Plans to invite former US President Barack Obama for December event
A file photo of Mahatma Gandhi at the 39th Congress Plenary in Belagavi on December 26, 1924.
Photo Credits: The Goan
BELAGAVI
Karnataka Congress plans to invite former US President Barack Obama to a December event in Belagavi, marking 100 years since Mahatma Gandhi presided over the Indian National Congress's 1924 session. The event aims to honour Gandhi's legacy as a global leader.
According to party leaders, Karnataka Congress is planning to celebrate the centenary year celebrations of the 39th Congress Plenary session in December this year. This was the only session that was presided over by Mahatma Gandhiji in 1924.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday said former US President Barack Obama will be invited in December, where the Karnataka Congress plans to commemorate the centenary of the event in Belagavi around December 2024.
The Karnataka government has erected a memorial called Veer Soudha in Tilakwadi, Belagavi where the stage for the historic session was set. A well identified as Congress Well was also dug as the memory of the plenary session.
The session held for three days starting December 26, 1924 was one of the significant events in the nation's history. The said session was also an important milestone in India’s struggle for freedom where the youth of the nation was motivated to take an active part in the freedom struggle and also bolstered the freedom movement.
According to records, national leaders like Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Sarojini Naidu, Abdul Gaffar Khan, Moulana Azad and Gangadhar Rao Deshpande attended it. Scores of freedom fighters from Belagavi and surrounding regions had attended this three-day session.
“Mahatma Gandhi visited Belagavi at least six times during the freedom struggle. While the freedom movement was at its peak in 1916, Gandhiji had come to Belagavi along with Balagangadhar Tilak despite several youth leaders' requests to Gandhiji not to visit Belagavi as the British authorities were closely monitoring the developments. However, Gandhiji had said that except for his death, nothing could prevent him from coming to Belagavi,” said Subhash Kulkarni, noted journalist and son of a freedom fighter.
