 |
 |
MEERA BEHN was a foreigner who voluntarily adopted the Gandhian bistyle and went on to play an important role in Gandhiji’s personal life. Gandhiji thought her of as a special daughter. She respected him as her father and guide. Meera Behn was Mediliena Slade when she arrived at the Sabarmati Ashram, Gujarat, in 1925. She was the daughter of Sir Admund Slade, an admiral in the British Navy, and was about 32 years of age when she decided to bid good bye to her parents as well as the worldly comforts of the Western civilisation and lead a life dedicated to Gandhian values Meera came fully prepared before leaving Europe and stayed in the Sabarmati Ashram, the Sevagram Ashram, several gurukuls and the Pashulok Ashram. She studied, the Bhagavadgita and the Vedas and followed the practice of spinning charkha like the other inmates of Gandhi’s ashram. During about 23 years of her stay and association with Gandhiji he wrote more than 650 letters to her. Out of these, 350 letters were published by Meera soon after the sad and sudden demise of the Mahatma. Each letter conveys the innate humanism implicit in the life of Gandhiji. |
|||||||||
| The tragedy brought a sudden and a
completely unexpected turn in Meera’s life. Gandhiji
had made all efforts to ensure that her stay in India was
hastle-free and as simple as his own. He wrote to her in
minute detail about daily diet as well as the method to
treat minor ailmens in day-to-day life. Meera continued
to live in India after Gandhiji’s death but his
assassination left a deep impact on her and things were
no longer same for her. She decided to leave India and
settle down close to the Austrian Alps in Europe —
the home of Mozart and Beethoven’s music. It
surprised many but Meera Behn was adament. My ship was to visit Rijeka, a port close to Austria, in Adriatic Sea after Meera Behn settled down in her new home. During this five-week stay we — myself and my two colleagues — decided to call on her. We arrived at her place during early morning and found her residing in a simple house. Photographs of Ghandhiji, Mozart and Beethoven adorned the clean and simple house. A little surprised at our unannounced arrival, she looked after us with warm hospitality. We congratulated her on being awarded by Government of India in recognition of her services for India. She conveyed her sincere thanks and gratitude to the people of India for honouring her. Asked about her decision to leave India and settle in Europe, she elaborated "By nature I am an idealist and love music in all forms. Mozart and Beethoven have deeply impressed me since my school days. It was the sheer love for the ideals and the way of personal life of Gandhiji, which prompted me to go to India to serve Gandhiji whom I loved as my father and guide. Bapu loved me abundantly as his special daughter. I have high admiration for the general public in India but the people of India should appreciate that I loved Gandhiji as well music, both western and Indian. Shrimad Bhagavadgita inspired me as the song divine. Even Lord Krishna has stated in Bhagavadgita that the Sam Veda — the source of knowledge on music — is the most important amongst all the Vedas although ordinary mortals give more importance to Rig Veda. Basically I did not go to India to carry out social work or to preach in various ashrams but essentially to serve Gandhiji and to lead a Gandhian life. After Gandhiji was no more I decided to return to the land of Mozart and Beethoven where you find me today". She said that she had seen the movie, Gandhi. She and the 5th symphony of Beethoven in her melodius voice and then voluntarily recited two shlokas from the second chapter of the Bhagavadgita. She surprised us by quoting couplets from the Raghuvansh written by the great poet Kalidas, relating to the time when Laxman left Sita in the forest on orders from Lord Ram. She was wearing a hand-spun and hand-woven khadi woollen dress and her shoes too were made of leather from naturally dead animals. A few months later, Meera Behn died. This unique lady, who had left her parents in France, sailed for India in 1925 to serve Ghandhiji. She never saw her parents. They expired before Meera accompanied Gandhiji during his visit to the United Kingdom for the Round Table Conference. |
 |
 |
