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Acharya Vinoba Bhave

2022 SEP 12

Preliminary   > Modern Indian History   >   Personalities   >   Eminent personalities

Why in news?

  • Recently, the Prime Minister paid rich tributes to Acharya Vinoba Bhave on his birth Anniversary.

About Vinoba Bhave:

  • Vinayak Narahari Bhave better known as Vinoba Bhave is regarded as the National Teacher of India.
  • An ardent advocate of human rights and non-violence, he is considered the spiritual successor of Mahatma Gandhi.
  • He worked towards eliminating social inequities. He started the Sarvodaya Movement which meant ‘Progress for all’.
    • The term ‘Sarvodaya’ was used by Mahatma Gandhi as the title of his 1908 translation of John Ruskin's tract on political economy, Unto This Last, and Gandhi came to use the term for the ideal of his own political philosophy
    • Later Vinoba Bhave embraced the term as a name for the social movement in post-independence India which strove to ensure that self-determination and equality reached all strata of Indian society.
  • He also created the Brahma Vidya Mandir which was a small community of women enabling them to become self-sufficient.
  • In 1951, Bhave started the Bhoodan Movement in Pochampally, Telangana.

His role in freedom struggle:

  • He participated in non-cooperation campaigns, particularly the urge for the adoption of Swadeshi items instead of foreign imports.
  • In 1940, Gandhi designated him as the first Individual Satyagrahi (an individual who stands up for truth rather than a group action) against the British Raj.
  • Bhave played an important role in the Quit India Movement.
  • From 1951 to 1964, Bhave walked across the whole nation for 13 years.
  • In 1965, Bhave started the Toofan Yatra which continued for four years.
  • Bhave took the vow for celibacy and followed it all his life. He dedicated his life to religious work and freedom struggle.

What is Bhoodan Movement?

  • Bhoodan literally means a donation of land. As implied by the name, in this movement, landlords voluntarily give up land to be distributed to landless labourers, who would then cultivate the land.
  • This is aimed at reducing the gap between the rich and the poor. Here, the land donors are not given any compensation.
  • This was initiated by Vinoba Bhave in Pochampally in 1951.
  • This movement went on for 13 years during which time Bhave travelled all over India. He collected 4.4 million acres of land to be distributed to landless farmers.
  • In 1954, he started the Gramdan movement which involved the voluntary donation of whole villages.
  • These movements attracted worldwide admiration for being stellar examples of voluntary social justice.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

Which of the following movements/institutions are associated with Acharya Vinoba Bhave?

1. Sarvodaya Movement

2. Brahma Vidya Mandir

3. Bhoodan Movement

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 3 only

(d) 1,2 and 3

Answer