Bavchand Dada, as he was popularly known, breathed his last on January 26 after battling for life for two days following an accident near Vallabhipur on January 23 night.
We all know Anna Hazare as a social activist and Chinubhai Vaidya, the veteran Gandhian, as leader of many a mass movement. But, does anyone know Bavchandbhai Dhamelia, 64, who sacrificed his life to realise the dream of Mahatma Gandhi's Gram Swaraj?
Bavchand Dada, as he was popularly known, breathed his last on January 26 after battling for life for two days following an accident near Vallabhipur on January 23 night.
Dhamelia, a little-known personality, was a father figure to Gujarat's farming fraternity.
He was the vice-president of Gujarat Khedut Samaj. At a time when many engineering students preferred government service or their own ventures, Bavchandbhai, who was among the top 10 mechanical engineering students of Morbi Engineering College, gave up his government job and dedicated his life to agriculture and the cause of farmers.
Virajibhai Jasani, close friend of Dhamelia, says, "He read a lot and pondered over the books. The idea of Mahatma Gandhi's Gram Swaraj greatly influenced him and he decided to live his life realising Gandhiji's dream."
"Being an engineer, and one who possessed technical skills and new ideas, Bavchandbhai had designed many agricultural equipment like thrasher for groundnut, chap-cutter, among others, to reduce farmers' labour. But he never patented those designs because his idea was not to make money but to help farmers," said Jasani.
Even at the age of 64, he was fit and walked from Mahuva to Gandhinagar with Kanubhai Kalsariya last year during the farmers' foot march to protest against the Nirma Cement plant. He also rode his bicycle from Bhavnagar to Jamnagar during Kalsariya's bicycle rally.
Jasani further said, "From the beginning he led an austere life. He always preferred to either walk or ride a bicycle while travelling. He utilised public transport like the local bus."
Bavchandbhai leaves behind his wife, two sons and a daughter. His sons ran a textile business in Surat but Bavchandbhai never took a single penny from them. He used to live on the income of his agriculture produce. In fact, he led so simple a life that he managed to help other farmers too."
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