THE LONG-PENDING demand of setting up of a separate Mahamana Malviya Ghat to commemorate the struggle of Pt. Madan Mohan Malviya towards ‘Ganga Mukti’ re-surfaced on the occasion of Ganga Dussehra on Tuesday.
As part of their efforts to get a separate ghat constructed on the name of founder of the Banaras Hindu University, Pt. Madan Mohan Malviya, the BHU unit of Mahamana Malviya Mission organised a Ganga Pujan Yajna at Samne Ghat area today.
The Vice-Chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth (MGKV), Prof. Surendra Singh Kushwaha performed ‘aahuti’ into the Yajna at the venue of proposed Mahamana Malviya Ghat. Besides, several other prominent personalities such as Prof. VK Dubey, Prof. Udai Prakash, Prof. UP Shahi, Dr. Heeralal Pandey, Dr. Awadhesh Pandey and Dr. Ashok Pandey also offered ‘aahuti’ into the
Yajna.
President of Mahamana Malviya Mission, Prof. Deenbandhu Pandey said that the main objective of this programme was to draw attention of State government towards long-pending proposal of setting up of this ghat along the holy river Ganga in Samne Ghat area. “Pt. Mahamana Madan Mohan Malviya was among pioneer personalities who fought for the cause of Ganga freedom”, he said.
Prof. Pandey, also former head of Ancient Indian History and Culture Department at BHU, said that Malviyaji had organised a grand public movement for Ganga Mukti in Haridwar in the year 1916 due to which the British Government had to bow before Malviyaji and ensure a smooth flow of Ganga. “No time was better than Ganga Dashahara to commemorate the contribution of Malviyaji towards the freedom of Ganga and voice our demand to construct a ghat on the name of Malviyaji,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Prof. Pandey, also former head of Ancient Indian History and Culture Department at BHU, said that Malviyaji had organised a grand public movement for Ganga Mukti in Haridwar in the year 1916 due to which the British Government had to bow before Malviyaji and ensure a smooth flow of Ganga. “No time was better than Ganga Dashahara to commemorate the contribution of Malviyaji towards the freedom of Ganga and voice our demand to construct a ghat on the name of Malviyaji,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“A team of engineers of BHU and Irrigation Department had forwarded a proposal of constructing a Mahamana Malviya Ghat with a total expenditure of around Rs 9 crore to the State government in the year 2001 but no action has been taken in this regard till now,” he said.
He also added that the time had come now that the State Government should set up a separate ghat dedicated to Pt. Mahamana Madan Mohan Malviya to commemorate his struggle towards freedom of Ganga.