DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.22465#0312
*'<•»*»«*« <Mn»" July 14, 1967
LOOTING WITH LOVE
KAMALA DHINGRA
The fame of Vinoba
Bhave has now spread to
nil countries. He is kn iwn
as the oreator of "Bhoodan
Yajna" or land gift mis-
Dion, a great experiment
in non voilenoe which aims
at transforming the social
and economic structure of
India,
On the 18th of April,
1951, Vinoba reoeived his
first land gift. On the
28th of April, the vision
of a great experiment in
non-Toilenoe through land
gifts flashed aoross his
mind. And so Vinoba a
reel use, "a religious scholar,
who hud shunned publi-
city all his life now be-
came a homelestj wanderer.
He started on a walking
pilgrimage at the age of
67, vowing not to rest
but to walk across India
from village to village
spreading hie message of
love till he reoeived SO
million acres or one-sixth
of India's arable land for
distribution.
Every morning in
some remote village a bell
rings at 3 O'olook to
awaken his followers. At
half past three they assem-
ble round him for prayers.
By four in the faint light
of the glistening state and
a solitary lantern, Vinoba
and his followers are al-
ready on the march, walk-
ing their ten or fifteen
miles to the next village.
Professors, intellectuals
from America and Burope,
members of parliament
and even ministers of
state join the pilgrimage
for short periods. A soli-
citor from America who
walked with Vinoba for
a day wrote: "Walking
with Vinoba was a poetio
experience. ,My body was
tired, my feet were sore
but my spirit soared,
happy and free".
Those who have walk-
ed with Vinoba or attend-
ed his prayer meetings
have felt the force of
this revolution he is ini-
tiating; it is a movement
for giving—giving of land,
of knowledge, love and
selfless labour. Jayapra-
kash Narayan, the socia-
list leader was the first
to offer *'J;vandan' or
the Gift of Life in 1953.
Since then, inspired by
him and by Vinoba more
than 1500 man end wo-
man have offered "Ji-
vandan".
For the last six years
Vinoba has been walking
10 to 15 miles a day,
year in year out from
village to village. He
walks across pathless fields
through jungles where
tigers Btill roam, winding
his way over rooky moun-
tains, wading through foa-
ming streams. Nothing
stops him not even the
torrents of the Indian
monsoons. "The Ganga
never stops he says why
should I."
More than five million
acres of laud have been
donated by over 50,000
donors besides gifts of
money, seeds and impls.
ments.
The Last Stage of the
Mission
"We have now rea-
ched the last stage of
our mission", said Vinoba
in answer to my greetings
when I joined bim in
Madinai District in Ja-
nuary this year. 'I am
now receiving entire vil-
lages as gifts. We went
that very night to Kalu-
kati with bis secretary
and a former Minister of
Rnjastban who had resig-
ned to work for the land
gift mission. People from
all over the district had
assembled at Kalukati.
and I witnessed, an un-
forgettable scene' when
over a thouisnd villagers
pledged themselves to pre-
sent Vinoba with the gift
LOOTING WITH LOVE
KAMALA DHINGRA
The fame of Vinoba
Bhave has now spread to
nil countries. He is kn iwn
as the oreator of "Bhoodan
Yajna" or land gift mis-
Dion, a great experiment
in non voilenoe which aims
at transforming the social
and economic structure of
India,
On the 18th of April,
1951, Vinoba reoeived his
first land gift. On the
28th of April, the vision
of a great experiment in
non-Toilenoe through land
gifts flashed aoross his
mind. And so Vinoba a
reel use, "a religious scholar,
who hud shunned publi-
city all his life now be-
came a homelestj wanderer.
He started on a walking
pilgrimage at the age of
67, vowing not to rest
but to walk across India
from village to village
spreading hie message of
love till he reoeived SO
million acres or one-sixth
of India's arable land for
distribution.
Every morning in
some remote village a bell
rings at 3 O'olook to
awaken his followers. At
half past three they assem-
ble round him for prayers.
By four in the faint light
of the glistening state and
a solitary lantern, Vinoba
and his followers are al-
ready on the march, walk-
ing their ten or fifteen
miles to the next village.
Professors, intellectuals
from America and Burope,
members of parliament
and even ministers of
state join the pilgrimage
for short periods. A soli-
citor from America who
walked with Vinoba for
a day wrote: "Walking
with Vinoba was a poetio
experience. ,My body was
tired, my feet were sore
but my spirit soared,
happy and free".
Those who have walk-
ed with Vinoba or attend-
ed his prayer meetings
have felt the force of
this revolution he is ini-
tiating; it is a movement
for giving—giving of land,
of knowledge, love and
selfless labour. Jayapra-
kash Narayan, the socia-
list leader was the first
to offer *'J;vandan' or
the Gift of Life in 1953.
Since then, inspired by
him and by Vinoba more
than 1500 man end wo-
man have offered "Ji-
vandan".
For the last six years
Vinoba has been walking
10 to 15 miles a day,
year in year out from
village to village. He
walks across pathless fields
through jungles where
tigers Btill roam, winding
his way over rooky moun-
tains, wading through foa-
ming streams. Nothing
stops him not even the
torrents of the Indian
monsoons. "The Ganga
never stops he says why
should I."
More than five million
acres of laud have been
donated by over 50,000
donors besides gifts of
money, seeds and impls.
ments.
The Last Stage of the
Mission
"We have now rea-
ched the last stage of
our mission", said Vinoba
in answer to my greetings
when I joined bim in
Madinai District in Ja-
nuary this year. 'I am
now receiving entire vil-
lages as gifts. We went
that very night to Kalu-
kati with bis secretary
and a former Minister of
Rnjastban who had resig-
ned to work for the land
gift mission. People from
all over the district had
assembled at Kalukati.
and I witnessed, an un-
forgettable scene' when
over a thouisnd villagers
pledged themselves to pre-
sent Vinoba with the gift