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 Arabic. He found this study necessary for cultivating a living contact with the Muslims living in his neighbourhood.

He has an army of disciples and workers who would rise to any sacrifice at his bidding. He is responsible for producing a young man who has dedicated himself to the service of lepers. Though an utter stranger to medicine, this worker has by singular devotion mastered the method of treatment of lepers and is now running several clinics for their care. Hundreds owe their cure to his labours. He has now published a handbook in Marathi for the treatment of lepers, Vinoba was for years Director of the Mabila Ashram (an Ashram for women) in Wardha. His devotion to the cause of Daridranarayan (the God of the poor) took him first to a village near Wardha, and now he has gone still further and lives in Pavnar, five miles from Wardha, from where he has established contact with villagers through the disciples he has trained.

He believes in the necessity of the political independence of India. He is an accurate student of history. But he believes that real independence of the villagers is impossible without his constructive programme of which khadi (handspun, handwoven cloth) is the centre. He believes that the charkha (spinning wheel) is the most equitable outward symbol of non-violence which has become an integral part of his life. He has taken an active part in the previous Satyagraha (non-violent civil disobedience) campaigns. He has never been in the limelight on the political platform. With many co-workers he believes that silent constructive work with civil disobedience in the background is far more effective than the already heavily crowded political platform. And he thoroughly believes that non-violent resistance is impossible without a heart belief in and practice of constructive-work.

"(The above was pitblished in the ‘Harijan’ of October 20, 1940. It was written by Gandhiji to introduce to the public Sri Vinoba Bhave, whom he bad chosen, as the best representative on non-violent civil resistance to war. Sri Vinoba was to start the

" campaign of individual civil disobedience, and in the first instance it was to be confined to him only.)

“The correspondence that ensued you find in appendix 2h

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