While the thoughts and vision of Mahatma Gandhi remain the wisdom for governance across the world, the paths he took around the globe are remnants that  millions and millions of his followers cherish, particularly on the occasion of his martyrdom, observed as Martyrs’ Day, as done on Tuesday.

One such memory from the past, rarely read or known about, is the place where Mahatma Gandhi, on August 16, 1908, led 3,000 Muslims, Hindus, and Christians outside the Hamidia Mosque at Johannesburg in South Africa, where they burned their passes — documents classified as "non-white" by the Government.

The punitive action by the British included imprisonment. The huge bonfire, lit in a cauldron, marked the first burning of passes in South Africa and the beginning of Gandhi's satyagraha, or passive resistance, campaign. The place has been built as "Truth" by senior IFS officer Anju Ranjan during her posting (2019-2023) as Consul General in South Africa and is now thronged by visitors who relive the places in South Africa where Gandhi spent his early years and transformed himself to lead India towards Independence four decades later. "I came to know about the importance of the venue where the passes were burnt by Gandhiji. With the help of locals, I managed to raise money for developing the Truth pillar as well as the Tolstoy farm," said Anju, currently serving as Deputy Director General, Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), New Delhi.

The 2002 batch IFS officer was also instrumental in revamping and redeveloping the entire Tolstoy farm, including the library, among several other perspectives related to Gandhi. As per various reports, the entire area of historical importance was vandalised in the 1970s. Besides the revival of the Tolstoy farm in Johannesburg, Anju was instrumental in generating awareness, organising for 75 prominent Indian community members — a Gandhian trail (Tolstoy to Phoenix) for the first time to mark the places of Gandhian importance in South Africa.

Tolstoy Farm is situated in the southwestern corner of the Johannesburg municipal area, approximately 35 km from Johannesburg.

The name is derived as Gandhi was inspired by the writings of Russian Leo Tolstoy, who advocated non-violence as an appropriate response to aggression and foregrounded the need for equitable treatment of the poor and working class. Thus the farm was named Tolstoy Farm due to Gandhi and Kallenbach's deep admiration for Count Leo Tolstoy.

As CG Johannesburg, she also successfully handled the Vande Bharat flights and helped evacuate stranded Indians in South Africa during the Covid lockdown.

Ranjan used her Covid pandemic lockdown period to engage with the members of Mahatma Gandhi Remembrance Organisation (MGRO) in SA and worked for redeveloping and reliving the places associated with the journey of making of the Mahatma.

Anju Ranjan was born in the village - Patharia, District Chatra in Jharkhand, and is credited to be the first matriculate in her nondescri.