Thus on the pretext of being annoyed with Behramji and Bomanji, Baba administered the final touches to his work of eradicating all prejudicial differences of caste between his mandali.
Baba's order was a shock to the Hindu mandali and a meeting was called in the afternoon to review this new instruction. The Hindus were not happy at the prospect of being served by a low-caste person, but inwardly all were prepared to carry out Baba's order. Only Kisan Master openly objected, but by dinnertime he also agreed to abide by Baba's wish. Baba returned up the hill at 8:30.
Awareness and understanding finally came to the Hindu mandali, as it dawned on them that to carry out the Master's orders — to play games, sweep the floors, watch movies, clean the toilets — to do whatever he wished — was far superior to the highest religious rituals and ceremonies. They realized that except for the actions done according to his orders, everything else was a result of their sanskaric binding. The Mahars were now allowed to draw water out of the well, a point which previously had been particularly offensive to them and was the chief cause of their former opposition.
For lower-caste people to use the same well as Brahmins was something unheard of in India at the time. Although this work of the Master's was on a relatively small scale, the repercussions of the inner work that he accomplished at Meherabad in these early years were felt all over India. Within a short time protests began throughout the country denouncing the ostracism of the lower classes.
On Tuesday, 16 November 1926, Baba came down the hill around eleven o'clock. It was Ekadashi , a Hindu day of fasting, so Baba asked who among the Hindu mandali was intending to fast. Since only Kaka Shahane was willing, Baba decided that he himself would fast for all. Baba had not eaten any food since the previous afternoon.
A discussion continued on their upcoming departure from Meherabad. Baba said that he was thinking of going to Bombay and Lonavla on 25 November and returning on 4 December.
"I have been invited by Sadashiv Patil and Sailor to reside with the mandali near Chaturshringi in Poona," he remarked. "But once I leave Meherabad, I think I will go to Poona, Bombay, Lonavla, and then on to Karachi."1
Footnotes
- 1.Chaturshringi was the locality where Baba's Poona Jhopdi had been located.