Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Gandhi Journal Article - III

Bhoodana, Gramadana, Gramaswaraj, and Sarvodaya : Nature, Philosophy and Performance

By L. M. Bhole

...What is Bhoodana? Bhoo means land and "dana" means giving or donation or gift by someone when giving comes from the heart and out of love. In "dana" no one demands and yet the giver gives because he feels like giving. Although the term "dana" is mostly used to mean gift or donation, Shankaracharya has defined "dana" as "danam sanvibhagaha", i.e., "dana" means equitable distribution. Bhoodana thus means gift or donation or giving of land with love to those who are landless by those who possess at least some land. The first bhoodana took place on April 18, 1951 at Pochampalli in Andhra Pradesh (AP) in India when Ramachandra Reddy gave 100 acres of his land to landless people in that village. 

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