Mahatma Gandhi note on Gramsudhar Trust

[Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav]

Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav

Senior Gandhian Scholar, Professor, Editor and Linguist

Gandhi International Study and Research Institute, Jalgaon, Maharashtra, India

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Mahatma Gandhi note on Gramsudhar Trust 

 

 

The local Trust for Uruli may be kept separate from the original Trust. Only then will you be able to carry on rural reconstruction activities under it. Among these you may include farming, cow rearing, weaving, running indigenous oil-mills, etc. The Trust will be called Gramsudhar Trust. Nature cure will be a part of its activities. All the activities should be mentioned in the Trust deed. You may ask Mangaldas Pakvasa to prepare the draft. Get it done soon. Even Balkrishna may prepare it. I leave to the local workers the decision whether the Trust should be an independent one or a sub-trust of the original Trust. If you wish to have an independent trust, you will have to be ready to stand on your own feet and shoulder all the responsibility. If you make a sub-trust, you will have to work within the framework of the original Trust’s constitution. You will not, then, be able to take up rural reconstruction programme. The trustees will be, beside myself, Dr. Dinshaw and Jehangirji (if they are willing to be included among the Trustees of an independent Trust), Maganbhai, Gulbai, Balkrishna and a local worker, provided he is capable, Balkrishna will have to agree to be one of the Trustees. Maganbhai is not one of the Trustees of the original Trust. He has been included only on the Uruli Trust.

If farming, cow-rearing, running indigenous oil-mills and similar activities are to be carried on through the Trust; they will have to be self-supporting. You will have to be ready to run them all in that manner. I should be happy if you can do without bullocks. For Goseva work, you should utilize the services of residents of the village. Our methods of work ought not to be like those of capitalists. You may employ local workers who have the spirit of service in them for farming, cow-rearing and indigenous oil-mills, etc. The other family members of these workers should also give their services. Oil- engines must not be used. For all these activities, you may get the money from Sevagram. I will give a note to Chimanlal. You cannot use the money of the original Trust. And the expenditure should not exceed one lakh rupees. If patients from the village do not seek admission to the hospital, you may admit outsiders. Local patients should get priority and the expenses on their treatment also should be borne by the institution. You may fix a fee for patients from outside. The standard of treatment for everybody will be simple. This should be laid down among the objects of the Trust If any men or women workers from outside wish to join, they may come and stay in a spirit of service. They cannot be paid any remuneration. Menial staff should be employed from amongst the villagers and should be paid.

You may engage ten or twelve-year old children from the village and pay them, and also arrange to teach them according to the Wardha Scheme. Get a few service-minded workers from outside. Train some servants and children from the village and admit only as many patients as you can easily look after. The workers will be subject to the Ashram rules. For the servants, you may frame lighter rules. There will be bye-rules relating to such matters. If, after his marriage, Parmanand starts an establishment of his own, we will pay him just enough to meet his expenses. We may pay something to Gokhale, too, if he needs it. Fix the amount in consultation with Balkrishna. The equipment for the hospital should also be very simple. It would, of course, be best if you got it made in the village itself. For tubs, you can even use large containers made of baked earth. Or you can get them made of tin. For beds, you may arrange bricks to form the four legs and place a plank over them. This is merely by way of a suggestion. I am of the view that non-vegetarian food has no place in the treatment. I am not here looking at the matter from a religious point of view. Instead of tea, you may serve Indian-style decoction.

In any case, wheat coffee will do. We cannot supply bidis. Don’t mind if persons addicted to these things do not come for treatment. Try to explain the reasons to the people. Patients suffering from tuberculosis, leprosy and other contagious diseases may be admitted if there is provision for separate accommodation for them. Non-violent honey should be extracted in the village itself. Teach the local Vagharan the improved method of extracting honey. You may even start bee-keeping. Make arrangements to supply cow’s milk and ghee. But in the absence of cow’s milk, you can supply buffalo’s or goat’s milk. You may send for Hoshiraribehn after she completes her education. For preserving good health, more expenditure may be incurred if necessary. Every inmate of the Ashram must put in at least seven years of total work. I would not like anybody to be permitted to cook his or her own meals. Decide about the Ashram rules after discussion with Balkrishna. I will write about the subject when I get time. It would be better if Bhagawat gives up the idea of visiting other centres for the present. The additional expenditure on account of the current construction work should also be obtained from Sevagram. The money may be kept in the custody of Dr. Mehta, if he agrees. It would, however be better to keep it with a respectable banker in Uruli. There is no need just now to call any meeting of the Trustees which I must attend. This should be enough.

 

 

Reference:

 

 

Facsimile of the Gujarati: Mahatma, Vol. VII, pp. 448