74. A Joyous Satyagrahi |
There was a great ‘satyagrahi’ from Bardoli in
Gujarat, Morarjibhai – a resident of Swadla. He used to live in a village.
He had a great sense of humour. He could seek a proper way out through any
kind of difficulty. The jail sentence for ‘Satyagrah’ used to be a lengthy
one, but with Morarji’s company it would become enjoyable for all his jail
mates like us. The villagers would come to seek his advice about their
complaints against each other. He used to entertain both the parties, would
reconcile them and send away. For the want of a child, his father compelled
him to remarry. He didn’t care about our opposition to it. His first wife
accepted the new one and treated her like a sister, which made his family
life a happy one. Once we were having a chat with Bapu when Mahadevbhai told
him about Morarji’s two wives. Bapu asked him, “Do you worship Ram?” Morarji
instantly retorted, “Bapuji, if we worship Ram, why not worship his father
too?” It made Bapu explode with laughter. Morarji’s happy-go-lucky attitude
to life helped ease the difficulties in our struggle. He passed away after a
few years of gaining independence. There would always be a want of such
selfless people like him, on the path of ‘Sarvoday’. |