The Devotion of Life — Page 200
200 In the early days due to severe financial constraints the life devotees usually had to work for their livelihood. Later, by the Grace of God the financial situation improved and the Community took care of the necessities of the life devotees. Declaration of 'Jihad' against the Shudhi Movement The year 1923 is most significant in the sense that it glorified the spirit of devoting one’s life within the Community. The famous ‘Arya Samaj’ leader, Shardha Nand, was an enthusiastic supporter of the Shudhi Movement as well as its first leader. Not only was he given the opportunity by the so-called Muslim religious scholars to be the vice president of ‘Khilafat Conference’ in the name of ‘Hindu Muslim unity’, rather he was also given the opportunity to give a speech from the pulpit of Jami’a Masjid Delhi. During the middle of March 1923, while appealing to the Hindus for monetary contribution, he announced that in nearby Agra the ‘ Rajpoots’ were rapidly being converted to Hinduism and that so far about 4,300 ‘ Rajpoots’, 'Gogers' and 'Jaats' had become Hindu. He also said: “Such people are found in all parts of India and are not less than five to six million. If the Hindu community continues to assimilate them then I will not be surprised if their number reaches ten million. ” (Newspaper ‘Zamindaar’ 16 th March 1923 – ref: Tareekh-e-Ahmadiyyat vol. 5 p. 330)