Patience

At all times, persons who fight for a cause are impatient to see the cause prevail. That impatience in a sense testifies to their commitment — that is the one thing they want, that their cause be realised; that it be realised here and now. But every change takes time — the deeper the change we want to affect, the longer it will take. For a long while, it seems as if all the effort that is being put in is having no effect at all. But, as Vinoba says, “The work that appears unsuccessful, after all only appears unsuccessful. The first few strikes for breaking a stone do seem to be useless and ineffective. But they do have their effect.”

Working with Ramnath Goenka taught us that just as setbacks would fall upon us from absolutely unanticipated quarters, help would arrive from quarters just as unexpected. Ramnathji has constructed a building which even to us seems to be in violation of a slew of regulations. Mrs Gandhi has moved to take possession of it in retaliation for what we are doing in the paper. I get a call. The person says that he used to be an officer in the land and development office, though several years ago. He asks us to locate a circular that was issued fifteen years earlier and has since been forgotten. “That will help you,” he says over the phone. But can’t you help us get it? No, I don’t have access to it, he says. But go to X in Chandni Chowk. He has been collecting circulars for years. That is all he does. He may have it. Gurumurthy and Kohli Sahib, who used to manage the press, rush to the person. Lo and behold! In that man’s piles and piles of papers, the circular turns up...

... contd.