Sharma : They thought he was one of them?
Chavan : He was one of them and for them. This was the message which had reached the hearts of the people. It was a magical thing. I have seen it happen. It happened not only with all of us, but with others also.
Though later on, an I grew and read more about politics and other political philosophies, I
started having doubts about Gandhiji's philosophy in many respects; but I never had any doubt about his greatness and his being the leader of Indian politics. Therefore, though I become a socialist later on, I was always a socialist with my feet on earth, thanks to Gandhiji.
Sharma : Do you mean to say that you owe your realism to him?
Chavan : I do. I do owe my realism to Gandhiji. Gandhiji was very a farsighted and most realistic person.
Though sometimes he talked about things which we never understood, for example, Ram Rajya, we know that it means Daridranarayan. These phrases we had understood. But I must say that it was ultimately what the people thought, what the people would like to do; to be away from the people was unrealistic. As long as the people would like to go and do, that was realistic. Throwing a bomb was not possible for all the people, therefore, it was unrealistic. Satyagraha, joining some processions, some meetings, shouting slogans against British imperialism, wearing khaddar and giving up drinking of tea or liquor, these were some of the things in which the common man could participate. This was a realistic movement.
Sharma : Did he come to your area before 1930?
Chavan : As a boy, I saw him in 1920 in my town of Karad. He came along with Shaukat Ali.