A hundred-and-one-year-old Rajaram Padalkar, one of the few Puneites who believed in practising the Gandhian principle of vastraswavalamban or fulfilling one's clothing needs by spinning yarn, passed away on Wednesday after a brief illness.

His enthusiasm to spin khadi and to teach how to do it remained unwavering 'til the end. Until a few days ago, he spun yarn on his ambar charkha and was ready to teach the domestic help how to read and write, his son Dr Ajit Padalkar reminisces.

Padalkar, who, through his career had been a banker and lawyer began to spin yarn regularly in 1975 after his retirement. He used clothes and sheets made from his own hand-spun yarn and on special occasions, he would present gifts of khadi which he had spun to family members, his son remembers.

Padalkar leaves behind three sons, two daughters, grand children and great grandchildren.

Gandhian Padalkar no more — Pune Newsline