Santbal A Saint with a Difference

Author(s): T U Mehta
Publisher: Navjivan Prakashan Mandir

Page 79

to take the sides of farmers without caring much for the injustice which might have been caused to a member belonging to the class superior land-holders called Girasdar. Any such impression was not correct because Santbalji always emphasised that the Khedut Mandal should never adopt a partisan attitude while arbitrating a dispute. An interesting incident showing how far this teaching of the Saint had gone home, is cited by Shri Faljibhai in his work Santbalji Sathena Pachis Varsha (25 years in the company of Santbalji).
Once the Khedut Mandal received a complaint from one Girasdar (a member of the class of superior land-holders) that to sustain his large family, the land of his own ownership was not sufficient and hence he was cutivating as a tenant the land of another person. However, an important member of Khedut Mandal managed the revenue officers and got the complainant's name cancelled as a tenant in the revenue records and also further managed to see that the name of that member of the Khedut Mandal was shown as a tenant. The importance of this change of mutation in names was that whoever was shown as a "tenant" in revenue record was to get that land as owner under the prevailing law. Thus the complainant was to lose the land by illegal machinations of an important member of Khedut Mandal. He was hesitant to approach the Khedut Mandal under the impression that the Mandal always espoused the cause of farmers and would not be able to give any relief against its own member who was influential enough. But somebody told him that his impression was not justified as the Mandal was guided by Santbalji. He approached Santbalji who asked him to put his case in writing. This was done and on preliminary inquiry it was found that there was substance in his complaint. Then both the parties were called and they were persuaded to refer the matter to arbitration of one arbitrator to be appointed by each party and a third one by the Mandal.
53