The Earth is the Lord's: The Saga of Bhoodan-Gramdan (Land-Gift and Village-Gift) Movement

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Vinoba's movement carried forward Gandhi's unfinished mission. He picked up Gandhi's broken thread much akin to a weaver continuing to weave without a break. Vinoba undertook to weave the fabric of nonviolent culture from the point where Gandhi had left it. Vinoba did what Gandhi wanted to, but could not. According to Pyarelal, Gandhiji insisted that the wealthy should be prepared to share their wealth with the have-nots. Vinoba initiated a concerted movement of sharing. Gandhiji wanted to educate the masses to evolve nonviolent methods of olving their problems. Gandhiji's yearning came to be satisfied by Vinoba. Vinoba tried to solve the land problem, and other problems as well, through the power of love and goodwill. He demonstrated nonviolence of the brave. Pyarelal says, Gandhiji knew that the programme of developing nonviolence of the brave would not be as attractive as the fight against the British. Vinoba conducted such 'unattractive' programme across the subcontinent for full two decades. He marched ahead with a small band of workers which he could mobilise in this unglamorous mission. He motivated around 10,000 workers to continue trekking for two decades. Jayaprakash Narayan has rightly said that had Vinoba not come on the scene, we would have forgotten the idea of nonviolent revolution, and the ideology of Sarvodaya would have become a distant and hazy ideal. Vinoba's movement took ahead Gandhi's thought of nonviolent revolution, of radical social transformation. The saga of this historical movement has been presented with lucidity and authenticity in Parag Cholkar's book. It is the fruit of tireless labours, deep scholarship, penetrating analysis, broad perspective and clarity in understanding. A comprehensive account of this great revolutionary movement was not available up till now. Now an authentic document has taken shape through Parag's efforts. For this, he fully deserves our praise and gratitude. It is not merely a piece of documentation. Everything has been put in a broad perspective. In the beginning, the genesis and the history of the land problem have been reviewed. While giving some eye-opener information about the land rights, it tellingly tells how India was enslaved. In this background, we can view in the proper perspective the freedom movement led by Gandhi, and Vinoba's movement for second Independence, When Vinoba initiated the bhoodan movement in 1951, several forces had pounced upon the farmers and village communities were breaking up. The country had become Independent, but the villages had continued to be subjugated. Vinoba embarked on a fight for their freedom. Parag has given a thrilling account of the genesis and progress of this unique movement in detail. In the words of Jayaprakashji, Vinoba made an extra-ordinary attempt to instil spiritual values in the social fabric of Indian society through the programmes of Bhoodan and Gramdan. Vinoba's movement was a stupendous effort for moulding human beings and for a humane revolution. Hundreds of thousands of individuals voluntarily donated hundreds of thousands of acres of land for distribution to the landless. Incredible as it may sound, it is incontrovertible that 2.5 million acres were distributed among the poor, the deprived and the oppressed, enabling them to earn their bread with self-respect. When the programme of Gramdan began, it was such that we find it difficult today to believe that such a programme could be imagined and actually implemented, at least to some extent. Initially, the idea was to transfer the ownership of the land in the village to the gram-sabha (village assembly), to be followed by its equal distribution, treating the village as a family-unit. Such distribution actually took place in a number of villages. It was nothing short of a miracle-a resounding testimony to the power of love and nonviolence. Vinoba had said that he had a vision of the Lord in those villages. Parag has done a significant work in preparing an authentic and detailed document on this novel revolution. It presents before us a clear picture of the movement in totality. It answers many questions and dispels many doubts. Parag has forcefully argued that Gramdan is still relevant. The last chapter is worth going through in this connection. The world is becoming one today. But the present globalisation is only a facade for turning the world into a global market. We do not want world market; we want the world to become one family. For this purpose, society would have to be re-ordered in accordance with Gandhi's concept of oceanic circles. Vinoba's movement gave a glimpse of such an order. A wholly perfect and desirable world order can stand only on the foundation of Gram-Swaraj (village self-rule). Parag has produced an invaluable document of the Herculean effort undertaken through an unprecedented people's movement for giving shape to this order. Gandhian social activists will find it inspiring and illuminating.

Bhoodan-Gramdan Movement is a precious chapter, not only in the history of Independent India, but also in the history of modern world. Never and nowhere in the recorded history has land been collected for the landless on such a massive scale through nothing but moral suasion. There is no record of a bigger and better non-governmental and nonviolent endeavour for the solution of a serious and pressing, yet intricate problem. This endeavour was all the more valuable, because it sought to empower people to solve their problems rather than claiming and posing to solve those problems. This empowerment was meant to initiate radical social transformation. In the year 2000, on the eve of the golden jubilee year of the Bhoodan Movement, Sarva Seva Sangh proposed that a history of the Movement be published to mark the occasion. I was entrusted with the responsibility of writing the history under the guidance of Kantibhai Shah. It was near to impossible to complete the task till 2001, but I am also guilty of letting it linger on under various pretexts, some genuine and some false. In 2008, I was invited by the Gujarat Vidyapith (Ahmedabad), a premier educational institute founded by Mahatma Gandhi, to work as a Visiting Fellow in Vinoba Studies. This presented an opportunity to pursue this work with undivided attention. The Vidyapith gave me full freedom and provided a congenial environment to make my short stay of seven and a half months fruitful. Major part of actual writing was done at the Vidyapith. I am deeply indebted to Narayanbhai Desai, Chancellor of the Vidyapith; Sudarshan Iyengar, Vice-Chancellor of the Vidyapith and their colleagues, particularly at the library and the Peace Research department. I am also grateful to the Vidyapith for publishing the voluminous tome of around 1,000 pages in 3 volumes under the title, 'Sabai Bhoomi Gopal ki in Hindi. The present book is an abridged version of that book in English. I am aware that this book is an elementary attempt, it is far from being a comprehensive and definitive history. Much more needs to be done to have such history, which the nation-wide Movement eminently deserves. It calls for teamwork rather than an individual effort. I am acutely aware of what should have, but could not be done by me, and entertain the hope that the book serves to generate interest in the Movement and is followed by more extensive and deeper research. Without the support of the Vidyapith, the book might not have seen the light of day. I am obliged to them and also to Sarva Seva Sangh for initiating and helping the project. Thanks are also due to Gandhi Seva Sangh (Sevagram), Vinoba Vichar Kendra (Nagpur). Brahmavidya Mandir and Paramdham Prakashan (Pavnar, Wardha), Sabarmati Ashram (Ahmedabad), Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (Pune), Swami Ramananda Tirtha Research Institute (Aurangabad), Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (New Delhi), and also to Balvijay, Gautam Bajaj, Vijay Diwan, Kanakmal Gandhi, Ranjit Desai, Shail Chowhan and many others for letting me have access to the source material in their possession. I have also been benefited from the information and insights provided by Kantibhai Shah, Sarvanarayan Das, Vasant Palshikar and many other workers in the Movement. (Unfortunately, some of them are not alive to see the publication of the English version.) Needless to say, I am solely responsible for the opinions expressed herein and also for the deficiencies in this book. In the end, I would also like to thank Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation Ltd, Pune for arranging copy-editing of the English version and Paramdham Prakashan (Pavnar, Wardha) and Vidarbh Bhoodan-Gramdan Sahayog Samiti for undertaking its publication.

Bhoodan-Gramdan Movement is a precious chapter in the history of Independent India. Never and nowhere in the recorded history has land been collected for the landless on such a scale through moral suasion only. Contrary to popular belief, at least 2.5 million acres of Bhoodan lands have been distributed so far. The Movement not only took up the land problem, but worked for total transformation in the countryside through the radical programme of Gramdan.

A comprehensive account of this great revolutionary movement was not available up till now. Parag has done a significant work in preparing an authentic and exhaustive document on this historical movement. It presents before us a clear picture of the Movement, answers many questions and dispels many doubts. It is not merely a piece of documentation. Everything has been put in a broad perspective. It is the fruit of tireless labours, deep study, penetrating analysis and clarity in perception.