Narayan Desai, noted Gandhian and Bapu's kathakar, dies at 90 

Narayan Desai, 90, one of the tallest Gandhians in the country and son of Mahadev Desai, Mahatma Gandhi's personal secretary, died at his house in Vedchi village in Tapi district on Sunday, March 15, 2015 after a brief illness.

Born on December 24, 1924, in Valsad, Narayanbhai was brought up in Ahmedabad's Sabarmati Ashram and Sevagram near Wardha. Gandhiji fondly called him 'Bablo' and he was the last of many Gandhians alive who had lived with Bapu and had experienced his personal care.

The 'Gandhi kathakar' died of cerebrovascular and respiratory failure between 1.30am and 4.30am. He died at his residence which he called the Sampurna Kranti Vidyalaya.

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Tales of the Mahatma

Tales of the Mahatma

Narayanbhai Desai’s ‘Gandhi Katha’ fascinated the audience with its riveting anecdotes

For five days from October 2, Narayanbhai Desai kept the audience that filled Gandhi Sewa Mandir Hall in Bandra glued to their seats with his narration of Gandhi Katha. It was a story that most people knew in broad strokes, but had never heard told in quite this intimate, passionate and engrossing fashion. Gandhi knew me before I knew him, Narayanbhai began. 

Son of Gandhi’s secretary Mahadevbhai, he based his quizzical claim on the fact that Gandhi had held him as a baby when he didn’t know who Gandhi was. As every teacher who has ever stepped before a crowded class knows, if he is to turn diverse ears into a single focused ear, he needs to be a performer.

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