|
The project of compilation and publication of Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi (CWMG) was initiated in 1956 and the publication of its English version was completed in 1994 with the publication of the last volume of the 100-volume series. The volumes can be categorized as under:
Collected Works in chronological order (Volume Nos.1-90)
Supplementary volumes (Volume Nos.91-97)
Subject Index (Volume No.98)
Name Index (Volume No.99)
Prefaces 9Volume No.100)
To facilitate the compilation of the works, the Government had appointed an Advisory Board in 1956 itself. The following were its members during 1994 at the time of the publication of the Volume No.100:
Late Shri Morarji Desai
Chairman
Shri Ramlal Parikh
Member
Shri Jitendra Desai
Member
Joint Secretary in the Ministry in-charge of Publications Division
Member
Director, Publications Division
Member
Chief Editor, CWMG
Member
In the earlier years, eminent persons like Kaka Saheb Kalelkar, Devdas Gandhi, Pyarelal, Maghanbhai P. Desari etc. had been its members.
On the 2nd October 1999, the Publications Division released a CD on Mahatma Gandhi, which contained more than 50000 pages of the CWMG arranged in a chronological order. Simultaneously, the Division brought out a Revised Version of CWMG.
A number of complaints were received from Gandhian institutions and eminent individuals including Gandhi Smarak Nidhi, Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya, Prasthan Ashram, Gandhi Peace foundation, Sabarmati Ashram Preservation amd Memorial Trust, Servants of Peoples Society, Navajivan Trust, Registrar of Gujarat Vidyapith, Shri Tridip Suhrud, Shri La Su Rengarajan, Shri Chunibhai Vaidya, Dr. Thomas Webber (LA Trobe University, Australia) and Gene Sharp (The Albert Einstein Institution, USA), about innumerable errors and misleading deletions. Several questions were also raised in Parliament. Taking note of such concerns, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting took a decision to constitute a Committee consisting of:
Shri Narayan Desai
Chairman
Shri B.R. Nanda
Member
Shri Enugu Srinivasulu Reddy
Member
Shri J.P. Uniyal
Member
Shri Anupam Mishra
Member
Shri P.K. Tripathi, JS(P&A), Ministry of I&B
Member Secretary
The Committee held a number of meetings at Ahmedabad and Delhi. Apart from discussions among members, the Committee also went into various representations received in the Ministry. The Committee also had the opportunity to hear out from some Gandhian scholars, who volunteered to appear before it. After thoroughly examining the issues, the Committee submitted their report.
Based on the recommendations of the Committee and other material on record, the Ministry has taken the following decisions:
(i) To stop the sale of the revised edition and reversion to the original edition.
(ii) The original edition will be treated as the official edition.
(iii) CD-ROM will be revised and will contain the facsimile of the original edition.
(iv) To help and guide those who have already purchased the revised edition, a Concordance Table already prepared will be made available.
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India
New Delhi; Jyaistha 27, 1927, June 17, 2005
NSD/AS
|
