New Delhi, 11 September (H.S.):

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to freedom fighter, social activist and renowned Gandhian leader Acharya Vinoba Bhave on his birth anniversary.

In a post on X on Friday, the Prime Minister said Bhave’s inspiring call of “Jai Jagat” conveyed a message of placing humanity above all boundaries. Through his various initiatives, Bhave worked for the welfare and empowerment of all sections of society. His unwavering faith in equality, dignity and service provided strength and support to the most disadvantaged sections of society, Modi said.

Acharya Vinoba Bhave was born on September 11, 1895, in Gagoda village in Maharashtra’s Konkan region. His original name was Vinayak Narahari Bhave. He was regarded as the spiritual successor of Mahatma Gandhi.

In 1951, Vinoba Bhave undertook a padayatra and appealed to landowners to donate a portion of their land. The donated land was subsequently distributed among landless and economically disadvantaged people. This initiative later developed into the wider Bhoodan Movement, or Land Gift Movement.

In 1958, he became the first recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership. In 1983, he was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour. Acharya Vinoba Bhave passed away on November 15, 1982.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar