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190. Rain in Kutch

Spirit in life is a rare power, a fascinating one; one that makes idealism practical. A power realised seeks expression. Its application is universal. Why Hamlet delayed unconscionably the execution of his father's mission is a knotty question in literary criticism. This approach yielded a convincing result. An authority on English literature in South India was approached with these findings. He said, "Perhaps, it may be the solution. I shall approach L.C. Knight as soon as his sight recovers from the cataract operation."

With similar thoughts in mind, we sought an interview with  J. R. D. Tata, presented our view of Management, pleaded for the export of his buses to USA. He was pleasantly intrigued. The irony of the presentation was he was struck by our view of rural development and sought advice for his own project in 40 villages in Kutch.

It is a desert with only ten inches of rainfall. His chemical plants were situated there because the region has scanty rainfall. The salt that he produces there would be washed away with higher rainfall. Robert Macfarlane who worked in the Society's rural development project visited Kutch, went to almost all the villages covered by the project, studied the existing conditions, explored the potential for service, exercised his mind on innovative lines, caught every casual phrase so that a potential could be explored, returned home and wrote a report to be sent to them.

Ostensibly, we are trying to invoke the Spirit in rural development, but we are not free to talk to industrialists of this eminence of the Spirit. So, we commission our thinking to draw up a report of ideas that would be acceptable to them. Robert Macfarlane carries the vibrations of Rishyasringar. That year Kutch received copious rainfall unknown to many previous decades! The parched villages were blessed by the touch of Spirit through Mr. Macfarlane's predisposition to bring down rain. The Spirit defies even spiritual methods.



story | by Dr. Radut