Jayant Matakar to head Wardha Sevagram Ashram

WARDHA: The Sevagram Ashram has elected a new president in the election held at a meeting of Gandhian institutions at Sadakat Ashram, Patna, on Sunday.
The members of Sarv Seva Sangh and others decided Jayant Matakar will be new president of the ashram. He will succeed sitting president MM Gadkari. Matakar (69) is from Pune and has been a Sarvodaya leader since last 40 years.He runs a khaddar organization and is known as a social activist.
He served as a Bhudan and gramdan activist with Vinoba Bhave. He has spent more time for Gohatya Bandi and promoted khaddar work while working for leprosy patients. Matakar has also been the president of Shantiwan Ashram, Panvel (Navi Mumbai) and Gopuri Ashram, Ratnagiri. There were some 40 names in the list for president of Sevagram Ashram.
Gadkari had resigned on March 16 at the end of his five-year term. His tenure had been controversial since almost the day of joining. The spectacles of Gandhiji were stolen from the shelf of Bapu Kuti in November 2011 during the celebrations of 75 years of Ashram's foundation by Mahatma Gandhi. There had been other controversies too after that.