Matsyagandha

In a similar manner, Swadhyay has brought a cultural and socio-economic transformation to the fishing communities living in the coastal region of western India, extending from Goa to Okha. The stereotypical image of these children of the sea, sagarputras in Swadhyay idiom, was typical of marginal and disinherited groups. Aggressive, adventurous and sturdy, they were notorious for heavy drinking, gambling, smuggling and all kinds of petty and major crimes. They were despised by others for their profligacy and for their supposed criminal tendencies.

These children of the sea, started offering a portion of their earnings (normally a day's catch each month) at the feet of God. Soon enough they had substantial resources. A productive use of their capital and skill (sailing and fishing) had to be found. Ultimately suggestion came from Rev.Dadaji that with these funds, belonging to one but God, they could buy motorised boats, more efficient tools and tackle. Fishing could be their way to express their devotion to the Creator.

Thus, the experiment called Matsyagandha (mother of the sage Veda Vyas) took its shape. The sagarputras treat these Matsyagandha boats as floating temples. A crew of six to ten swadhyayee fishermen is onboard each boat. Fishing goes on all year except for a three-month pause during the monsoon period which is used for repairs and refitting the boats.

The volunteers are many more than the Matsyagandha boats. No individual fisherman gets a chance for more than one trip (of 24 hours) in a year. And when the boat is docked during the monsoon, the seamen among the swadhyayees take over the job of repairs and refitting the boats.

The experiment in generating impersonal wealth through fishing on motorised boats and trawlers, and dredging sand from the estuary bed, is similar to Yogeshwar Krishi. There is no employer and no employee; there are no owners and no workers; none has claim over what he has willingly offered to God. Each fisherman and seaman is a pujari, while he is on his floating temple. The disbursement of wealth created by Matsyagandha is similar to that of Yogeshwar Krishi. To date there are one hundred vessels and few more are added each year. An open sea-going cargo ship, SS Jayashree Sagar, was launched in October 1996 that regularly plies between India's west coast and Persian Gulf States.