Waiting For Freedom

One of the thousands of people who participated in Mahatma Gandhi’s Dandi March during the salt satyagraha was Pancha Kaka Patel, a resident of Karadi village near Dandi. Pancha Kaka was a staunch disciple of the Mahatma. The government confiscated his house and lands and imprisoned him for his role in the salt satyagraha and no-tax movement. While he was being takes to jail a police officer said to him : “See what you have got for your trouble. Not an inch of land remains in your possession. You have lost your house too”Pancha kaka replied: “You can rest assured I will never ask for the return of my property till India becomes free.” In 1937, a Congress government was formed in the then Bombay Presidency and the Chief minister, B.G Kher sent a message to Pancha Kaka saying that his government was prepared to return his house and the lands. Pancha Kaka replied that he had taken a pledge not to tae back his property until India became free and that day had not yet come. In 1947, when India had achieved independence, Pancha Kaka was again informed that he could repossess his confiscated property. He contacted his mentor and asked him: “Gandhiji, do you feel that the freedom you had envisaged has come?”To which Gandhiji replied: “Unfortunately I must say ‘no’.”Pancha Kaka wrote back to the government saying that he did not want his property back.Let us wait with Pancha Kaka for Real Freedom.