The Modi government may be trying to trace Mahatma Gandhi’s footsteps in Porbandar to woo foreign investment, but guess what’s been relegated to garbage dump status? The spot where the Mahatma created history in 1930 by embarking on his famous Dandi march. The entrance to the historic Dandi Bridge lies forgotten these days with people finding a new use for it: to dump trash. The present state is so bad that even politicians are unaware of this bridge’s past. BJP leader of the Opposition in Bihar State Assembly Sushil Kumar Modi says he’s greatly influenced by Gandhi and was at Sabarmati Ashram with his wife yesterday. Asked if he knew about the Dandi Bridge and its role in the freedom struggle, his response was: ‘‘I am not aware of any such bridge.’’With pigs and dogs running amok through the garbage, the bridge doesn’t show any glimpses of its glorious past. A youth living nearby said he had never seen the bridge being cleaned.Sarvodaya leader Chunibhai Vaidya said, ‘‘What the state is doing is a make-believe to show they believed in Gandhian ideals.their agenda is to erase everything that brings alive his memories and at the same time cash on his name to attract foreign investments.’’Managing trustee of the Ashram Amritbhai Modi said people should be responsible and maintain the monuments. About the neglect, municipal standing committee chairman Jayantilal Parmar said: ‘‘We are aware of its condition. Once our heritage cell is ready with a new design, this bridge will be back to its glory.’’
