Dahod, 29 November 2014

The city of Dahod is today celebrating Thakkar bapa’s 145th birth anniversary. The events like blood donation camp and garlanding the statue of Thakkar bapa are being held today by Gurjarbharti Dahod, Indian Red cross Dahod and other local organizations.

Amrutlal Vitthaldas Thakkar, well-known as Thakkar bapa dedicated his life to Gandhian movement through constructive works in tribal areas.

Born on 29 November, 1869 in Bhavnagar in Lohana family, Thakkar bapa worked in Servant of India Society initially. Thakkar bapa took diksha to become servant of the nation in 1914. A pledge ceremony was administered by Shri Gopalkrishna Gokhle.Post diksha, he left his Mumbai house. During 1918 drought, he offered his services in then Panchmalah district’s Dahod and Zalod. Shri Sukhdevkaka Trivedi was instrumental in bringing Thakkarbapa to Dahod.

Thakkar bapa offered his services in Bhil dominated tribal areas of Dahod during drought of 1919 and 1922.

To counter the force of Christian Missionaries ( locally known as Muktifauj) which were as per Thakkar bapa duping the innocent tribals with a motive to convert them, Thakkar bapa stayed in Dahod for ten years. With great difficulties, by 1932 Thakkar bapa set up two ashrams and 30 pathshalas to educate tribal and backward class people.

Thakkar bapa passed away on 19 January 1951.

More on Thakkarbapa:

Thakkarbapa established Bhil Seva Mandal and Aadim Jaati Sevak Sangh. When Indian constitution was in process, Thakkarbapa visited remotest and most difficult parts of India and conducted probe into the situation of tribal and Harijan people. He added valuable inputs in the process of constitution.

Thakkarbapa visited forests in Assam, rural Bengal, drought affected areas of Orissa, Bhil belts in Gujarat and Harijan areas of Saurashtra, Mahar areas of Maharashtra, untouchables in Madras, hilly areas of Chhota Nagpur, desert of Tharparkar, foothills of Himalaya, coastal areas of Travankor with his mission of upliftment of tribal and harijans. He would always travel in third class of railway.

Mahatma Gandhi would call him ‘Bapa’. Thakkarbapa spent 35 years of his life in service of tribal and harijans.