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

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Page 135
________________ experiments in the reorganisation of the society on ethical lines, he was somehow persuaded to select sea coast in the South of Gujarat, far away from Gundi. Chinchani, a small township in District Thana and situated on sea shore, was selected. Prayogik Sangh, Bombay purchased a vadi with residential accommodation and having many fruit trees, wells and compound wall. And from 1970 A. D. onwards the Saint made it his permanent residence from where he conducted all his activities till his death in 1982 A. D. at Bombay. At Chinchani, many prominant persons of every field - spiritual, cultural, social, literary and political — used to see him and he took equal interest in all these activities. Though his attachment to the Indian National Congress continued, he was very unhappy with its functioning and its straying away from Gandhian ideals. On 7th January 1972 a meeting of Prayogik Sangh was called and it was decided to form a "Gram Congress” a separate congress which would devote its activities on Gandhian lines. He also called “Sant Sevak Samudyam Parishad” which was attended by some prominant politicians, social workers and saints who were inspired by Gandhian values. All this was in an attempt to revitalise the Gandhian concept and to improve the day-to-day deteriorating values in Congress politics. Indian Emergency came in 19751976 with all its evils. The Saint must have been internally unhappy as it was obviously against his own noble ideals of ethical social values and their balancing factor of Anubandh. He made an attempt to meet Indira. But that did not fructify. However, he did not come out openly against emergency as was also done by another revered great Saint Vinobaji. His unhappiness at the Congress working becomes evident from a note made for the year 1976 in the Volume - 1 of the above referred Smruti Granth. 109 Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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