Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson Kanu Gandhi passes away

File Picture: Young Kanu Gandhi pulls Mahatma Gandhi’s stick during the famous Dandi March (Salt Satyagraha)

Grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, Kanu Ramdas Gandhi, a retired NASA scientist, passed away in a private hospital in Surat on Monday. He was 87 and is survived by his wife Shivalaxmi.

Kanu Gandhi is remembered as the kid who held one end of his grandfather’s stick on the beaches of Gujarat’s Dandi village during the historic salt movement (Dandi March), in the year 1930.

On October 22, the retired professor suffered a massive heart attack and brain haemorrhage causing a severe paralysis and went into coma. He was in life-support all this while and there were no symptoms of recovery; he remained unconscious till last night when he breathed his last.

Kanu Gandhi , Mahatma Gandhi’s Grandson

(Photo – https://t.co/kIaZ4Xnjmi ) pic.twitter.com/KvMrI07L54

— indianhistorypics (@IndiaHistorypic) November 7, 2016

Kanu Gandhi and his wife spent most of their lives in Hampton, Virginia in the US before returning to India in 2014. He was a student of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The then US Ambassador to India, John Kenneth Galbraith sponsored his education in the US. He went on to join the US Defence Department, working as a scientist with NASA. His wife was a professor and research associate at the Boston Biomedical Research Institute. The couple, after returning to the country, lived in various ashrams as they never had a house or property in the country.

Kanu was living in the Radhakrishna Ashram in Surat when he had the heart attack last month. One of his close friends, Dhimant Badhia was generous enough to aid the ailing couple with money and the much required support.

The news of Kanu Gandhi’s death sparked reactions on the social media. President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and various other political leaders expressed their condolences on social media.

Pained by the demise of Kanubhai Gandhi, the grandson of Gandhi Ji. Remembering my various interactions with him. May his soul rest in peace

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 7, 2016

Sad to learn about the sad demise of Kanubhai Gandhi, grandson of the Mahatma, my heartfelt condolences

— President of India (@RashtrapatiBhvn) November 7, 2016