Gandhi changed this fakir's life

, TNN | Oct 2, 2013, 06.51 AM IST
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AHMEDABAD: The house has an extremely humble setting -an old bed, a chair and table are most of it. But that is exactly how 92-year-old artist Toofan Rafai likes it - as basic as Bapu preached. The Gandhian remembers the time he was 8 and met the Mahatma for the first time.

"I was studying in a khedushala - a school for farmers - in Amreli. It was founded by Gandhiji. When I passed the third standard with distinction, he was there for the prize distribution. Bapu scolded me because my Gandhi topi was grimy. He asked me have it cleaned or he wouldn't give me my prize," says Rafai. He then ran to his mother, who said she would clean it with 'soda khar' as soap was expensive and we were fakirs who begged for alms. "My mother told me, 'Do not upset Gandhiji, he is a great leader. Go and tell him you will wear a clean topi from now on'."

Toofan, as his grandfather named him, also told Gandhiji that he drank tea. "He was stunned to know that while we the children spread his message of 'cha nathi pivi' during the prabhat feri every morning, we had tea ourselves. When I told him we don't have the money to buy milk, Gandhiji urged some of the affluent families at the ceremony to give us free milk everyday."

So early in life, Rafai gave up tea. "Vaahan na chalavvu; saada kapda peherva joiye; potaana kapda jaate dhovaana (don't drive a vehicle, wear simple clothes, wash your own clothes) these were Bapu's exact words," he said. Rafai followed his message to the letter and imbibed the spirit of freedom as Gandhi prescribed. When his son married a non Muslim, Rafai didn't ask his daughter-in-law to convert to Islam.

Travelling in trains with Bapu, participating in the Quit India movement and even being thrashed during rallies, Rafai remembers them all fondly. "I had become his shishya of my own accord," he says.

Pupul Jayakar, cultural activist and revivalist of arts in post-independence India, recruited him as a designer in a government ministry then. Today, Rafai is known for his paintings that are made of 100% natural dyes. He has revived vegetable dyes through research and various techniques adopted by both national and international agencies. Speaking about the charkha and its relevance today, Rafai says, "The younger generation hardly has the time to invest in something that needs such patience and practice. There are initiatives underway to contemporize the charkha but we have to be really innovative."
 
 

Art Workshop conducted by Mr. Toofan Rafai

Between 2 – 8 July 2009, Mr. Toofan Rafai, a senior artist belonging to the Progressive Art Movement privileged the students of Mahtma Gandhi International School with his presence. He conducted a five day art workshop with the students of Grade 10 and 3.
Rafai Sahib has a very distinguished style of painting and is also an expert in vegetable dyeing, having discovered around 300 different shades, while other artists knew 30 shades. At a very young age, he was rewarded by Gandhiji and applies his philosophy- ‘Be simple in living and high in thinking’ even today.
Mr Pascal Chazot, the principal of MGIS shares a long-standing friendship with Rafai sahib. He invited him to share his pearls of wisdom with the members of the school. The objective of the workshop was to create a platform of exchange between the students and Rafai Sahab. In the end, a series of life size canvases were created by different groups, these will be put up as murals on the school walls. The coordinators of this project, Lissa Chazot, Nandita Dinesh and Neelu Parikh came up with a distinct idea to pair up the students of grade 10 and 3 together. They believed that the younger students didn’t have a boundary to their thoughts; their minds are like free birds, compelled to no rules and regulations. On the other hand, the older students have more mature thoughts and precise skills. A combination of both would bring out a brilliant result.
Mr. Rafai started this project by giving the students his drawing and asking them to personalize it. In another session with him, the students were allowed to cast the magic of colours on his drawing. He drew an abstract painting on a canvas within few minutes and offered the students to paint it. Soon the drawing was transformed into a playground of different hues. This was an experience of great pride and honour for the students. Rifai sahib also saw his painting as never before. This masterpiece is now a mural in school. The students then started to work on paintings for the ceiling. The challenge here was the given theme, learning, the MGIS way. The students came up different ingenious ideas, put them together, and buckled down. Within 2 days they had prepared magnificent works of art, themselves. Each painting was different from another unleashing a different aspect of the school.
ARTICLE BY HAMRSIRAN ANAND, Grade 10

      • God, Tussi Great Ho
For whatever bad happens in our life we conveniently blame the one person who would quietly accept it- God.  And yet we thank God for all the good that happens. What an irony! I realized this after my rendezvous with Mr. Toofan Rafai. An eighty eight year old renowned artist has definitely something interesting to teach a fourteen year old teenager. When I introduced myself to Rafai saab he was more than happy to answer my questions. The only image which you might recollect when you see Rafai saab is of Gandhi ji. The sheer simplicity is mesmerizing to watch as he sits on the floor and explains an art piece to children. Satisfaction is something beyond our capacity to think of, only our wants hover our minds. But Rafai saab had that look of content.
Rafai saab lived in the small town of Amreli. The school he studied in, ran on Mahatma Gandhi’s ideology- Khedut Shala it was called. The school held different activities. They would collect cotton from cotton fields and make threads out of it. Protest against using British cloth and conduct dramas. The school committee once decided to call Gandhi ji for a certain price distribution. “At that time there were no stages” said Rafai saab. So all the students were made to sit on the ground and a 4 feet gaddi was arranged right in the centre  for Gandhi ji. Of course the first name announced was of Rafai saab, after all he was one of the best students in his class. Expecting a pat on his back he proudly went to accept his prize from Gandhi ji . as he reached his hand out, Gandhi ji pulled the large box back to himself.  “I will not give you this prize” he said in Gujarati. “Why?” protested young Rafai sahab, he felt bewildered at Gandhi ji’s refusal to hand him the prize.
“Why are you wearing this cap” said he pointing out to the cap little Rafai was wearing. The cap had a picture of Gandhi ji. Puzzled as he was,  Rafai saab answered, “ Well, this is part of my uniform. I’m compelled to wear it. Besides you are wearing the same cap” The only difference he hadn’t noticed was the dirt his cap. Gandhi ji sent him home and waited till he returned with a washed topi. Gandhi ji meanwhile had called the committee members and asked them to provide more than one set of uniform to the kids.
Unfortunately Rafai saab left school in grade 4, after a teacher slapped for sleeping in class unaware of the fact that he used to work nightshifts. He was furious and told his mother that he was better off doing labour work than studying.
When he turned sixteen he went to Bombay with a family who wanted to start a wood cutting factory. They found potential in the boy and thought he would be useful for labour work.  His salary was 12 annas per day sufficient enough to feed himself and his family. He travelled in the local train every day. On one such day he saw a bunch of college going kids around his age. They were playing a famous card game called rammi. He was good at the game and observed that one of the boys was cheating by looking into the girl’s cards. He went upto her and helped her win the game and not only that but even the rest of the games. The boy was angry, more jealous probably and chucked a banana peel at Rafai saab. Suddenly he found himself being a target of all the boys. Feeling insulted Rafai saab got down at the next station- ville parle. He was angry. All his life he had struggled hard and had been unlucky enough not to be attending college like normal kids. He was blaming God. In anger he went back for his work and started cutting wood. While cutting the wood he cut his fingers. He was in pain of course. And this time he cursed God for being so harsh to him. He had just complained once and this was the punishment he got for that.
But miracles do happen. A nurse in the hospital noticed Rafai Saab crying and told him that she would take care of him. She kept him in the hospital for forty days and provided art material to him. In those forty days Rafai saab discovered his talent and so did the nurse. The nurse turned out to be the sister of a professor in the JJ College of Art- one of the best art colleges in Mumbai at that time.
With the help of this professor, Rafai saab managed to enter the college. He is a successful artist today and has even got an offer from the Chief Minister of Maharashtra to go to France for further studies. But he refused and said that he would further study with his own money. He completed his diploma course. Once again he found himself on a local train but as a different person this time and realized that God is truly great!
ARTICLE WRITTEN BY ASHINI JAGTIANI, Grade 10
Ashini’s feedback on the workshop:
Rafai saab is the best example of simplicity. He is a true inspiration for our generation.  His art techniques are unique and his usual subjects include Mahatma Gandhi, Indian women and freedom fighters. I personally enjoyed the workshop. It was a different experience working with 3rd graders as they have a completely different thinking and are definitely more creative than us.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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