Sai Baba had given him abhayam saying, ˜Why fear when I am here?

[Guest guest]

On the 5th of December 1910, G.S. Khaparde visited Shirdi and found numerous

officials, high and low, and masses crowding to the feet of Baba. Baba was

teaching people in parables and was able to protect, for instance, police

officers, such as a head constable charged with extortion at a court, and to get

them acquitted, and was rendering great temporal and spiritual help to all and

sundry. By 12th December 1910, he got permission to go away and left Shirdi. It

is after that date that the most serious time for G.S. Khaparde began.

 

The year 1911 was a period of trials for all extremists, as the Government had

the support of the moderates for crushing the extremists and G.S. Khaparde being

high up in the list of extremists naturally stood in the same perilous position.

Any vigorous activity of patriots sufficed to increase the severity of the

policy of repression which therefore attained Makshasic dimensions in, all

Provinces. Khaparde realised his own danger. Though he had a very lucrative and

roaring practice especially on the criminal side, part of his clientele fell.

 

It was feared that the man who argued as a lawyer today would tomorrow be locked

up in jail; at first as an under-trial prisoner and finally to be sent away to

the Andamans or some distant prison. His income declined and with it also his

health and the spirits of all the members of his family. But he had already

known where his Palladium or Sanctuary was. So, on 6th December 1911, he arrived

at Shirdi. Even at his previous visit, Baba had said on 9-12-1910. ˜This is your

house. Why should anybody fear when I am here? This assurance was again given to

Khaparde. But as his funds were low, he and the members of his family who often

visited Shirdi, were very anxious that he should go back to Amraoti to resume

his practice.

 

However clever he might be as a lawyer, he himself could not say when the

Government might pounce upon him and send him to prison. But there was one

person in the world who could say it, who had that knowledge and who could

exercise his powers to snuff out all danger from him completely. G.S. Khaparde

had ample proof that Baba had knowledge of everything that was happening

everywhere and could control the minds of everyone and control objects also

including the elements. So, he like others felt perfectly safe in Babas

immediate presence.

 

Whenever he got letters or telegrams at Shirdi offering cases, the desire was

strong to get back to Amraoti. So, his sons and relations and clients came to

take him away. Shama on his behalf frequently asked Baba whether he could get

back. Sometimes Baba seemed to encourage him by giving affirmative answers. But

Baba would soon recall them and say, ˜Go tomorrow " , which was Babas way of

saying, do not go.

 

Baba wished to make perfectly certain that Khaparde would not be prosecuted. ˜My

eye of vigilant supervision is ever on those who love Me, said Baba and he was

perpetually watching the minds of the Governor and the Home Member of the

Central Provinces government and else where; and he revealed to Mrs. Khaparde

what he did and how he watched. It is quite evident that the Government Members

were considering the prosecution of Khaparde for sedition in respect of many of

his speeches.

 

There would be no difficulty in finding matter for prosecution under 124-A, of

the Indian Penal Code, in the speeches of Khaparde or any other patriotic

extremist, for anything and everything may be easily twisted and brought under

124-A. But the Government was noting that the sensation created in the public

mind by the trial of Lokamanya was itself a powerful impetus to the demand for

Indian Independence and, therefore, if possible, they should avoid sensational

trials.

 

In the case of Khaparde, who came to Baba on 6th December 1911 and stayed on at

Shirdi with Baba for 3 months or more, refusing to accept cases in various

courts, rumors got abroad that Khaparde had got crazy and had been fascinated by

a crazy fakir at Shirdi, and therefore, had refused offer of cases and given up

practice, politics, society and every¬thing else, preferring the company of a

fakir. Such rumors must have reached the ears of the Government Members or made

to reach their ears by Baba, and Baba must have made them think: Let sleeping

dogs lie.

 

That is, the foreign government had more advantage to gain by not ordering more

prosecutions of leaders which would keep up political excitement in the country.

It is this decision among high places which was obviously denoted by Babas

words. It is noted in Khaparde's diary dated the 29th December 1911 as follows,

 

He, Sai Baba told my wife that the Governor came with a lance, than Sain Maharaj

had a tussle with him and drove him out; and that he finally conciliated the

Governor. G .S. Khaparde adds,

 

The language is highly figurative and therefore difficult to interpret.

 

Being too close to the trees, he could not see the forest. At this distance of

time, there is no difficulty whatever to interpret the above words. Sai Baba had

given him abhayam saying, ˜Why fear when I am here? " and he was carrying out his

duty of protection. That protection involved the prolonged stay of Khaparde at

Shirdi, but with his extremely aggressive worldly attachment, the confinement

within Shirdi was obviously irksome to the impatient spirit of Khaparde.