I will give up the use of the alphabet board during this period and will not see anyone. I will not even see the four watchmen. There will be a stop to all darshan and correspondence. I have decided to follow this program for six months, after which I will come out of seclusion.
All should be on guard and attentive. Simply my pondering of this seclusion during the last few days has in itself given rise to strikes, religious agitation by the Untouchables and political agitation by groups clamoring for independence all over India. If only my thinking of and planning this seclusion has made these disturbances erupt, how can you have any idea of what will happen by my actual entering into seclusion.
Be prepared to hear of bloodshed. There will be severe tension between the Hindus and Muslims. Antagonism between the higher and lower-caste Hindus will prevail. Gandhi's followers will be on one side and those who oppose him, including the government, Muslims, and even half of the Hindu population [Untouchables] on the other side. His movement will be a failure, creating severe alienation between different parties, communities, and against the government, resulting in unprecedented bloodshed.
A telegram was then sent to Ardeshir in Persia to bring Aga Ali. Baba later instructed Chhagan to find a few good boys in the area. Chhagan brought three lads, but Baba did not approve of any. Besides working on the cave, Baba also asked Kalemama to bring a boy from Panchgani.
On Friday, 11 April, Kalemama was sent to Savantwadi to talk with the Maharaja there. Tiger Valley was under the Maharaja's jurisdiction and permission was required before the digging work could begin.
Baba remarked, "Who knows whether the Maharaja will permit me to use this place? If he permits it, it would be better; otherwise, we will have to leave. The Maharaja is a good king and devotional; he used to visit Swami Siddharudh and is interested in the Path."
Upon request, the Maharaja did permit Kalemama to construct a cave in Tiger Valley and expressed his wish to dedicate it to Meher Baba.
Meanwhile, when Chhagan was out looking for a boy, he spotted a handsome youth working in a restaurant in Wai. He asked the boy if he would come with him to Panchgani, and the boy replied he would first have to ask his employer.