Of Gandhi landmarks in Pakistan: Mostly gone!

What is unique about a cornerstone inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi in Karachi in 1934? It is one of few relics related to Gandhi that has stood test of time in Pakistan.

plaque of Karachi Chamber of Commerce still greets onlookers as a reminder of ar era, a time when a robust nationalist vision was sweeping through India - from Karachi to Mysore, Peshawar to Chittagong.

Very often, ministrator of building h to get cornerstone cleaned and to protect it against vandalism, it has been recently covered by transparent glass.

This detail finds mentions in latest issue of Equator Line magazine.

Written on plaque is: Karachi Indian Merchants Association/This Foundation Stone was laid by Mahatma Gandhi/ 8th day of July 1934.

t far from Karachi Chamber of Commerce is a structure, across Urdu Bazaar and next to old Rio Pakistan building - an emblem of Gandhi on cast-iron railing, evocative of heyday of an anti-colonial struggle, says Dr Shershah Syed.

ornate icon at centre of a flowery bouquet moulded over railing takes a pattern as it features on every balcony of building visible from every side of ro, Syed, who is founder of National Forum on Women's Health in Pakistan, writes.

He also talks of a big Gandhi statue that h stood on top floor of a building on Frere Ro. At some point, statue disappeared. It is longer re.

re stood ar Gandhi statue in Cantonment Ro but it was removed in 1950, he says.

According to Syed, a municipal park in Karachi was kwn as Gandhi Garden, where small political and social garings used to take place. This landmark has long disappeared along with its name and location.

present Zoological garden in heart of Karachi was called Gandhi garden too. But w, its name has been officially changed to Karachi Zoological Garden.

magazine's issue has been dedicated to Gandhi. Besides several articles, it has two interviews of Chipko movement spearhe and Gandhian Sunderlal Bahuguna and Gandhi's granddaughter Tara Gandhi Bhattacharjee.

Indian culture has absorbed Gandhian ethos as much as epics. He has been mythicised as much as men and women populating world of epics. consequences of any attempt to alter deep patterns of our society could only be terrible, writes Bhaskar Roy in editorial.