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The man who attempted a different way of spreading Gandhian thoughts to the people in remotest places by his Gandhi Katha (a narrative of Gandhi's life), Narayan Desai, 90 passed away at a private hospital in Surat early morning on Sunday.
The son of Mahadev Desai, who served as Mahatma Gandhi's personal secretary, Narayan Desai was considered as the tallest Sarvodaya leader in the country after Vinoba Bhave and Jayprakash Narayan.
"Narayanbhai Desai will be remembered as a scholarly personality who brought Gandhi ji closer to the masses. Sad to hear of his demise. RIP," the Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote in a condolence message on his Twitter post.
Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel and Governor O P Kohli also expressed condolences over the death of the Gandhian leader.
A staunch Gandhian, Narayan Desai had one of the strongest voices against the nuclear proliferation across the world. For his involvement in promotion of non-violence and peace, Desai had been conferred with several international awards including the UNESCO Award. His literary contribution was also well-appreciated. He was accorded the Sahitya Akademi Award for Gujarati for the biography of his father Mahadev Desai.
Brought up in Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad and Sewagram Ashram in Wardha, Desai had cultivated a strong ideological connect with Gandhi's ideals since childhood. He has been perceived as the last link to Gandhi.
To further promote the idea of Sarvodaya and revolution, Desai established an institute called "Sampurna Kranti Vidyalaya" in Vedchhi village in Valod taluka of Tapi district.
In 2004, Desai chalked out a different way of spreading Gandhian ideology by holding Gandhi Katha in different parts of the country and abroad which was well-received by the audience.
In his late-life, Desai served as the Chancellor of Gujarat Vidyapeeth (July 2007 to March 7, 2015), founded in 1920 by Mahatma Gandhi. Due to his prolonged illness, Desai had quit as the Chancellor early this month.
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