PANNAI ASHRAM
J.C. Kumarappa
Although the cultivator is the basic producer of wealth, especially of the kind most of us need,—raw materials for food, clothing and shelter,—yet we know he is always poor and neglected. What is this phenomenon due to? Who robs him of his due? Or is he inefficient? Or is it the fault of the land? These and other questions have been answered times without number in innumerable ways. But they have mostly been dealt with by academicians. We need to tackle the problem directly by living on the land and by eliminating extraneous disturbing factors so as to be sure of the purity of the details sought.
For this purpose the Pannai Ashram has been formed by the Akhil Bharat Sarva Seva Sangh. It was inaugurated by Acharya J.B. Kripalani on the 18th May, 1951, at Seldoh. It will work under my direction. “Pannai” is from tamil, and means “farming.”
Seldoh, the village where the Ashram is located, is an ordinary small village with a population of about 700 persons. It is 28 miles from Nagpur and 20 miles from Wardha. It is the last village in Wardha district on the Wardha-Nagpur Road. The nearest railway station, Sindi on the GIP railway, is about 4 miles away. It is served with a weekly mail from the Sindi post office. It has an elementary school run by the Janapad Sabha. There are about 60 children on the register.
The village has about 2000 acres under cultivation. Being at the foot of the Satpuda Range there is an ample supply of water and plenty of vegetation. The land is naturally undulating. With all this the village is poor and dilapidated, though it lays proud claims to close associations with Raja Raghuji Bhonsle in whose time it seems to have enjoyed its heydays. The population depends mainly on agriculture, all the occupations having died out in course of time. There are still about 40 houses of telis, but there are no ghanis working. There is a sprinkling of Gond families. The main crops are juwar and cotton. The latter being a money crop. The cattle are also in an equally pitiable condition. Within a five-mile radius there are about four more villages much in the same condition.
The Ashram proposes to take up balanced cultivation as its central activity along with the usual agro-industries to support its members. Its life will be dovetailed into that of the village and it will seek their full cooperation in rural reconstruction work. There is need for a Bal Mandir, a Basic School, a Dispensary and an organisation for the rural welfare work. The villagers are willing to render their share of help in all these activities.
The Ashram will consist of (1) members, (2) associates and (3) companions.
1. The members will be whole-time workers carrying out any duties assigned to them. They will get the materials needed for a balanced diet, (they may have their own cooking), raw cotton needed for their clothing and house accommodation. They will be given a small cash allowance. Their children will attend the Basic Schools. They will partake in all Ashram activities.
2. Associates will be such of the villagers who wish to take part in our programme other than the one connected with our cultivation. They will be part-time honorary workers.
3. Companions will be those who come to us from outside the village to share our life for a period of two years or more to observe and study our programme by actively taking full share in it during the period of their stay. They will be given their balanced diet, cotton for their clothing and shelter but no money allowance. In effect, they will function as temporary members.
It is hoped that the Ashram will get into full swing after the monsoon. In the meanwhile those who are interested in this new experiment and would like to join it are invited to get into touch with the writer at Maganvadi, Wardha.
(Harijan, June 16, 1951)