Great Warrior Of Ahimsa

Author(s): Pratap J Tolia
Publisher: Vardhaman Bharati International Foundation

Page 20

As regards my Musical Contribution and Creations, apart from my Personal Stage Performances of Rendering Multi-lingual Hindustani Music, songs on Sitar and MUSIC FOR MEDITATION, etc., the above-mentioned Great Masters of mine graced me with inspiration, innovation and ability to plan, render, musically compose and produce about two Dozen Long Playing Gramophone Discs and about one hundred titles of Cassettesi Beginning with the famous poetical works of SRIMAD RAJCHANDRAJI, namely SRI ATMASIDDHI SHASHTRA, RAJ PAD, PARAMGURU PAD, etc. in musical forms in 1974-1975. Followed by these were other L.P.s like SRI BHAKTAMARA STOTRA, KALYAN MANDIR STOTRA, RISHI MANDAL STOTRA, MAHAVIR DARSHAN, VIR VANDANA, MAHAYOGI ANANDGHAN KE PAD, STHITPRAGYA, ISHOPANISHAD & OM TATSAT (Both blessed by Acharya vinobaji and released by Prime Minister MORARJI DESAI and RAVISHANKAR MAHARAJ), ATMAKHO), DHYAN, SANGIT, etc.. etc... But before these Musical Creations, when the writing of this Play (MAHA-SAINIK: COULD THERE BE SUCH A WARRIOR? ) took place in 1969 during Gandhi Centenary, I had two important aspect of my background. On one hand, so far as studies and technique of Dramatics are concerned, I had, during my Post Graduation of English Literature, undergone studies of Greek Tragedies as well as Shakespearean Tragedies and Ibsenian and Shavian Plays' peculiarities in addition to a number of Hindi Dramatists' styles during my Post Graduation of Hindi Literature. On the other hand, I had acquired some experience of writing and staging live my previous plays mentioned hereabove. This is my first background so far as literary, technique-pertaining and Stage Experience is concerned. My Second Background being actual and practical one, has one meaningful & live significance there is concerned. It happened like this: After my walking tours with Vinobaji and various studies under the shelter of Dr. Pandit Sukhlaji and elsewhere, I began my-services in Educational, Literary and Musical fields as a college Lecturer in Hindi & English and Principal thereafter from 1960, at Swaminarayan College Ahmedabad, Prataprai Arts College Amreli, National College Ahmedabad and Mahila Arts College Visnagar all in Gujarat. Lately in 1968, I was privileged to join as a Senior Post Graduate Lecturer teaching Hindi & English at the Mahatma Gandhi-established Gujarat. Vidyapith, Ahmedabad, which was graced previously by my above Masters like Dr. Pandit Sukhlalji, etc. Here at Gujarat Vidyapith, apart from my duties and activities of teaching, singing and also students'-camps-conducting at times, I had two noteworthy opportunities and experiences during Gandhi Centenary year, 1969: (1) To personally join as a Pedestrian, along with my Sitar (just as in my Bhoodan Tours with Vinobaji), the Gujarat Vidyapith organised 241 miles long DANDI PADAYATRA from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi on the 1930 footprints of Mahatma Gandhi. During this reenactment I had to, apart from singing from place to place, study and collect unrevealed datas of Gandhiji's historic Dandi march to record and write and report the same daily from running tour to the Press, which took form of a series of articles titled "DANDI PATH NE PAGLE..PAGLE.." published in Jansatta Daily and now being published in a Book form by Gujarat Vidyapith. (2) To actually work, with great risks involved, as a SHANTI-SAINIK ( Peace Soldier ), as
Hemanded by grave circumstances, out of my own heart's inspiration, during the terrible communal riots that gripped Ahmedabad in their clutches in late 1969. Gujarat Vidyapith Chancellor late Hon'ble Shri Morarjibhai Desai had then undertaken Fasts and this humble self along with only a few Sarvodaya-Gandhian ProfessorColleagues like Shri Harish Vyas had dared to move in horrible nights as SHANTI SAINIKS wearing Yellow and Green Scarfs, on Bikes...... There were gruesome Rioteers on burning and killing spree on one side and the firing military personnels on