On Tuesday, 16 August 1951, because of unrest in the country at that time, these instructions were sent to Baba's lovers throughout India:
In view of the God-determined Step that Baba has to put into execution on October 16, 1951, Baba wants you to understand and act upon the following:
1) Baba never has had, and never will have, any concern with politics. He therefore desires that if any of you do political work, you must never involve him or make use of his name in connection with that work;
2) Baba desires that all his Old Life followers should not give way to the temptations of pursuing selfish ends.
3) Baba desires all his Old Life followers and all his New Life friends, brothers, sisters and servants to kindle in their hearts the light of love for God.
At the time these preparations were taking place in Hyderabad, Dr. Ghani had a heart attack in Poona and died the following day, 20 August 1951 at 7:00 P.M., at the age of 57. Although Ghani was on oxygen and unconscious at the time of his death, even in that critical state he was continuously muttering Baba until he passed away. Adi immediately cabled Baba, and he and Ramjoo drove to Poona the next morning for Ghani's funeral. Sarosh, Nariman and Meherjee also attended, as well as a number of close lovers from Poona whom Ghani was instrumental in bringing to Meher Baba's feet.1
Baba had gone to see a cricket match on the morning of 20 August.
He cabled Adi on the 22nd: "Although Ghani has physically passed away, he will not let me live in peace until he sees me as I am."
Baba instructed Adi, Sarosh and Ramjoo to assist Ghani's wife in clearing up the family's affairs.
On the 24th, Baba paid this moving tribute to his childhood friend:
Of the many things I have had to renounce and to suffer in this New Life, the passing of Ghani is among the greatest. I have felt a sense of loss at the passing of all those men and women of India and the West who were my disciples in the Old Life, and my lovers of all time. But this sudden wrenching away of Ghani is a disaster for me, the more cruel because it came at a time when the New Life's consummation is so near at hand.
To me, more than to any of you, Ghani was unique; and of all the work that still remains to be done for me by others, there is much that could have been done for me by Ghani and no one else.
Footnotes
- 1.Ghani's body was buried in an unmarked grave in the cemetery near Ryewood Park in Lonavla, his family home. Before Ghani's body was removed from his home in Poona, a very attractive yogi or sadhu was seen on the street opposite the house holding a burning torch. He looked up at the building and was heard to say, "Lovers of God always undergo trials and troubles."