the symbolic ‘Dandi March’ in New Delhi, with none other than Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy for company.

Mr. Rao calls his trip to Mauritius in the first week of October ‘memorable’ for that’s when he could meet President Anirudh Jugunnauth. The septuagenarian was representing India at the 5th International Writers Conference conducted by Mauritian Writers’ Association on October 2 and 3, with the theme ‘Peace: The only Pathway to Sanity’.

In a one-on-one with Mauritius President and Ministers handling the portfolios of art, culture, environment and education, he suggested that a feature film could be made on the Mahatma’s visit to Mauritius. The proposal was received favourably. Apart from directing the film himself, Mr. Rao will don the robes of Gandhi again, while all other artistes will be Mauritian.

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