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dishes – panipuri family, dahibada family, dhokala family and
the like.
One day, a volunteer approached Nathabhai for a letter of
introduction for his stay in Kolkata office. Nathabhai enquired,
“We will talk letter of introduction later, first tell me which train
you are taking and which are the stations on the way.” The poor
volunteer blankly stared at his face for some time. At this,
Nathabhai said, “What are you gazing at my face for? Start
writing – Tamtam at Nadiad station, Gota at Anand station, Lilo
chevdo at Baroda, Khari (salted) sing at Bharuch, Ghari at Surat,
Patra at Bardoli…” And this way, he told him a list of the popular
dishes on each station right until Kolkata, and then in the end,
he said, “Now promise that you would get down the train and
eat something or the other at every station, only then you would
get the letter of introduction.”
Sensitive and Sympathetic Spirit
Whenever a volunteer anywhere in Gujarat faced some
problem, he rushed to Karnawati. The number of volunteers
and their families seeking admission to hospitals was especially
large. People also visited in connection with court or other
government tasks. Everybody of them needed some support or
help. Everybody came with a reference of Nathabhai. He too
did all these things whether it pertained to the requirement of
blood, place of stay for a family member of a patient, reference
of a good doctor, or even a good groom for daughter of his
acquaintance.
Once the Sabarmati breached its banks and got flooded, in
which a complete society of Paldi was washed away. At this
crucial time, Nathabhai held the command of relief work there.
He wore the saffron cap and along with the youth workers of
the Jana Sangh, worked wholeheartedly. At this, the people of
Karnawati and newspapers appreciated him greatly.
Nathabhai suffered from fracture in the hand on two-three
occasions. If he saw anybody teasing a girl or woman anywhere,
he would not remain silent. He would just jump into the fray,
and he had suffered from these fractures during such frays,
when he had to remain idle in the plaster for months together.