Press Note

Chunibhai Vaidya passed away…

A life-long fighter for the land rights of the rural poor, Chunibhai Vaidya passed away at the age of 97 at his residence in Ahmedabad early on Friday morning.

A Gandhian to the core and a Sarvoday veteran Chunibhai began his life in activism with freedom struggle. This was followed by his whole-hearted participation in Vinoba Bhave’s Bhoodan Movement. He was a peace worker after the violence in Assam for twelve years in the mid-sixties. An editor of the Sarvoday views magazine Bhoomiputra, he waged battle against political emergency in 1975 and faced imprisonment.

A champion of the farmers’ cause, he took up the drought relief work in Gujarat for two years from 1986. He organized making over many hidden dams which irrigates land of over twelve thousand hectors in Patan district of North Gujarat. His movements for water resource management in the Sipu-Dantiwada region are also well-known. He also was a force in stonewalling the violation and relaxation of Prohibition Law in Gujarat.

A close associate of Jay Prakash Narayan, Chunibhai spearheaded Gujarat Lok Samiti for the cause of jal-jungle-jameen(water-forest-land). He also edited the Samiti’s magazine Lok Swaraj for thirty years till his end.

Jamnalal Bajaj Award in 2010 was one of the honours bestowed upon him. His book ‘Assassination of Gandhi : Facts and Falsehood’ was translated and published in eleven languages. 

Active in public life till the last month of his life, Vaidya was lovingly known as Chuni-kaka in Gujarat. He was a synonym for resistance to injustice in Gujarat. He is survived by daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren. 

Chunibhai Vaidya’s funeral took place at 4 o’clock evening on Friday at the Dadhichi crematorium in Vadaj area. A prayer meeting will be held at the Gandhi Ashram- Sabaramati in Ahmedabad on Sunday 21 December at 3:00 o’clock after noon.

Gujarat Lok Samiti
Ahmedabad

Dec. 19, 2014