Vinobha Bhave was one of the greatest spiritual leaders and reformers of modern India whose work and personal example moved the hearts of countless Indians. He was born in a village in Maharastra’s Kolaba district on September 11 1895. He was drawn to Gandhiji and his unique weaponless war as a youth. He was a nationalist and social reformer who inherited Gandhi’s spiritual mantel.
He was highly inspired by Bhagavad Gita at a younger age. He was deeply interested in Mathematics and was attracted to the core of learning. His two years in the college remained full of internal uneasiness and agitation. Early in 1916, he put his school and college certificate in a fire on his way to appear for intermediate exam in Mumbai. The report in the newspapers about Gandhiji’s speech at the newly founded Benaras Hindu University attracted Vinobha’s attention. After an exchange of letters, Gandhiji advised Vinobha to come for a personal meeting at Kochrab Ashram in Ahmedabad.
Vinobha met Gandhi on June7, 1916. This meeting changed the course of his life. Over the years, the bond between Gandhi and Vinobha grew stronger. In 1923, he brought out ‘Maharashtra Dharma’, a monthly in Marathi, which had his essays on the Upanishads. His articles on the Abhangas of Sant Tukaram published in it became popular. His involvement with Gandhiji’s constructive programmes related to Khadi, village industries, new education, sanitation and hygiene also kept on increasing.
In 1932, he was sent to jail by the British colonial government because of his fight against British rule. There he gave a series of talks on the Gita, in his native language Marathi, to his fellow prisoners. These inspiring talks were later published as the book “Talks on the Gita” and it has been translated to many languages both in India and elsewhere. In 1940 he was chosen by Gandhiji to be the first individual satyagrahi against the British rule.
He abolished every trace of Untouchability from his heart. He believed in communal amity. In order to know the best mind of Islam, he studied Koran in the original for one year. He also learnt Arabic. He found this study necessary for cultivating contact with the Muslims living in the neighborhood. His religious outlook was very broad. It synthesized the Truths of many religions. This can be seen in one of his hymns “Om Tat” which contains symbols of many religions. He observed the life of the average Indian living in a village and tried to find solutions for the problems he faced with a firm spiritual foundation. This formed the core of his “Sarvodaya” movement.
In March 1948, Gandhiji’s followers and constructive workers met at Sevagram. The idea of Sarvodaya Samaj surfaced and started getting acceptance. Vinobha launched the programme of kanchan-mukti which means freedom from the dependence of gold or money. In April 1951, he started his peace trek on foot through the violence torn region of Telangana in Andhra Pradesh district.
A Brief History Of Bhoodan Movement:After India got independence, Vinobha started on his extraordinary and unprecedented in the history, the Bhoodan Movement. Over a period of twenty years, he walked through the length and breadth of India persuading Land owners and landlords to give a total of four million acres of land to the poor and downtrodden. This movement brought Vinobha to the international scene.
In coming to Hyderabad, Vinobha and other Gandhians were confronting a challenge and testing their faith in non-violence. They toured the communist infested areas of Telangana to spread the message of peace. With his efforts he made a landlord sanction 100 acres to Harijans in a village called Pochampalli. This incident was the very genesis of the Bhoodan movement which later on developed into a village gift or Gramdan movement. This movement passed through several stages in regard to both momentum and allied programmes. This reminded the Gandhi’s mass movements. The enthusiasm for the movement lasted till 1957 and thereafter it began to wane.
The Gramdan movement did not prove popular in the non-tribal areas and this partly accounted for its decline. The propagation of ideas combined with material achievements affected the thinking of the people. By adopting Gandhi’s ideas to the solution of the basic economic problem of land collection and equitable distribution among the landless, the movement kept Gandhi’s ideas of socioeconomic reconstruction alive. The movement kindled interest in the individuals to study Gandhi’s ideas and assess their relevance.
On June 7 1966, he announced that he was feeling a strong urge to free himself from outer visible activities and enter inward hidden form of spiritual action. After traveling through India, he returned to Paunar on November 2 1969. In 1976, he undertook a fast to stop the slaughter of cows. His spiritual pursuits intensified as he with drew from the activities. He breathed his last on November 15 1982, at his ashram.
Vinobha’s contribution to the history of non-violent movement remains significant. He was a scholar, saint, man of God, moral tribune, a beacon of hope, and solace to millions in India and abroad. He was considered as a spiritual successor of Mahatma Gandhi. He regarded the power of the people superior than power of the state. He saw the land as the gift of God like air, water, sky, and sunshine. Many of his ideas remain relevant and inspiring in the strife-ridden modern times.
His Famous Quotes:1. “All revolutions are spiritual at the source. All my activities have the sole purpose of achieving union of hearts”. 2. “Peace is something mental and spiritual. If there be peace in our (personal) life, it will affect the whole world”.3. “Jai-Jagat!-Victory to the World”.4. “It is a curious phenomenon that God has made the hearts of the poor, rich and those of the rich, and poor”.5. “A country should be defended not by arms, but by ethical behavior”.
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