Bapuji was raising funds in Orrisa for the
Khadi project. He was in a meeting when a very old woman came to see him.
All her hair was grey and she had a hump back. She had to struggle with the
volunteers before she could reach Gandhiji. “I wanted to see you,” she said
and taking a half anna coin from her waist-band kept it at Gandhiji’s feet
and left patiently. Gandhiji quickly picked up the coin and kept it with
himself. Jamnalal Bajaj, who aptly looked after the accounts, was sitting
nearby.
He said, “Give me the coin, Bapu.” Gandhiji
said, “No, I can’t give it to you.” “I handle Charkha Sangh’s all the
cheques worth thousands of rupees and yet you won’t trust me with this petty
coin?” retorted Jamnalalji. Gandhiji replied, “This half anna coin is worth
lakhs of rupees. If a person having lakhs of rupees gives a thousand rupees
to someone there’s nothing extraordinary about it. But this coin from the
poor old lady is worth millions of rupees. Just imagine how generous she
might be!”