Santbal A Saint with a Difference

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

Page 92

Thus a solution was found without resort to legal proceedings which would have ended in a lasting damage to the co-operative spirit.
Gambling Stopped:
As pointed out in chapter 7 above Faljibhai was one of the most trusted lieutenants of Santbal and he had digested his philosophy and methods of solving questions of public nature. He was a leading farmer and was respected not only in his own village but also in the neighbouring villages.
He found that young persons of this village were developing the habit of gambling. Elders of the village did not like this, but had no moral courage to take up the issue. Gambling resulted in other consequential vices such as theft, cheating and brawl. On Janmashtami day even those who were not otherwise gambling devoted the whole day in gambling because it was thought customary to gamble on that day.
Faljibhai was feeling unhappy at the development. He talked about this to some elders but he was countered with the arguments that even Yudhisthir of Mahabharat used to gamble; when the reason of Yudhisthir's gambling was pointed out to them, they expressed their helplessness in the matter saying that if they were not able to control their own children, how they could expect to pursuade others.
On the Janmashtami day when people had gathered in large number at the temple to have Darshan of the idol of Lord Krishna, Faljibhai took the opportunity to open the topic. After stating the problem he asked the gathering whether they would go to extinguish fire if they found a house in the village being destroyed by fire. Somebody responded by saying that it would be their duty to go there to extinguish that fire. Faljibhai then
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