No, the first telephone line in Gujarat was not installed for Gandhi at Sabarmati Ashram - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 9, 2023
Accompanied by an image of Gandhi holding a telephone, a social media post asserts that the inaugural telephone line in Gujarat was established for Gandhi at the Sabarmati Ashram. Additionally, the post alleges that the British authorities spent a substantial amount, installing a dedicated line to facilitate communication between Gandhi and the English. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Inaugural telephone line in Gujarat was established for Gandhi at the Sabarmati Ashram.
Fact: The installation of the first telephone line in Gujarat dates back to 1897, well ahead of Gandhi’s return to India from South Africa in 1915. Moreover, there is no documented evidence of Gandhi utilizing a telephone at the Sabarmati Ashram. Furthermore, the image circulated shows Gandhi using a telephone at Maharashtra’s Sevagram Ashram. This telephone was reportedly set up by the then Viceroy of India, Lord Linlithgow, supposedly for his convenience to communicate with Gandhi. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The photograph depicting Gandhi with a telephone is not taken at Sabarmati Ashram but at Sevagram Ashram in Maharashtra. This image was taken in 1941. Reverse image search of the widely circulated photo led us to discover the same image in numerous stock image collections (here & here).
Moreover, a video showcased on the Sevagram Ashram’s official website affirms that the telephone was set up at the Ashram during the time of the then Viceroy of India, Lord Linlithgow. This installation was purportedly made ‘for his convenience,’ enabling communication with Gandhi.
Was the first telephone set up in Gujarat for Mahatma Gandhi?
As per information from BSNL Kolkata, back in 1881, the Indian government issued a license to the original Oriental Telephone Company Limited of England, allowing the establishment of Telephone Exchanges in Calcutta, Bombay, Madras, Karachi, and Ahmedabad. This suggests that the installation of telephone lines in Gujarat started well before Gandhi’s return to India from South Africa in 1915.
Further, as per the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, the telephone service in the city was started in 1897.
An entry within a gazette accessible through the India Culture portal confirms that the inaugural telephone exchange was established on 17 July 1897, in the vicinity of Panchkuwa Gate within the city of Ahmedabad. During its initiation, the exchange accommodated 34 users.
All of these factors substantiate that the initial telephone connection in Gujarat was not set up specifically for Gandhi, but rather had been established long before his return to India. Additionally, there are no records available indicating that Gandhi utilized a telephone at Sabarmati Ashram, where he resided from 1917 to 1930.
To sum it up, no, the first telephone line in Gujarat was not installed for Gandhi