Gandhian activist Jharna Dhara dies at 81

Famous Gandhian activist Jharna Dhara Chowdhury died at the age of 81.

She passed away at the capital’s Square Hospital at 6:40am of old age complications, according to sources at the hospital. 

She dedicated her whole life to the Gandhian way of peace building and development and acted as General Secratary of Gandhi Ashram Trust at Joyag, Noakhali.

She was conferred the Ekushey Award for her contribution to peace and coexistence. She also received Padma Sree award from Govt of India.

Born on October 15, 1938 at Lakshmipur, Jharna has devoted her whole life to promoting peace, communal harmony and social justice, inspired by Mahatma Gandhi's non-violent creed. 

When she was eight, communal riots broke out between Muslims and Hindus, which forced her and her family to flee to Assam in India.

Her house was burnt to ashes and many of her relatives were killed. Though she came back to her village after the violence subsided, the communal riot left a deep scar in her mind. The brutality of the riots shocked Mahatma Gandhi, too, who rushed to the region and went barefoot around villages for about four months preaching the ideals of communal harmony and non-violence until the clashes finally came to an end.

Jharna was moved by Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi's principles of non-violence, self-reliance and community work, and decided to follow in his footsteps.