No road to ashram inhabited by 92-year-old Gandhian activist, recently awarded Padma Shri

Time of India

4 days ago

The absence of a road has posed increasing challenges.
NAINITAL: Renowned Gandhian social reformer
Radha Bhatt
, 92, who was presented the
Padma Shri
by the Union govt at her place last week, has formally requested local authorities to construct a motorable road to Lakshmi Ashram, where she has lived and worked for decades.
Situated in Kausani, the ashram — run by Kasturba Mahila Utthan Mandal — is currently accessible only by a steep, one-kilometre foot trail, through which even two-wheelers can't go. The ashram houses over 50 resident students, mostly girls from remote hill villages, empowers rural women, educates girls and offers training in tailoring, weaving, baking and organic farming, computer and agriculture.
The absence of a road has posed increasing challenges, says Bhatt, emphasising that road connectivity is essential not for personal convenience but for ensuring the continued functioning of the ashram's social work.
In a letter dated March 17, 2025, Bhatt urged officials to act swiftly on the road, noting: 'I no longer have the strength to climb these slopes. I never sought rewards, only the ability to continue serving.
This road is not for my comfort—it's for the continuity of the mission.'
For years, Radha Bhatt and her colleagues petitioned the authorities to build a small link road to the ashram, but it did not come. Officials, however, said a recent survey under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) has identified a viable alignment for a proposed road and the proposal is under active consideration.
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Almora DM Alok Kumar Pandey said, 'When I visited the ashram to confer the Padma Shri award to Radha behn last week, I received a letter requesting that a motorable road be built soon. Currently, the model code of conduct is in force due to the panchayat election. We will dispatch a team to assess the situation and identify the obstacles."
TOI visited the ashram and saw that even young volunteers found the terrain daunting, not to speak about the nonagenarian Gandhian.
In medical emergencies, help is often delayed, putting the health of Bhatt and the resident students at risk.
'This is a call not just for a road, but for respect—a reminder that real heroes don't live in cities or on screens, but often in the quiet corners of the hills,' said Diksha, a student at the ashram.
Talking about Radha Bhatt's journey, she told TOI that it began at age 12 when she pledged to work for the upliftment of hill women.
Inspired by Sarla Behn, she dedicated her life to social work and social reforms.
Her contributions have shaped generations. Many of her students, like Archana Bahuguna, went on to establish their own organisations, spreading the ethos of service across the state.
Expressing concerns about how migration, materialism and social media have distanced present generations from their roots, Bhatt said, 'People now want easy lives in cities.
The emotional connection with land and tradition has faded.'
Despite her deteriorating health, Radha Bhatt still teaches, helps publish a monthly magazine with the students, and leads evening discussions on current affairs. But her real struggle now is for a modest piece of infrastructure—a road.