“Sabhi ko Jai Jagat”

A resounding and deep voice would cut across the usual greetings of hi and hello. It was the voice of Mohan Hirabai Hiralal or Mohanbhai as we knew him.

Over decades of silent, patient and spirited work, Mohanji worked across the country on the lived experience of non-violence. As the Kalyan Mitra of Mendha Lekha, he co-travelled with the village on its journey of communing (graam daan) and acquiring its own forest rights. These, in a world where there is increasing dependence on the state is nothing short of a miracle.

Mohanji believed though that if it can happen in Mendha, it can happen anywhere else. Coming from a deep understanding of principles of nature, he would remind us to connect to our ‘ruchi’ (innate interests). He would invite us to search for other spaces where deep democracy is unfolding, with complete conviction that it must be happening at many places in the world.

Mohanji did the equivalent of splitting the atom in the field of deep democracy when he proposed the sepration of knowledge creation and decision making. This insight enables inclusion and deep democracy in newer ways, taking Gandhiji and Vinoba’s ideas to ground and infuse them with pragmatism.

In my own life, Mohanji has been responsible for my journeys of relationship and parenting, for an inner harmony between parts of myself and an organisation that has a stable community at its core.

While I deeply feel his absence, his ideas and the depth of work he has done with us will continue to germinate and flower over a lifetime.

Jai Jagat.

Abhishek Thakore, Blue Ribbon Movement

A booklet created by Blue Ribbon Movement to capture the journey they had with Mohanbhai and what they learnt from him.

Click on the image to view and download the full booklet.

Also watch this video documentation by John Dsouza:

This is a conversation with Mohanbhai. I had the good fortune of doing a “tirth” to Mendha Lekha along with the Blue Ribbon Movement group of enthusiastic youngsters, who were trying to understand how “sarvaanumati” and Sarva Sahamati can work/works as a basic given for decentralise governance as well as ahimsa in our social action groups. We had the privilege of having a many-on-one discussion with Mohanbhai, who sees himself as a Jan Shayogi in this process. I re-produced the full video of their interaction.. The conversation was a culmination of a BRM retreat to Paunar, and Menda Lekha. I invite you all to add to that depth of knowledge of Practice by providing links to other material..