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When a saint visited Atheist Centre

Memories of Vinoba's visit to the city, his uncomplicated ways of life continue to inspire me, says Lavanam

POSITIVE ENERGY Vinoba Bhave (extreme right), Gora (in the middle) and Lavanam (extreme left)

In the 55-year-old history of the Bhoodan Movement -- though Bhoodan was started in Telangana area, Vijayawada had the opportunity of hosting its general body meeting once. It was in the last week of December 1955. As part of his Bhoodan tour in Andhra, Vinoba Bhave stayed put in the city for four days. Vinoba was a unique blend of saintly philosopher, a social reformer and a fighter for social justice. For this reason, he was also considered the spiritual heir of Mahatma Gandhi by the people of India just as Jawaharlal Nehru was viewed as Bapu's political heir.

Vinoba entered Andhra at Battili in Srikakulam district from Orissa on October 1, 1955. Deviating from the past practice of holding a near one-hour religious prayer before the meeting, he effected a revolutionary change in his daily morning prayers. Since he wanted me (Lavanam), an atheist, to translate his Hindi speeches into Telugu, he reduced the duration of the prayer to a five-minute Mouna Prarthana. He wanted people to silently ponder on ways to practice truth, love and compassion in their own lives, virtues that had no reference to God.

Cup of coffee

The move shocked many Gandhians. Against this backdrop, when he came to Vijayawada, people were very much interested to see him and hear him. The public meeting was held in the then P.W.D. Ground which is now called Swaraj Maidan. Suseela, wife of a journalist Mahadevan, who treated me like her son, brought coffee for me at the meeting venue. Not knowing how to pass on the coffee cup to me, she came and stood just by the side of the dais, very close to Vinoba while I sat beside him. Vinoba called her out and asked her what was she looking for? She told him about the coffee and to my surprise and to the surprise of the audience, Vinoba said she could give the coffee to me. I was hesitant, as I didn't want to take coffee on the dais. But he told me to respect `motherly love' and accept the coffee. So, I drank the coffee she brought in full public view. Though inadvertently, Vinoba's had uncovered an unseen facet of his saintly persona.

Rich in modesty

My father Gora and Vinoba were very close friends. Hence, Vinoba surprised us by an unscheduled visit to the Atheist Centre.

As he came walking, hundreds of people followed him. The entrance of the hut in which my father lived, was very low and Vinoba had to bend his head while entering inside. A short while later, he addressed a gathering at the Atheist Centre and remarked: "Generally, one who has a family also has property; one who shuns property, also renounces family. But here is the case of an atheist who renounced the property but has his family intact. So, I think Gora is greater than all those theistic saints. Nature made me pay respects to this atheist saint as I had to bow myself to enter into Gora's hut."

Not only his unscheduled visit but his remarks also surprised everyone. Vinoba was a bachelor and that was his last visit to Vijayawada. Today, neither Gora nor Vinoba is alive. But their greatness and simple ways of life enriched the environs of the Atheist Centre and Vijayawada.

(Lavanam is a well-known atheist leader)

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