Story On Arun Dada In Times Of India
ServiceSpace
--Swara Pandya
3 minute read
Aug 15, 2014

 

One of our friends Aparna has recently joined the Times of India in Vadodara and is sharing inspiring stories. Today on independence day special, she's covered a story on our friends -- Arun dada and Meera ba.
 

VADODARA: When kids of his age played with their friends in the courtyards of their homes, this octogenarian spent his childhood in a jail in Bhavnagar in 1930s. Now 81, Arun Bhatt used to stay in the jail with his parents, Atmaram Bhatt and Durga Bhatt, who were freedom fighters. Being a child, he was allowed to stay with his parents in the jail and the time he spent with them left an indelible mark on Arun's mind.

When he grew up, Arun dada, as he is fondly called, went on to join the Bhoodan Movement launched by freedom fighter, Vinoba Bhave. Having completed his schooling at Gandhi Sevagram Nayi Talim Sangh, Arun always wanted to live a life with purpose. Opportunity came his way in 1953 when Bhave gave a call to the youth of the country to devote one year of their life for the Bhoodan Movement. He dropped out of the college at the age of 19 and joined the movement that went on to change his life forever.

"Bhave had launched the movement, wherein he walked across the country asking people to part with one-seventh of their land which would then be distributed to the landless poor. I stayed with Bhave for 15 days during his padyatra in Bihar and that was the beginning of our lifelong association," recalled Arun.

"Such was the influence of Bhave's movement that people used to wait in queues to donate their land. I saw the movement's impact in urban areas but I wanted to find out whether it can be replicated in villages as well. I requested Bhave to allow me to visit villages for spreading the movement," Bhave said.

"When I reached out to villages I was surprised to see youngsters of my age encouraging people to donate their lands. Such was the generosity of the rural folks that many even withdrew their applications for land when they learnt of others who were in dire need," Arun added.

The padyatras with Bhave didn't just give Arun a purpose for his life but also a life partner. Arun met his would-be wife Meera, who used to document Bhave's speeches, at one of the padyatras in Gujarat. Once a practising advocate, Meera left her profession after as she couldn't stand malpractices. She wrote over 50 books on philosophy and life and went on to win Sahitya Academy award for one of her books ?Jeevan Sandhya ka Swagat'.

This Gandhian couple shifted from Bhavnagar to Vadodara in 1960s and is now living a simple life at a house gifted by a well-wisher in Rajstambh Soci-ety. Their son and daughter keep visiting them occasionally. "All our needs are taken care of by our well-wishers and friends. We wear only khaadi clothes and are living a happy and contended life," Meera said.
 

Posted by Swara Pandya on Aug 15, 2014


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