CHRISTMAS BOMB

 
In the beginning when she entered the war, Japan was very successful and we were taking a beating. There was a lot of excitement in India, for it was said that Japan was going to bomb Bombay, Calcutta, Delhi and all that.

Baba had a habit of discussing newspapers — Eruch reading the paper — and discussing problems. So we were discussing Japan's activities. I said, "Baba, why should we worry; Japan is not going to throw bombs in Ahmednagar."

Baba said, "The bomb will be thrown in Ahmednagar and it will be thrown in your compound!"

It was 1942, December 25, Christmas night, and in my cinema we had about nine hundred British soldiers and two hundred officers seeing THE CHOCOLATE SOLDIER, a nice musical. After the first bell of the second show there was a big explosion — I was nearest to the explosion.

After the smoke had subsided, about eight or nine British soldiers were flat on the floor, some with broken legs or arms, etc. One of my workmen's tummy was completely broken, another was smashed, and both of them died on the spot. Immediately I remembered Baba's words, that the bomb would be thrown and it will be thrown in my compound.

Remember, in those days there was Gandhi's "Quit India" movement, and these collegians had drawn hand grenades from the arsenal and were throwing them wherever a British crowd was.

After six months the six collegians were caught, and one of Baba's disciples, a lady Parsi, used to go to Baba and say, "Baba, they are young boys, they are students; now they are under arrest. The case will be tried; they may go to jail, they may go to the gallows; please help them." She use to go and tell Baba every day; she never missed a day.

So one day Baba said, "Now you go and ask them to put on my locket, and when they enter the court, to shout out 'Meher Baba Ki Jai!'" The boys started doing this.

After one month's trial, they got off scot-free because proper evidence was not there.