ll Hari Om ll
Aniruddha’s Purushartha Mandalam Kalash 1-MH-04-009 organizes Charkha Shibir on 5th October 2014
Param Poojya Sadguru Shri Aniruddha Bapu’s Speech on ’13 Points
Programme’
Clothing… Cloth, even today, there are scores of
students, not just in villages but also in cities, who do not have enough
clothing to cover their bodies. As a result, they are unable to attend school
and thus remain deprived of education. Therefore, such children or for that
matter even the class that toils but fails to make ends meet, has to be
provided with clothing. We are not talking of beggars; we are talking of those who
work for their living. It is an important issue even today. Similarly, in times
of natural calamities, those affected need to be provided with clothing. The
aged, who have nobody to look after them, also should receive clothing. This is
the first programme on my list. While on this point, I wish to recall, with
love, something very beautiful; something that binds us all Indians, binds us
firmly to it. And we have lost sight of it. Yet, the bond persists. It keeps
surfacing over and over again in History. It keeps signalling to us. We are
talking of our bond with the Charkha, a boon that a great soul of this country, Mahatma Gandhi, bestowed
upon us. Mahatmaji may have had his own political views. I do not understand
politics. I do not wish to understand it. There was no bullet proof vehicle and
no bullet proof glass. This old man was shot… and at that moment what he
uttered was… HEY RAM. We Indians believe that only saints utter the name of God
as they breathe their last. But then, he was indeed a saint. Just this one
thing is enough for me. The rest, gossip and disputes, I have left to those who
indulge in it. That is their business. You might wonder, “Bapu, why do you want
to drag us to the times bygone? There are mills now.” But, then, these
mills cannot provide me, as Indians, with cloth, and, that too, free of cost. I
want your hands that toil. The two Spinning Wheels that you see here….the
vertical one is out-dated. The one that is there in the wooden box is called
the YERAWADA
WHEEL. The other one that looks like a machine is
the AMBAR
CHARKHA… Ambar Charkha. We are going to spin the yarn
on these two wheels. From today, I begin the Saptapadi of the chakra and the
mantra… the chakra and the mantra. We want Bapu’s love. We want Bapu’s
blessings. Bapu is with all those who spin the charka and chant the mantra…
108%. Chakra is the wheel of the charkha. I do not want you to throw your money
and get cloth in return for that. I want you to get involved. You have to take
this responsibility. The wheel has to spin as you work hard and as you say the
mantra. Our organization has done a lot of preparations. I myself was preparing
for it. I have learnt to…
Many organizations helped us in our preparations
that have been going on for around six months. I feel the need to mention their
names. The Gopuri Ashram, Vardha, Vinobaji’s Sarvodaya Ashram, the Gujarat
Khadi Gramodyog Mandal, Ahmedabad, the Orphanage founded by Sardar Vallabhbhai
Patel, the various artisans there. Narendrabhai Shah, Bababhai Patel who helped
us and, of course, the name where it all began, Dr. Madhavdas Thackersey. I
must express my gratitude to the Trustees of Mani Bhavan, the Vice Chairman of Mani
Bhavan Mr. Subramaniam and Mr.Tulsidas Somaiya. They have trained 12 of our
volunteers not only in spinning the yarn but also in the entire process, and
all this with so much love. Both these wheels yield yarn. However, the Yeravada
wheel (charkha) is used to fabricate only the transverse yarn whereas the Ambar
wheel that is mechanical, can be used for both the longitudinal as well as the
transverse one and can be used to weave cloth. The Ambar charkha costs about
Rs. 1850/-. The cost may vary a little. The Yeravada Charkha costs about Rs.
450/-. The cost depends on the wholesale rate effective at a given moment. The
sliver there has to be bought. That is called the Sliver. Our friends in
Bardoli, Vardha, Ahmedabad have promised to help us on that front. They are
putting in sincere efforts. We, all of us, have to now spin the wheels. Our
organization will get these slivers at Rs.80/-. …buy as much, as many slivers
as is possible for you, spin the yarn and give it to our Organization. Those
who are not able to do this, those who cannot participate in this work and spin
the charkha must help those who can, and also support those who buy the sliver.
This is a totally self-dependent plan and I absolutely insist that it is
carried out by these means. Spinning the yarn, weaving cloth… Spinning the
charkha will be taught at the Mumbai Sarvodaya Mandal, 1st floor,
Nana Chowk, Mumbai on Sundays from 9.30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and on Wednesdays and
Fridays between 3.30 p.m and 5.00 pm. You might ask, “Bapu, why all this running
around?” I have already said in the beginning, that I want your involvement.
Even if you buy cloth in return for money that you pay and we weave the fabric
we might be able to provide cloth worth Rs. 4.50/-or Rs. 5.00/-when the expense
is Re. 1/-. We can provide cloth enough for 4-5 persons at the cost of cloth
that is actually meant for only one, and that too which is very durable and
brand new, mind you. Those who use khadi know how durable it is and that it
does not wear out at all. It is a need. It is a need of the students, of
the women. Education too is a need. Education alone can free a large part of
the Indian Society from the clutches of blind faith, discrimination and all
that stands in the way of the welfare of the country. They must all be aware,
aware of the rights and their duties. So, this cause aims at providing
clothing, free of cost, to children not only in Mumbai or in Maharashtra but
all over the country. The Organization will make the fabric. It will bear the
cost of weaving cloth. It will be distributed all over the country, among all
castes, all sects, without accepting even so much as a rupee as token. Mind
you, this will be a gift, not alms. If you feel these are alms or help, do not
spin the charkha. I will do it all by myself. The yarn that it yields will be
enough for me. Not, of course, for me to wear. I do not insist that you wear
Khadi. Let all orphans get clothing to cover themselves. We just do not get any
idea while living in the city. The villages in Maharashtra are relatively
better off, but think of the situation in Khandesh. Our organization is working
so sincerely. I am happy to announce that like in Dhule, we are going to adopt
3 more schools and villages. This again is for the same purpose. The initial
stages have already taken off, spinning the yarn all by yourself and chanting
the mantra simultaneously. And what do you think the mantra is? I would like
you to ask me a question, “Bapu, which God do you worship?” To tell you the
truth, I do not worship any God. My God, is sitting right before me, I worship
him. Bapu belongs to all those who turn the charkha and chant the mantra.
(Delivered on October 3, 2002 on the Grounds of the New English School,
Kherwadi, Bandra (E), Mumbai, India)
- See
more at: http://aniruddhafriend-samirsinh.com/english-translation-of-param-poojya-sadguru-shri-aniruddha-bapus-speech-on-13-points-programme/#sthash.sFPrd2LI.dpuf
ll Hari Om ll Shree Ram ll Ambadnya ll
