Note on Visit to Sabarmati Ashram
Carl Malamud, October 5, 2016, Aboard Air India 173
Our car came barreling up the road towards the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, India. The Ashram was where Gandhi lived, and it was where he embarked on his historic march to the sea, making salt in direct violation of the edicts of the Raj, the beginning of that final 18-year push that finally led to Indian homerule.
In the front seat of our car, next to the driver, was Himanshu Vyas, official spokesman for the Congress Party in Gujarat, the state where Ahmedabad is located. Next to me in the back was Dinesh Trivedi, a member of parliament and the former minister of railways. Next to him was the legendary Sam Pitroda, chief technology officer and cabinet minister under two prime ministers and the man who brought the telecommunications revolution to India by placing a phone in every village.
Security was extremely heavy at the gates to the Ashram. It was October 2, Gandhi’s birthday, and a national holiday. The Governor of Gujarat and dignitaries from across the country were inside at the traditional prayer meeting held on his birthday.
As our car turned towards the gate, we were immediately surrounded by police, banging frantically on the roof of the car, yelling at us that we must turn back. Himanshu rolled down his window and shouted “Sam Pitroda! Dinesh Trivedi! Member of Parliament!”
The gate quickly swung open and our car moved rapidly through the mud parking lot and came to a stop close to the building where the prayer meeting was just letting out.
The governor’s car and a dozen army vehicles stood ready at the entrance of the building to escort him out of the Ashram. We got out of our car and Sam and Dinesh were immediately mobbed by a throng of people taking selfies and old friends rushing up to say hello.
Sam and Dinesh extracted themselves from the scrum and moved quickly to greet the Governor on his way out. I stuck close to them so I would not get
17
