Book Title: Santbal A Saint with a Difference
Author(s): T U Mehta
Publisher: Navjivan Prakashan Mandir

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Page 103
________________ Story went round that Panchnama was of no effect as Khedut Mandal was advised by Santbalji not to take any legal action against the temple for uprooting the standing crop. The result was that when the representatives of Khedut Mandal went to Sarangpur to obtain the names of the two Panchas of the choice of temple authorities, the temple representatives bluntly told them that they did not want any outside interference in the management of temple properties and the farmers whose crop was uprooted could be given few chips to purchase fresh seeds for sowing purpose. This was blatant breach of promise given in writing, but since no legal action was contemplated, the representatives of Khedut Mandal held a public meeting in the village, exposed the betrayal by temple authorities and declared their intention to renew their Shuddhi Prayog. On 23rd July 1956, again Shuddhi Prayog was started. This time it was really a testing one because the temple authorities had taken a hard stand. They began to harass the five farmers who stood firm. They could not go alone in the outskirts of the village, nor could they leave their cattle unattended. They were not allowed to give water to their cattle, at the village trough. They had to send away their cattle to their relatives at other villages. However, all of them stood firm. In order to break the moral of the Shuddhi Prayog team, the temple authorities hired some rowdies who took out their counter-processions with sticks and other sharp-edged weapons and who began to disturb the prayer meetings of Shuddhi Prayog group. These counter-processionists were always in violent mood, used abusive slogans and adopted threatening attitude. All this was scrupulously tolerated. Twenty-three days passed in this manner, but there was no end in sight. One person who was working as a temple spy once informed Shuddhi Prayog people that during the night to follow 77 Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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