Question

What happened on April 18, 1951, at Pochampally?
A) Some rich landlords met Vinoba Bhave.
B) Some landless people sought Vinoba Bhave’s help.
C) Vinoba Bhave was offered one hundred acres for the use of Harijans.
D) Vinoba Bhave distributed land to the landless.

Answer 1

Hint: Vinayak Narahari "Vinoba" Bhave was an Indian defender for non-violence and human rights. He's most recognised for the Bhoodan movement, often known as Acharya (Sanskrit meaning teacher). He is regarded as India's National Teacher and Mahatma Gandhi's spiritual successor.

Complete answer:
Bhave watched the life of the common Indian who lives in a hamlet and sought solutions to challenges that he had to face with a solid spiritual base. This was the heart of his movement of Sarvodaya. The Bhoodan movement, which had begun on 18 April 1951 in Pochampally and interacted with 80 households of the Haryana, is also an example of this. He spent all across India asking individuals with land to consider him one of their sons, giving him a sixth of the land he then spread to landless people. He was one of his sons. Non-violence and compassion are characteristics of his worldview; he has also been fighting against cow slaughter.

In Pochampally, in the northern Telangana district, Bhave began his land donation drive on 18 April 1951. He grabbed property granted by the Indians' landowners and provided it for cultivation to the impoverished and landless. He started thereafter, in a campaign he dubbed Gramdan, after 1954, asking for donations from whole communities. Through contribution, he received about 1000 villages. Of them, only in Tamil Nadu, he got 175 given villages. Gandhian and atheist Lavanam was the Bhave interpreter in Andhra Pradesh and sections of the Orissa Land Reform Movement.

Landless workers have been provided tiny plots on which to dwell and cultivate their crops. Bhoodan Acts were established stating that the beneficiary was not allowed to sell or utilise the property for non-agricultural or forestry uses.

Now, let’s analyse the given options:
Option A) Some rich landlords met Vinoba Bhave. - Rich landlords used to meet Vinoba Bhave to discuss the problems with them as well as they helped him with the land requirements but this didn’t happen particularly on April 18, 1951. Therefore, this option is incorrect.

Option B) Some landless people sought Vinoba Bhave’s help. - Vinoba Bhave used to help landless and poor people but this didn’t happen particularly on April 18, 1951. Therefore, this option is incorrect.

Option C) Vinoba Bhave was offered one hundred acres for the use of Harijans. - The Harijans had requested 80 acres of land, 40, 40 wet, 40 dries for 40 households. Ram Chandra Reddy went up and reaffirmed his vow to provide the Harijans 100 acres of land during the evening prayer session of 18 April 1951 at Pochampally. Therefore, this option is correct.

Option D) Vinoba Bhave distributed land to the landless. - Land that was given by rich landlords or the government was distributed by Vinoba Bhave to landless farmers. This happened in general in the movement but not particularly on April 18, 1951. Therefore, this option is incorrect.

Therefore, the correct option is ‘C’ i.e, Vinoba Bhave was offered one hundred acres for the use of Harijans.

Note:
- The Bhagavad Gita had been translated into Marathi by Bhave. His lessons in his life were strongly impacted by the Gita and he often stated that "The Gita is my life's breath"
- His works include: The essence of Quran, The essence of Christian teachings, Thoughts on education, Swarajya Sastra
- The University of Vinoba Bhave, located in the Jharkhand State of Hazaribagh District, was named after him.