The Kumarappa Brothers
THE INFLUENCE OF SUNDAR SINGH
In 1966 the Rev. R. H. S. Boyd, teaching at the Gujarat United School of Theology in Ahmedabad, was given a Ph.D. degree from Edinburgh University for his thesis on the developing
Theology in the Indian Church.
He has made a comprehensive survey of all that Indian theologians have written in recent years in the field of Theology.
He says that Sundar Singh was not a theologian in the technical sense of the word.
But he did have a remarkable spiritual insight and that is of very great importance to the Indian Church.
The Archbishop of Canterbury (Dr Michael Ramsey) attended the World Council of Churches Meeting in New Delhi in 1961.
After that visit the Archbishop wrote to me:
'The books of yours which I know are first of all The. Sadhu which I read when I was an undergraduate, and which made a deep impression upon me. I also read your book
The Cross is Heaven.
Unfortunately I have not read your larger biographical work and your letter is a summons to me to do so.
I am sure that'I shall enjoy it. My visit to India revived in me many thoughts which I had when
I read. your first book many years ago.
THE KUMARAPPA BROTHERS
Dr J. C. Kumarappa and Dr Bharatan Kumarappa played an important part in the national movement as close associates of Gandhiji.
This story is well worth telling.
They were my close relations and intimate friends from youth.
In October 1922 I spent ten days in Bombay as the guest of J.C.
At that time he was a young man attached to a firm of chartered accountants.
He was receiving a good salary but his ambition was to set up private practice and to earn Rs 5,000 a 'month.
He had been well trained in England and America and his prospects were good. But he came under the spell of Gandhiji.
They met and Gandhiji invited J.C. to give up his work in Bombay and to help -him in his national service, particularly in the development of village industries.
Gandhiji had a clear vision for India. He had studied widely and thought deeply about many of the problems of India and had
A. J. APPASAMY
his own constructive solutions for each problem.
One important matter which engaged his attention was the development of cottage industries.
There are 7,00,000 villages in India.
People in these villages are extremely poor.
They have to depend a good deal on the monsoons which fail some years.
Even during the seasons they do not fail, for some months in the year the village people have no work to do as the crops are growing and are not ready for the harvest.
Gandhiji's idea was that cottage industries should be developed on a large scale so as to give them remunerative occupation and sufficient food.
When I went to Wardha some years later, I spent a few days with J.C.
He was now a completely altered man.
His method of living had changed and his ambition now was to live on four annas (twenty-five naye paise) a day: to have only one or two extra sets of clothes which he himself could wash; to travel only in the third class, carrying his own simple luggage.
Gandhiji appointed him Secretary of All India Village Industries Association with its headquarters near Wardha.
Several students from many parts of India came there for study and practical experience.
They lived in simple village surroundings and had plain but nourishing food. They spun for an hour or so every day, Industries such as paper-making, gur-making, oil-pressing, bee-keeping, fruitgrowing and so on were taught and each student learned one or two industries. After finishing their course at Wardha they returned to their homes in different parts of the country and devoted themselves to developing the village industries on a very small salary.
J.C. asked his brother Bharatan in join him.
Bharatan had studied Christian Theology in Hartford Theological Seminary, U.S.A. and was elected a Travelling Fellow for further study.
He spent some years in Edinburgh University and London University studying Indian as well as European philosophy and took doctorates, from both universities.
On his return to India he was appointed Professor of Philosophy in the Madras Christian
College.
But he declined to teach Christian Scripture in his classes as he felt that his views were not orthodox enough.
These two brothers now lived a simple life in Wardha in village conditions.
They gave lectures on rural economics and devoted the greater part of their time to answering enquiries from different parts of India about village industries.
THE KUMARAPPA BROTHERS
During my visit to Wardha I expressed a desire to meet Gandhiji and J.C. agreed to take me to him.
Gandhiji was living in a simple village hut with mud walls.
It was cold weather and he was wrapped in a snow-white Khaddar sheet while at work.
Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, who had joined the national movement, was looking after his personal needs with much devotion and care as his secretary.
I attended one of his prayer meetings.
It was a Bhajan in adoration of Sri Rama, whom Gandhiji regarded as the incarnate
God embodying the highest moral and spiritual values.
The daily prayer meeting was an essential part of the national movement.
Gandhiji and his fellow workers met together in prayer every day.
He was very particular that this daily engagement should never be left out for lack of time.
Such members of the public as were interested were allowed to join him in the prayer meetings.
During this service of adoration we saw how much Gandhiji depended on God for strength, courage and light.
From the Kumarappa brothers I also heard about the close and intimate relationship which existed between Gandhiji and his followers.
He was deeply interested in the personal problems of each one of them.
It was amazing to hear how effective and wonderful Gandhiji's love was.
Thousands of his followers willingly underwent imprisonment with their leader for their Satyagraha activities.
J.C. and Bharatan went to prison on some occasions.
When the new Government was formed J.C. refused to accept any high office but continued to work as he had done before for the good of villagers.
Bharatan, however, accepted the responsibility for editing all the writings of Gandhiji for publication in many volumes by the Government of India.
Bharatan was the first Editor of this standard edition.
He died early.
The Kumarappas gave us many glimpses of what was happening behind the scenes in the national movement.
Gandhiji welcomed into his inner circle men of all religions,—Hinduism, Islam and Christianity.
His fellowship with them was complete.
He appreciated their work and considered it as invaluable.
Dr J. M. Kumarappa is another distinguished member of the Kumarappa family.
He built up the Tata School of Social Science in Bombay and served it well for many years.