REMEMBRING ACHARYA VINOBA BHAVE-------- 5

When my daughter, Meenu was 3 years old we went to visit Vinobaji-s Ashram at Pawnar. A very interesting incident happened. Meenu was seeing Vinobaji for the first time. She was totally innocent and on seeing Vinobaji in his shorts, she made a surprising remark, in Hindi language, " Babaji nange kion hain?" In english it meant, why Babaji (Vinobaji) are half nacked? Every one present there laughed and looked at Vinobaji as to how now Vinobaji would reply to the child. First of all Vinobaji himself laughed and then replied to the child remark " Baba iss liyenange hain takai log unke darshan achee trahkarlen" which in English meant that people could see Baba more intimately, that is why Baba is half nacked.

Once a senior Sarvodaya leader Prof.Thakur Das Bang was discussing about Bhoodan movement with Vinobaji. During the discussion Prof.Bang told Vinobaji that people are saying that most of the Bhoodan work has been bogus. Laughingly Vinobaji replied," B stand for Baba, B stand for Bhoodan B stand for Bang and B stand for bogus. Therefore all are bogus. There was a big laughter. This was how Vinobaji-s way of dealing with odd questions. Vinobaji was so humble that he could accept any blame what so ever in a humourous way without taking ill of it.

When Vinobaji was on his Bhoodan Yatra, some of the member of the Ashram always used to visit him and apparaise him of the activities that were going on in the Ashram and also used to give the news of the Ashram. So when few sisters of the Ashram were visiting him they informed Vinobaji that a Member of the Ashram has been bitten by a stray dog. As usual, Vinobaji laughed and said, this is no news we are all bitten by dog that was why we are wandering around and going from door to door asking for land.

After Vinobaji finished his Bhoodan Yatra, he sent a team of the Ashram sisters to go round the country to take the message of Sarvodaya and how non-violence is important not only for our country but for the whole world. At that time in 1971 they were travelling in Kashmir. I got the apportunity to be with them for few days while I was working for Gram Swaraj Fund. Pt. Om Prakash Tirkha and his wife Mrs. Lakshmi Tirkha, well known Sarvodaya workers from North India, were leading.