Belongingness

Parchure Shastri, a profound Sanskrit scholar, was suffering from leprosy. He had been ostracized by his family and society due to his disease. In this situation, Parchure Shastri wrote a letter to Gandhiji. When Bapu read this letter in the prayer meeting, silence fell over Sevagram. In that era, leprosy was not just a disease, but a social stigma. People used to run away from leprosy patients.

Breaking the silence of the prayer meeting, Gandhiji said that if your heart does not feel compassion for the immense suffering of a leprosy patient, then I will only say that Parchure Shastri will stay in the hut next to mine in Sevagram, and I myself will serve him. Leprosy is not impurity or contagiousness, but a test of our compassion.

A few days later, Parchure Shastri arrived at Sevagram. Gandhiji himself began to serve him. Serving Shastriji, washing his wounds, bandaging them, bathing him with his own hands, feeding him with his own hands became Gandhiji’s daily routine. The eyes of those who witnessed this scene would well up with tears, seeing the Father of the Nation himself washing the feet of a patient and wiping his body with a towel.

In June 1945, during the Shimla talks, when Viceroy Lord Wavell adjourned the talks for 7 days, Narayan Bhai Desai was planning to explore the valleys of Shimla. But Gandhiji surprised everyone by ordering them to return to Sevagram. Narayan Bhai Desai said that Bapu, it will take two days to reach by train and two days to return by train. What will we do by going to Sevagram for three days? Gandhiji said that I will get three days to serve Parchure Shastri. After a long train journey from Shimla, Gandhiji returned to Sevagram. There, Parchure Shastri was in an extremely weak state. Gandhiji placed his hand on his head, smiled, and said, “Shastriji, I have returned. Now my mind is at peace.”

Gandhiji paused his political deliberations for three days and resumed his old routine. Morning and evening, he served Parchure Shastri, cleaning his wounds. “God Himself Has Touched My Wounds”. Shastriji’s condition was serious, but his face glowed with satisfaction at Gandhiji’s arrival. All he could utter was, “Bapu, it seems that God himself has touched my wounds.”

On September 5, 1945, Parchure Shastri passed away in Sevagram. Even today, “Parchure Kuti” in Sevagram Ashram is alive, where every brick bears witness to compassion, equality, and humanity. On his demise, Gandhiji said, “Parchure Shastri taught us that love is the greatest cure for every wound.” From Gandhiji’s life, we learn that greatness lies not in high positions, but in bending down to wipe someone’s wounds. Healing comes not only from medicines but from that touch imbued with ‘belongingness’.