A flashback to the pre-independence era

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:  Historic moments in black and white and sepia tones mark the photo exhibition on freedom struggle organised by the Kerala Hindi Prachar Sabha, which kicked off on its Vazhuthacaud campus here on Wednesday.   The photo exhibition has a display of rare photos related to the freedom struggle and Mahatma Gandhi. The photos include the birthplace of Gandhiji in  Porbandar, the house where he was born, Gandhiji at the age of seven and Gandhiji in his school days.  It also focuses on the days of Gandhiji at London, where he completed his LLB graduation and his satyagraha in South Africa. Photos of his mother Putlibhai,  wife Kasturba and brother Laxmidas have also been  lined up in the photo exhibition.  The exhibition showcases a wide range of collections on Quit India Movement,  protest against the British at Jallianwala Bagh and satyagrahas of Gandhiji for communal harmony.  Photos of other freedom fighters like Bhagat Singh, Gopalakrishna Gokhale, Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Swami Dayanand Saraswathi, Subhash Chandra Bose, Lala Lajpat Rai, Bala Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sarojini Naidu have also been displayed. Freedom fighters of Kerala like K Kelappan, T K Madhavan, AKG, EMS Namboothiripad, Panampilli Govinda Menon, Muhammed Abdul Rahman, Kunjali Marakkar and Veluthambi Dalava have been put up at the exhibition.  “The photos for the exhibition were collected from Delhi. We have already exhibited these photos in schools and colleges in Thiruvananthapuram and now are planning to conduct photo exhibitions at Munnar, Changanassery, Mundakkayam and Wayanad this month,” said Ramesh Babu, coordinator of the exhibition.  Newspaper clippings dating back to the times of the freedom struggle are also on display at the exhibition like the ‘Hartal Supplement’ of the Bombay Chronicle dated February 3, 1928. The photos of articles and letters written by Gandhiji have been lined up at the exhibition. Gandhiji’s last moments have also been captured in frames.   The photos of regional revolts like the Chuar rebellion, people’s revolt in Travancore and revolts in Kolhapur and Bilaspur have also found place in the exhibition, which will conclude on September 28.