On Friday, Kamarajar Salai wore a barren look. The stretch is lined with institutions and government buildings and they were closed for Gandhi Jayanthi. The quietness pervading the stretch turned Wenlock Park into an island of activity. Tents had been pitched by guides on open spaces at Wenlock Park, the state headquarters for Bharat Scouts & Guides, Tamil Nadu. To a superficial observer, it might have seemed odd that the guides, on a ten-day camp till October 5, did not take a break on Gandhi Jayanthi.
In reality, it would have been odd if they had. For, in the history of Madras, Wenlock Park has gone down as one of the places Mahatma Gandhi chose to visit during his South India tour of 1927. Through this visit, he established a connection with the scouts movement. Therefore, for these guides, it was a rare privilege to be at Wenlock Park on his birth anniversary.
When Gandhiji paid a visit to the facility on September 4, 1927, “more than 200 scouts, cubs and scouters” had congregated there. At that time, Wenlock Park was the headquarters of the Provincial Boy Scouts Association. The movement was restricted to boys. The boy scouts hung on to Gandhiji’s words. In his brief speech, he touched upon the need to wear Khadi.
At the end of the day, it was difficult to say who was the admirer and who, the admired. For, the leader was delighted with the performances by the scouts, which included “wrestling, boxing, signalling and cub games”.
Sanjiva Kamath was one of the key members of the scouts movement to be present on the occasion. Nearly 21 years later, Mr. Kamath would write to The Hindu calling attention to Gandhiji’s visit to Wenlock Park. It seemed to be a time when the scouting movement was undergoing a crisis. There was a need to dovetail individual interests with collective goals and work in a spirit of unity. And from the letter, it appears that the mission had been largely accomplished.
He wrote: “Wenlock Park, the Provincial Headquarters of the Boy Scouts Association, is probably the only scouts headquarters visited by Mahatma Gandhi and where he received and replied to an address of welcome. Nothing will gladden the spirit of Mahatmaji more than to know that the canker of disunity which had penetrated the body of the younger generation has been finally removed and they can now set about doing their daily good turn in a spirit of universal goodwill under the auspices of one common body. Madras has done well in giving the right lead in the solution of a national problem.”
Another of the grand events in the history of Wenlock park is the visit of Lady Baden Powell, Chief Guide of the World, on January 6, 1961. On the day, Madras B of All India Radia broadcast an interview with the Lady Baden Powell.
