74. A Joyous Satyagrahi

There was a great 'satyagrahi' from Bardoli in Gujarat, Morarjibhai - a resident of Swadla. He used to live in a village. He had a great sense of humour. He could seek a proper way out through any kind of difficulty. The jail sentence for 'Satyagrah' used to be a lengthy one, but with Morarji's company it would become enjoyable for all his jail mates like us. The villagers would come to seek his advice about their complaints against each other. He used to entertain both the parties, would reconcile them and send away. For the want of a child, his father compelled him to remarry. He didn't care about our opposition to it. His first wife accepted the new one and treated her like a sister, which made his family life a happy one. Once we were having a chat with Bapu when Mahadevbhai told him about Morarji's two wives. Bapu asked him, "Do you worship Ram?" Morarji instantly retorted, "Bapuji, if we worship Ram, why not worship his father too?" It made Bapu explode with laughter. Morarji's happy-go-lucky attitude to life helped ease the difficulties in our struggle. He passed away after a few years of gaining independence. There would always be a want of such selfless people like him, on the path of 'Sarvoday'.