Narayan Desai facts for kids
Narayan Desai (born December 24, 1924 – died March 15, 2015) was an Indian writer and a follower of Mahatma Gandhi's ideas. He dedicated his life to promoting peace and non-violence, just like Gandhi.
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Early Life and Learning
Narayan Desai was born in Bulsar (now Valsad), Gujarat, on December 24, 1924. His father, Mahadev Desai, was Mahatma Gandhi's personal secretary and wrote about Gandhi's life. Narayan grew up in Gandhi's ashram in Sabarmati, Ahmedabad, and later in Sevagram. Instead of going to a regular school, his father and others at the ashram taught him. He learned about basic education and how to spin and weave khadi (a type of hand-spun cloth).
Starting His Work
After marrying Uttara Chaudhury, whose parents were freedom fighters, Narayan and Uttara moved to Vedchhi. This was a tribal village about 60 kilometers from Surat in Gujarat. They worked there as teachers in a special school called Nai Taleem, which focused on practical education.
Narayan then joined the Bhoodan movement, started by Vinoba Bhave. This movement aimed to collect land from wealthy people and give it to poor villagers who didn't own land. Narayan walked all over Gujarat, helping with this effort. He also started a newspaper for the Bhoodan movement called Bhoomiputra (which means "Son of the Soil") and was its editor until 1959.
Living the Gandhian Way
Narayan became part of the Akhil Bharatiya Shanti Sena Mandal (Indian Peace Brigade). This group was founded by Vinoba Bhave and led by Jayaprakash Narayan, often called "JP." As the general secretary, Narayan Desai trained peace volunteers across India. These volunteers helped calm situations during conflicts between different groups of people, working to bring harmony.
Narayan also helped create Peace Brigades International, an organization that promotes peace around the world. He was chosen as the chairman of the War Resisters' International, a group that opposes war. He and a peace group from Pakistan even won a special award from UNESCO for their work for international peace.
During a difficult time in India when emergency rules were put in place, Narayan spoke out against them. He published a magazine even though there were strict censorship laws. He worked closely with JP and helped the new Janata Party decide that Morarji Desai should become the Prime Minister of India.
After JP passed away, Narayan moved back to Vedchhi. There, he started the Sampoorna Kranti Vidyalaya (Institute for Total Revolution). This institute teaches people about non-violence and how to live according to Gandhi's principles.
Sharing Gandhi's Story
To honor his father, Mahadev Desai, Narayan wrote a four-part biography of Gandhi in Gujarati. This was a dream his father had but couldn't finish because he died suddenly in prison.
Starting in 2004, Narayan began to tell "Gandhi-Katha" (stories about Mahatma Gandhi's life) all over the world. His biography of Gandhi was very long, so he thought many people might not buy it. To spread Gandhi's message widely, he came up with the idea of "Gandhi-Katha." Like traditional storytelling events, he would narrate Gandhi's life and ideas for three hours a day over seven days. He also sang songs he had written during these sessions.
Narayan would adjust his stories based on his audience. For example, he might talk about Gandhi's political actions to some, or about Gandhi's leadership skills to business leaders. These storytelling sessions helped correct misunderstandings about Mahatma Gandhi. He also shared many unknown stories from Gandhi's life. These "Katha" events became very popular in India and other countries. Narayan started this project when he was 81 years old!
He served as the Chancellor of Gujarat Vidyapith from July 23, 2007, but he stepped down from this role in November 2014.
Later Years and Passing
Narayan Desai became unwell in December 2014. He recovered for a while and even continued to spin on his charkha. He passed away on March 15, 2015, in Surat. He was cremated at the Sampoorna Kranti Vidyalaya in Vedchhi on the same day.
Awards and Recognition
Narayan Desai received many important awards for his work and writings:
- In 1993, he won the Sahitya Akademi Award for Gujarati literature. This was for the biography of his father, Mahadev Desai. He had also won this award earlier for a book about his childhood memories of Gandhi.
- He received the Jamnalal Bajaj Award in 1999.
- In 1998, he was given the UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for promoting tolerance and non-violence. This award recognized his efforts to encourage understanding and harmony between different religions and groups, and his work in teaching non-violence and peace.
- In 2001, he received the Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak, which is the highest award in Gujarati literature.
- He also won the Narmad Suvarna Chandrak in 1989 for his Gujarati book Agnikundma Ugelu Gulab.
- In 2004, Narayan Desai won the 18th Moortidevi Award from Bharatiya Jnanpith. This was for his famous work ‘Maroon Jeewan Aj Mari Vaani’, which explores the life, ideas, and work of Mahatma Gandhi.
- In 2013, he was awarded the Dhirubhai Thakar Savyasachi Saraswat Award.
