માઘ મનોહર દિન,
ધવલ ધુમ્મસ થકી ધીરે ધીરે ઊઘડંત દ્વિતીય પ્રહર;
સદ્યસ્નાત વનસ્થલિના પ્રસન્ન અંગ પર
રવિકિરણની ઉષ્મા અડે સુકોમલ,
માધવીમુખનું સરી જાય તહીં તુષારઅંચલ;
નીખરંત સુષમા
સ્મિતોજ્જ્વલ દગે જાણે દેતી નિમંત્રણ.
જનપદ મેલી નદી તીરે તીરે
એકાન્ત નિર્જને
તેજ છાયા પથે કરું એકલ વિહાર.
તૃણ તૃણ પર ઓસબિંદુ મહીં રંગધનુલીલા;
આવળની ડાળે ડાળે રમે સોનપરી,
આકાશમાં ઊડે કીર, ઊડે જાણે હરિત કિલ્લોલ;
આછેરા તરંગ તણી આડશે ડોકાઈ જગ જુએ જલમીન.
અમરાઈ થકી આવે મંજરીની ગંધ,
એ તો કોકિલકંઠનો ટહુકાર,
કુંજની કેડીએ આપમેળે વળે સરળ ચરણ.
કંઈક ચંચલ ચાંદરણાં મહીં લહું એક તરુણ કિશોર
બાવળદંડનું છાલ-આવરણ કરી રહે દૂર,
કને કોઈ આવે એને જોયું વણજોયું કરી
અવિચલ મચી રહે નિજને જ કામ.
મૌન ધરી લઘુ લઘુ બની રહે છાંય.
કિશોરને પૂછું: ‘નહીં તારે કોઈ ભેરુ?
અહીં વન મહીં ખેલવાને કાજ?’
મીટ માંડી લઈ સહેજ
અંગુલિને મુખ મહીં ધરી
સીટી એકાએક એણે બજવી પ્રલંબ.
ચારેગમ લહું કોણ ઝીલી દે જવાબ,
નદીના નીચાણમાંથી ત્યહીં દોડી આવે એક શ્વાન,
કને જઈ કિશોરની સોડમાં લપાય,
પીઠ પર હળુ હળુ ફરે એનો કર.
અબોલ એ જાણે કહી રહ્યો મને,
‘આ જ ભેરુ મારે વનવગડે નીડર.’
‘નહીં ભાઈ-બેન તારે?’
‘બા ને બાપુ બેઉ ખેતરે જનાર.’
‘ગોઠિયું ન કોઈ?’
‘ઘરે ગાયનું વછેરું વ્હાલમૂઉં મને પજવે અપાર.’
સોડમાંથી સરી એનું સાથીદાર પ્રાણી
આવી મારી કને
પગની ગંધથી કરે મારો પરિચય.
‘ઘડી ઘડી વાતું કરે એવું કોઈ નહીં,
તને એકલું ન લાગતું લગાર?’
આછા અણગમા તણી મુખ પર આવી જતી એક લહેર,
કહે,
‘બહુ બોલ બોલ કરો તમે.’
ઉભયનું મૌન.
તરુપુંજમાંથી ભૂમિ પર ઊડી આવ્યાં ત્યહીં કપોત બે ત્રણ,
ધૂળમાંથી વીણી ચણે કણ.
સહસા કિશોરે નિજ ગજવેથી મૂઠીભરી વેરી દીધ ચણા.
વિશ્રબ્ધ ઉમંગ તણા
ઘુઉ-ઘુઉ-ઘુઉ-સૂર ઝરંત વિહંગ.
એકાકી ન કોઈ ક્યાંય,
સકલને મળી રહે સકલનો સંગ.
ચરણ ધરે છે મધ્યદિન આવરણહીન,
વળું ઘરભણી ત્યહીં
મળે એકમેકની નજર,
સરલ સ્મિતનાં બેઉને વદન રમી રહે સ્મિત ઝળહળ
(સંકલિત કવિતા : પૃષ્ઠ 944-946)
Another interesting fact should also be noted. Gandhi influenced Gujarati language and literature to such an extent that the period between 1920 and 1950 is usually referred to as the Gandhian Period of Gujarati literature. So, one would expect Gujarati books and periodicals to lead the tally of banned books in India. But the number of forfeited Gujarati books is considerably less compared to some other languages. As per figures provided by the National Archives of India, largest number of such items (402) belongs to Hindi. Urdu comes second with 126 items, and Punjabi third with 114 items. These are followed by English (89 items), Marathi (88 items), Gujarati (61 items), and Bengali (48 items).
Narayan Vasanji Thakkur (1884-1938) was a prolific writer. He published more than 100 books. One of his social novels Aajkaalno Sudharo ke Ramaneey Bhayankarta published in 1911 was also proscribed. Even with a close reading, one cannot find anything against the Government in this 352 page novel. Then why would the Government ban it? This was perhaps because the book is out and out against social reforms. And in the process of denigrating the movement for social reforms, it also criticizes, even ridicules, everything British – their social, educational, and legal systems, their penchant for alcohol and non-vegetarian food, etc. Ever since the social reform movement began in Gujarat in the second quarter of the 19th century, a small but vociferous group opposed everything modern, everything western. Thakkur belonged to this group. 
It was intriguing for me to find an album of Gandhiji’s photographs in the list of proscribed books. But when I saw the book, the reason for doing so was apparent. All photographs in the book relate to the 1930 Dandi March and the accompanying text, written by Rasiklal Parikh (1897-1982) is highly critical of the Government’s handling of the March. He has also quoted extensively from Gandhiji’s articles and speeches. 
Even after considerable efforts, I have not been able to find any biographical details for ‘Blind Poet Hansrajbhai.’ But he was one of the most popular songsters during the period of our freedom movement. Rashtreey Rangeeto is an 18 page booklet, but almost every page has dynamite laid on it for the British Government. One of the songs opens thus:
Traditionally, we refer to Gujarati literature produced between 1920 and 1950 as literature of the Gandhian Period (Gandhi Yug). But surprisingly, not many books written by leading lights of this period appear in the list of banned books. Two exceptions are Zaverchand Meghani and Manubhai Pancholi, alias ‘Darshak.’ Zaverchand Meghani earned the title of ‘the National Poet’ from a person no less than Gandhiji. Most of the poets and poems related to our freedom movement are almost forgotten today, but Meghani and his poems are an exception. His Sindhoodo, a 30 page booklet containing only 16 songs, is perhaps the most celebrated of books proscribed by the British Government. It was first published on April 6, 1930, the first day of the Civil Disobedience Movement. By the time the British Government proscribed it, most of its ten thousand copies were already sold. Unnerved by its popularity, the British Government charged Meghani with making a seditious speech and the Court at Dhandhuka (a town in Saurashtra region of Gujarat) sentenced him to imprisonment for two years. After the magistrate delivered his judgment, with his permission, Meghani recited one of the poems contained in Sindhoodo.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s speeches made during the 1930 movement were collected in two volumes under the title Veerni Hakal. The first edition of ten thousand copies of the first volume was sold out within no time. Second volume was published within a few months. However, the British Government proscribed both volumes. Preface to the first volume was written by Mahadev Desai, personal secretary to Gandhi, while awaiting arrest in a police station.
Kalyanji Mehta, a veteran freedom fighter from Surat collected some songs popular during the freedom struggle under the title Swarajyana Geeto. The first volume containing some 155 songs by various poets was published in 1931 to mark Gandhiji’s birth day, and was soon proscribed. The second edition, containing 157 songs, was published in 1938 to mark the 51st Session of the Congress held at Haripura. By this time, the then Bombay State had a Congress Government, and its Home Minister Dr. Kanaiyalal Munshi had revoked the ban imposed earlier. 
Krantine Marge, (On the Road to Revolution) was written in 1930 but was published in 1932. Author Prabhakar Biharilal wanted Kaka Kalelkar to write its preface and so gave him the manuscript. Kalelkar put it in his travel bag so that he can read it while traveling. But the bag was stolen during one of his train journeys. Kalelkar issued press advertisements requesting the thief to return at least the manuscript. But he did not. Luckily, the author had another copy of the book and Kalelkar ultimately wrote preface to the book, hence the delay in its publication. But the book was proscribed soon after its publication.