Acharya Vinoba Bhave (1895-1982) is undoubtedly one of the greatest personalities of the last century. Acclaimed as 'Gandhi's spiritual successor' he was, in fact, a successor to most of the ancient spiritual traditions of the world. Philosophy, metaphysics, sociology, political science, pedagogy, economics-there was hardly any subject that his genius did not touch and in which he did not contribute novel, original and insightful ideas. Those ideas assume more importance in the light of the fact that Vinoba was not only a theoretician, but he also practised what he preached, and demonstrated the practicality of what he conceived. The Bhoodan-Yajna, which he initiated and led, gave more than 2.5 million acres of land to the poor agricultural labourers. This has no parallel in the history of the world.
Vinoba's books, most of which are compilations on different subjects culled from his speeches and writings, have been, and are being, published in various Indian languages. However, only a few of them have been published in English. Hence most of his writings have remained inaccessible in English. This is a serious deficiency, when English is the most widely known international language and the perplexed world urgently needs to become aware of Vinoba's experiential wisdom.
This is what prompted me to resolve to prepare a few books in English by editing and translating Vinoba's thoughts on different subjects, which have not been covered in Vinoba's available literature in English, despite being fully aware of my incompetence to do the job, simply because it has not yet been attempted. The attempt is to give a broad outline of some of Vinoba's thoughts with the hope that they would motivate the readers to delve into Vinoba's timeless wisdom.
Bhoodan (Land-gift) Movement began on 18 April 1951, when Vinoba received a gift of 100 acres of land for the landless dalits at Pochampalli (Telangana). A year later, all the landholders of Mangaroth village (U.P.) gifted their entire landholdings. This opened the possibility of the control of the village community over land, the most vital natural resource, which Vinoba had envisaged long ago as the logical culmination of bhoodan. This was called gramdan. Vinoba's genius perceived that it could be the beginning of village self-rule. No wonder, gramdan soon became the main programme of the Sarvodaya Movement. Revolutionaries had dreamt about the abolition of private property. Gramdan offered a peaceful and nonviolent way to bring this about, neither through arms nor through legal expropriation, but voluntarily, through moral suasion alone. History witnessed the unprecedented sight of landholders surrendering their ownership rights happily, and even feeling themselves blessed for getting an opportunity to do so!
Many villagers embraced gramdan. The lands in hundreds of villages were redistributed equally, or at least equitably, on the basis of the family size of the tillers. Such was the range of possibilities hidden in gramdan that Vinoba's genius blossomed in envisaging and delineating them. And in the process, the science of achievement of true freedom was created.
However, complete redistribution of village lands was certainly too tall an order, though Vinoba's charisma was making it possible. To widen the scope of the movement and to take the idea of gramdan to the villages in the whole country, Vinoba 'simplified' the scheme, keeping intact the revolutionary element of surrender of property rights. Many state governments in India enacted laws to legalise the scheme. The world curiously watched this novel experiment of 'legitimate anarchism'.
Vinoba marshalled all of his intellectual, organisational, and even physical resources for the spread of gramdan. He spent four years in Bihar and tried to create not just a 'movement' but a 'toofan' (typhoon). Majority of villages in the state, and many more in other states also, gave consent for gramdan. On that basis, the work of building gram-swaraj should have been taken up in as many villages as possible. But this could not be done and a great opportunity was lost.
The situation has drastically changed-and changed for the worse. Modern civilisation has brought the world to such pass that the very existence of Homo sapiens, and also of the planet Earth is in danger. Gram-swaraj offers the only alternative. It is extremely crucial that it remains before the eyes of the people. It is on this background that this book has been presented.
I am happy that Sarva Seva Sangh Prakashan has taken initiative for the publication of this book as an e-book, while Paramdham Prakashan is publishing it in printed form. Vidarbha Bhoodan-Gramdan Sahayog Samiti and Bhoodan-yajna Mandal, Vidarbha have provided financial assistance to this project. I am grateful to them. Readers are welcome to point out errors and deficiencies and suggest modifications.
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