Gandhi Look-Alike Tours The Country Spreading Mahatma’s Philosophy

PUDUCHERRY – A 76-year-oldMahatma Gandhi look-alike, who hasbeen touring the country since 1999 tospread Gandhian philosophy among thepeople, came to the Union territory ofPuducherry on a six-day visit.Sporting rounded spectacles like thoseGandhi wore, A Shanmugam, whorenamed himself as Erode ShanmugaGandhi, always wears a dhoti and a shawlwhile his trademark Gandhi-clock hangsaround his hips. He visited Auroville, afew schools here and Gandhi Thidal onthe Beach Road where one of the tallstatues of the Father of the Nation in thecountry stands.His resemblances withGandhiji surprised passersby, includingtourists. He doesn’t have hair on his headand his moustache was gray just like thatof Gandhi. A few onlookers took photographsand he obliged to their requestsstanding in front of the Gandhi statue.Those who did not have cameras usedtheir cellphones to take his picture.Shanmugam was born as the youngestson of S Angamuthu and Vellammal in aremote village in Salem district in 1937.He could not recollect his date andmonth of his birth. Shanmuga, whilestudying in Class 3, participated in athree-and-half-km padayatra lead byMahatma Gandhi in 1945 against theBritish rule. It was the first and last timethat he saw the Father of the Nation, butthe single encounter was enough to instillin him Gandhian philosophy. The familymoved to and settled in Sathyamangalamin Erode district when he was 12 yearsold. He started practising Gandhian philosophywhile following his father’s footstepsand establishing himself as a traderselling textile garments and books.