Letter 35
30th September, 1990 My dear Pranav,
Some time back I wrote to you that I would describe the idea of gramdan given by Vinoba. Actually, this idea grew out of the concept of Bhoodan.
In bhoodan, Vinoba was asking people to donate one-sixth of their land to a representative of Daridranarayan. He told people; “Tam your sixth brother. I am a Brahmin. Give me my sixth share as a representative of the poor, landless labourers.” He collected 4.2 millions acres of land, and most of it was distributed. .
Vinoba expressed an idea that as air and sunshine are free gifts of God, we should also consider land as His Gift.
‘Sab bhoomi gopalki (All land belongs to Gopal - Lord Krishna).” Nobody can be the owner of land for all are sons of Mother earth. we are all sons of the soil. “Mata bhoomib putro abam prithivyab” (Earth is our mother and we are all her sons). We are all bboomiputras. We must share her favours. We do not own our mother. We serve her. That was his message in Bhoodan.
In Bihar in 1953, Vinoba took the next step. It was called gramdan. He wanted an entire village to renounce the ownership of all lands and declare them propery of the whole village. Nobody could buy or sell or mortgage it. All debts created on its basis would be extinguished. People of village would cultivate it. It would be equitably distributed for cultivation. Government help, finance, fertilisers, etc. would go to the village. This idea would have revolutionised the entire rural landscape. Rural indebtedness, un- equal distribution, disputes between the landless and the landlords would have all changed. It was an idea of Total Revolution.
Many villages, blocks, talukas in Bihar Orissa were declared aS gramdani villages. But this movement or idea did not take
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