Rajkot District Collector Arun Mahesh Babu marvels at original 100-year-old newspapers, stamps published by Gandhiji

Rajkot: To encourage those who have preserved heritage in different forms, Rajkot Collector Arun Mahesh Babu on Friday visited the house of 64-years old Raju Desai who has preserved over 100-years old original newspaper published by Mahatma Gandhi, stamp papers of different states during the British rule, and stamps that are over a century old. Desai’s grandfather Maganlal Desai used to run a library on Lakhajiraj road, which had to shut down.

Maganlal hence brought home all the newspapers from the library. Later, Maganlal’s son Vasant and his wife Bhanu preserved the newspapers.

Raju Desai has preserved over 300 newspapers, published by Gandhiji during his lifetime and published by others after his death. These newspapers include Navjeevan (editor Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi) Harijan Bandhu in Gujarati and Harijan in English (founded by Gandhiji), and Young India and special editions of Navjeevan as old as 1921.

The oldest paper Navjeevan dates back to July 1920. The cost of the 1920 paper was 1.25 Anna, the yearly subscription was Rs4, and the yearly subscription outside India was Rs7 or 15 shillings.

The cost of Harijan Bandhu in 1953 was 2 Annas, the yearly subscription was Rs6, and outside India, it cost Rs8 or 14 shillings.

In addition, the Desai family has over 500 stamp papers of various states from the British time and over 75,000 stamps as old as of June 25, 1878.

Most newspapers did not carry any photographs. Harijan published Gandhiji’s photo in its February 8, 1948 edition and Sardar Patel’s picture on December 23, 1950 edition.

The June 5, 1921, edition of Navjeevan carried the entire ghazal ‘Sarfaroshi ki Tammana’, sung at the Bharuch Parishad with 23 meanings.

Arun Mahesh Babu, who will soon launch a dedicated History cell at the Collectorate office, said, “The entire newspaper is wellmaintained by the family, and it will be digitized, for people to read the contents and understand the events of those times.”

“It is the first time that a collector has taken a personal interest. We wish our collection gets due recognition and helps the society at large,” said Raju. He has also tried to preserve the pages that are turning old and feeble.