Gujarat: Prabhudas Patel who saw Mahatma Gandhi die passes away

Gujarat: Prabhudas Patel who saw Mahatma Gandhi die passes away

http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/GUJ-AHD-gujarat-prabhudas-patel-wh...

Daily Bhaskar

Surat: Noted Gandhian and one of those who was with Mahatma Gandhi during his last moments, Prabhudas Patel died at his residence in Ganesh Sisodra village near Navsari on Wednesday. He was 94.

Local Gandhians and some politicians expressed grief over the death of the freedom fighter.

“After witnessing Gandhi’s death at the hands of Nathuram Godse, Patel devoted his life to the upliftment of the deprived and had stayed at Bhangi Colony in New Delhi for six months,” said Vinod Desai, a noted Gandhian and a close friend of Patel.

He worked as a teacher from 1949 to 1952 after which he settled in the tribal areas of South Gujarat till 1974, working for their upliftment.

Desai informed that Patel never wanted to join politics as he believed in serving people from outside the system.

He was only seven when he participated in the Dandi March. He completed his education from Navsari and took admission in Jagatram Dave’s school in Vedchhi. It was here that he developed the nationalist fervour and decided to follow Gandhi’s principles.

He finally settled in Ganesh Sisodra in 1974, leading a peaceful life until his death on Wednesday.