Each day, Adi informed Baba about the replies. Most replied affirmatively, though only a few were ready to dedicate their money and property.
On Sunday, 5 October 1952, Baba held a meeting at Meherazad with six Andhra and six Hamirpur tour coordinators to discuss giving darshan to the masses.1 Baba met with them from 8:00 to 10:00 A.M. behind the Blue Bus. Baba went over his plans, after which they left for their respective places. Among the six men from Andhra, all were new except for Dr. Dhanapathy. They were highly moved by their first meeting with Baba. Kutumba Sastri, however, could not acknowledge Baba as the Avatar, though his heart was impressed with Baba's love. Those from Hamirpur were old lovers, who were fully dedicated to their Master. Their lives were for Baba alone.
Thus, as Age recorded, after these "inflammatory" discussions, "the means to set fire to these two districts in India were now at hand!"
Baba went to Meherabad on 6 October, where he discussed with Pendu and Padri the arrangements being made for the November gathering.
Jal Kerawalla was in Bombay for a heart check-up, and had sought Baba's permission to come to Meherazad. But Baba ordered him to leave Bombay for Nagpur on Thursday, 2 October. Due to his medical appointments which could not be changed, Jal decided to delay, and instead left with his sister Khorshed three days later. During the train ride, he suffered a heart attack, and on reaching Nagpur he was rushed to a hospital. He passed away at midnight on the 6th without regaining consciousness.
Hearing of his demise, Baba sent this telegram to Meherjee the following day: "I wanted Jal to leave on Thursday. Had he left on Thursday, he would have survived. But what God decrees must come to pass, and Jal has now come to me eternally."2
To Adi Sr. and Eruch Baba remarked that, before he left for America, "Jal was the first one to whom I revealed my plans to visit Nagpur. Jal should have lived to take part in the Nagpur program."
Baba added, "Jal was one of my most beloved followers and has come to me to enjoy divine bliss eternally."
Pappa and Gaimai Jessawala were cabled: "Be brave and happy in the knowledge that Jal is more alive than ever before and happy in me. So, take it as divine will and do not grieve at all."
Footnotes
- 1.In attendance from Andhra: Dr. Dhanapathy Rao, Tadimeti Suri, Kutumba Sastri, C. H. Mallikarjuna Rao, Y. Ranga Rao, K. Subramanyam Shastri, C. Kondala Rao; from Hamirpur: Keshav Nigam, Bhavani Prasad Nigam, Pukar, Laxmichand Paliwal, Gaya Prasad Khare, Sripat Sahai.
- 2.Here, "to come to Baba," meant that Jal Kerawalla would be born into a Baba family in his next life, because Baba later revealed to Bhau Kalchuri that Jal had taken birth as his son, Mehernath.