Sunday 25 December 2016

Gandhi and Pancha Kaka

And thus did Gandhi inspire man after man, and woman after woman.

26 December 2014 at 17:14 ·
"A few Kilometers from Dandi, there is a small village called Karadi. In that Karadi village there was one disciple of Gandhi, called Pancha Kaka Patel. He participated in no-tax campaign of Gandhi. He participated in Dandi Salt Satyagraha. The British Government confiscated his house. His agricultural land and other property was also confiscated. While he was being taken to jail handcuffed, the police said: "See, not a single inch of land remains in your possession. Your house too has been confiscated."

Pancha Kaka Patel told the police : "You can rest assured, I will never ask for the the return of my property, till India becomes free." In 1937, Congress Government was formed in the then Bombay Presidency. In Bombay Presidency, Shri B. G. Kher became the Chief Minister and he sent a message to Gandhi's disciple Pancha Kaka Patel that: "We are prepared to give back your house and land confiscated during the British rule." He said: "No this is not the freedom of Gandhi's dream and I have taken a pledge that till India becomes completely independent, I will nottake back my property. Keep it with you."

In 1947, on 15th August, India became free. This disciple of Gandhi, Pancha Kaka, was told: "Now the country has become free and so take back your property." He contacted Gandhi. He said: "Gandhiji, do you feel that freedom of your dream has come?" Gandhi said: "Unfortunately, I must say no."

And then Pancha Kaka told the government: "I cannot accept back my property." Then some cynics, commented : "Oh! Pancha Kaka Patel refuses to accept the confiscated property. But when he dies his wife and his children will claim that property." And after this comment, Pancha Kaka Patel came with a statement: "I anticipated this possibility and therefore to avoid any embarrassment to me, I did not get married at all and I have no children." That was what he said.
Such was the human material that Gandhi's human touch had created."

No comments:

Post a Comment