A noble mission to uphold ideals of a socialist

PALAKKAD: The Attapadi centre of the Bharath Yatra Trust, founded by former Prime Minister S Chandrasekhar, sprawling over an area of 26 acres, will set up institutions for the welfare of the tribes and minorities, said Sudhindra Bhadoria, the secretary of the trust.Speaking to ‘Express’ after a trust meeting in Attapadi Bhadoria said that the trust has centres in different parts of the country and has invited proposals for new centres from people of various walks of life. The proposals would be sanctioned according to their merits, he said. Asked if the land in Attapadi would be leased out he said that the proposals of interested parties could be discussed and decisions would be taken after consultations with the trust members and locals. However, all institutions will be in memory of Chandrasekhar.He said a convention has been planned in Pune on January 6 where a task force will be constituted for achieving the unfulfilled objectives of the trust. The main objectives of the trust, as envisaged by Chandrasekhar, are to work for providing drinking water and education for all, maintaining communal harmony, health of woman and children. Bhadoria said the trust has been reconstituted with 11 members and has socialist leader Bhai Vaidya as the president and himself as the secretary. The members include Chandrasekhar’s son Neeraj Sekhar, MP from Balia and JD(U) president Sharad Yadav.The Attapadi centre was set up by Chandrasekhar while he undertook the Bharat Yatra from Kanyakumari to Rajghat in New Delhi  in 1983.After the 170-day march Chandra Shekhar utilised these centres to train persons in socialist thinking. “Currently, the Attapadi centre has a building where occasional ecological meets are held for teachers. It is given for meets free of cost. Organic farming is also undertaken though now there are only coconut and arecanut trees. Earlier there was paddy and other crops also which were abandoned due to the menace from wild animals. All types of fruits- mango, gooseberry and pomegranate are grown here. There is a natural forest rich in fauna covering an area of five acres,” said N J Antony who is in charge of the centre.