Odyssey of the Enlightened — 36: Blessing & Assurance — 4
On Hard-Earned Money
Shriram told his dalit fraternity several times about the importance of going to the Charan Peeth daily and offering their prayers. He also insisted that they visit the temple after taking bath and wearing clean and washed clothes. Karaya Chowdhari put forth his problem: "We have only one set of tattered clothes. If we wash and put them out for drying, we cannot come out for work."
"The clothes will be arranged. We are planning to set up a weaving loom for you. If that is set up, ten–twelve people will find employment in it. Weave cloth for yourself and also for selling it in the market. This will ensure that you earn some money," said Shriram. "What use is money for us, Babu Saheb? The grace of other people is sufficient for us," said Karaya. Shriram explained: "It is not necessary to live on others' mercy. God is pleased only when one lives out of one's own hard-earned money."
After the Charan Peeth had been built, Shriram's attention shifted to setting up the weaving loom. Shriram made space for two looms in an open space in his own house. The place was given the name of 'Weaving House'. Five weaving machines were acquired and distributed among the dalits. Seven yards of cloth was woven for the first batch and offered at the Charan Peeth and given off to an elderly lady known as Kajali Bua (aunt), who had no one in her family and lived on charity. New cloth was like a boon to her. Knowing that it was woven for her, she was almost in ecstasy. With a happy mind, she blessed them all.
Handed Over Their Work to Them
Shriram ran the business for about a year. After that, a committee was formed out of the dalit community to oversee the new cottage enterprise. As long as Shriram was monitoring the weaving activity, business flourished well. Also, other people took up different kinds of work. Because of Anand Prakash, Shriram came in contact with several workers of Arya Samaj. Jagan Prasad Rawat and Radheshyam Sharma were two such people with whom Shriram remained in contact for the next fifty–sixty years. After the weaving industry gathered momentum, Shriram again began to take active part in political struggle.
After the Pune Pact, the importance of dalits in the society had increased but the political climate remained disturbed. Up till March 1933, the process of arresting people continued. Shriram made a plan to implement the non-cooperation movement in a new way.
Partnership with Paliwalji
In December 1932, Paliwalji was released from Jhansi jail. He received a grand welcome on reaching Agra. He was aware of the activities Shriram was engaged in for the past two months. He extolled the installation of Charan Peeth and starting of the weaving cottage industry for dalits at Aanwalkheda. In the welcome meeting, Paliwalji invited Shriram onto the stage and felicitated him with a garland, saying: "This young man is the pride of Agra district."
After the welcome meeting, that very night a decision was taken to vigorously implement the non-cooperation movement. They appealed to landlords and farmers not to pay taxes to the government. 20th December was fixed as the date for launching the revolutionary step in Agra district. Baroda and Bhilavati villages were chosen by the volunteers of Agra. The police department was receiving regular reports on these preparations and estimated that one lakh farmers would gather.
A Unique Yagya in Baroda
The police ordered to disrupt the meetings and arrest those who were organizing them. The main leaders — Krishna Dutt Paliwal, Jagan Prasad Rawat, Dwarakaprasad, Dalpat Singh and Munshiram Goswami — were banned from entering Baroda. A meeting was convened on the evening of 14th December in Paliwalji's residence. Shriram, who was listening to everyone, suggested that they need not insist on organizing the rally at the declared venue. Instead, he suggested that they perform an 11-Kundi Gayatri Yagya. While yagya was in progress, they could disseminate the message they wanted to convey to the people. The yagya should continue for at least five days.
This idea was liked and accepted by all. All the preparations being done for the rally were diverted towards the yagya. On 18th December, the leaders disguised themselves, traveled through the fields at night and reached Baroda. They looked at the arrangements and came back pleased.
Oath Not to Pay the Taxes
On 20th December, the yagya began under the priesthood of Anand Prakash. About five thousand people attended on the first day. After everyone had performed the yagya, there were speeches for one hour in which they explained the atrocities being perpetrated by the government for the past three years. The people were exhorted to rise up against such tyranny. Slowly, the topic of non-cooperation movement was brought up. They made people take an oath that they would not pay taxes to the government.
The program was named 'Lagaan bandi yagya' (oblations for stopping tax payment). It was not appropriate to stop the agnihotra and other rituals and so the police exercised restraint. Among the officers who had come to stop the yagya, many were inherently religious. Some even changed their clothes and sat to do the yagya. The result of Baroda yagya was immediately visible. People began to adhere to the oath of not paying the taxes.
During the yagya, Shriram had told people: "One could easily forget one's resolve taken on other occasions, but a resolve taken in such an auspicious atmosphere has to be adhered to at all costs."
Inner Inspiration to Circumambulate Vraj
It was the second day after the completion of yagya. Shriram was in Agra. He had just completed his morning jap and meditation, when an inner inspiration arose asking him to visit Govardhan. He felt as though someone was calling him from there. He told Mahaveer Sahai: "I am going for a few days. It will definitely take five–seven days. We will start the program in a new way after I return." Shriram's face was aglow with a golden hue. During the time of sadhana, Shriram's face used to be like this. Seeing that brilliance, Mahaveer Sahai could not ask anything. Shriram picked up a pair of clothes, some books, articles related to puja-path — arranged them in two bags, hung them to his shoulders and was ready for the trip.
"In ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich." — Dietrich Bonhoeffer
"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it." — William Arthur Ward