Will Gandhi Bhawan in Kolkata go on the block?

KOLKATA: Haidari Manzil better known as Gandhi Bhawan in Beliaghata here, where Mahatma Gandhi fasted during the communal riots in 1947 might go under the hammer if a bank to which the property is mortgaged for over 50 years has its way.

The plot which includes the Gandhi Maidan and adjoining Gandhi Bhawan was mortgaged by the then owner Samarendra Kumar Ghosh to the United Bank of India (UBI) half a century ago.

The loan remained unpaid even after his death and UBI attached the maidan, for which the loan was taken.

The bank placed newspaper advertisements last December inviting bidders for the plot.

UBI's Chief Manager (Communication) Neeraj Verma when contacted declined comment on the bank's decision.

The West Bengal Heritage Commission and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation have, however, decided to oppose the auction.

"I have written to the UBI chairman requesting him not to sell the property. Since Gandhi Bhawan is where the Father of the Nation fasted for communal harmony, we should treasure it rather than sell it off," the state heritage body's chairman Shuvaprasanna Bhattacharya told reporters.