Mahatma Gandhi Special Features - World of Biography, Media Matrix, India

Important activities

There were three important activities of the ashram.

1) Community weaving and spinning
2) Community cleaning
3) Community praying

Vaishnov Jan to taynay kahyeeye
Jay peerh paraaye janneyray
Par dukkhey upkar karey teeyey,
man abhiman na anney ray
Sakal lokma Sahuney bandhey,
Ninda Na karye kainee ray
Baach kaachh, Man nischal Raakhey,
dhan-dhan jananee tainee ray
Samdrishi nay trishna tyagee,
par-stree jaynay mat ray
Vivihva thaki asatya na bolay,
par-dhan nav jhaley haath ray
Moh maaya vyaayey nahin Jeynay,
dridth vairagya jana manma ray
Ram-nam-shoom taalee laagee,
Sakal teerth seyna tanma ray
Vanloohee nay kapat rahit chhay,
Kaam, Krodh nivarya ray
Bhane Narsinhyo tainoo darshan karta
kul ekotair taarya re.

Mr Khushwant Singh's translation

Speak only of him as godlike
the man who feels another's pain
Who shares another's sorrow
and pride does disdain
Who regards himself lowliest of the low
Speaks not a word of evil against any one
Blessed is the mother
who gave birth to such a son
Who looks upon everyone as his equal,
lust he has renounced
Who honors women like he honors his mother
Whose tongue knows not the taste of falsehood
Nor covets another's worldly goods
Who longs not for worldly wealth (or fame)
For he treads the path of renunciation
Ever on his lips is Ram's holy name
All places of pilgrimage are within him
He has conquered greed, is free of deceit,
lust and anger
Through him Narsinh has godly vision
And his generation to come will attain salvation

The above hymn of Bhagat Narsinh Mehta of Gujarat, was sung every day during prayer meets of Gandhiji, which remained one of his favorite one.
These activities symbolized the economic, social and spiritual revolute began by Gandhiji. He believed, "All these activities may be considered sufficient for observance of the principle of breed-labor. The ashram's ideal is to live to serve.

Ø Why did Gandhiji promote coarse Khadi instead of soft cotton foreign cloth.

Ø "What is the kind of Swadeshi activity that can be easily undertaken and at the same time will enable millions of our semi-starved countrymen to live, the answer was Khadi or the spinning wheel… khadi is the first step towards social Swadeshi."

Ø Did Gandhiji encourage handicrafts because the khadi movement had failed ?

Ø "Handicrafts industry complements the main activity of khadi production. Without khadi the handicraft industry cannot exist and without in khadi loses its value and dignity."

Ø What was Gandhiji's attitude towards prayer ?

Ø "If insistence on truth constitutes the foundation of the ashram, prayer is the source of its strength. From the very beginning, it has been the practice to commence the activities of the ashram with congregational morning worship.. Truth is God. To worship this truth is prayer. The ashram aims as realizing the ideals of prayer."

Ø A newsletter, "Chhotam" which was about the activities of the ashram was published by Gandhiji. (21-1-1925)

Ø Did Gandhiji visit that his grand children pay for their stay in the ashram?

Ø Kasturba's grand children often came to visit her. On the first occasion when the children were leaving after a brief stay at the ashram, Gandhiji said to Ba, "Deposit their food and lodging expenses at the ashram." Be expressed surprise at this Gandhiji explained. "The ashram is run with public funds. If our children stay and enjoy its facilities then what is wrong in paying for them ?" Ba accepted this and in the future always asked the Manager for the bill on the children's account.

Ø Did Gandhiji quit Kochrab ashram thinking Ashram life impossible there?

Ø "The Plague broke out in Kochrab and I saw evident danger to the safety of the ashram children. Our idea was to have the ashram at a safe distance both from town and village… An Ashram without orchard, farm or cattle would not be a complete unit. The Ashram at Kochrab lacked these."

Ø Why the name 'Satyagraha' ashram ?

Ø Gandhiji believed that Satyagraha was necessary to achieve individual growth for Satyagrahis and social change. He used the ashram as a laboratory Gandhiji also entertained the idea that the ashram would become a training ground for Satyagrahis. He wrote, I had full discussions with .. friends, as a result of which, we decided to call the institution Satyagraha Ashram.

Ø Team Work

Anasuyaben Sarabhai, Shankerlal Banker, Narharibhai Parikh, Maniben, ashram inmates including women and children, and the striking mill workers helped in building the ashram. Gandhiji beloved, "Every men and women must work in order to live… Every individual must labor enough for his food and his intellectual faculties must be exercised not in order to obtain a living or amass a fortune but only in the service of mankind."

Ø Did Gandhiji exploit the striking workers to build the ashram ?

Gandhiji used the services of the striking mill-workers to build the ashram soul. About this he wrote in his autobiography, "We do not want the workers to continue the strike by living on public charity.. Maganlal Gandhi suggested that, as we needed said for filling the foundation of our weaving school in the ashram, a number of them might be employed for that purpose. The labor welcomed the proposal."