Kumbhakonam,
May 28th, 1951.
By the grace of God this soul had to oppose certain prevailing customs of my community in Nadiad. We have seen people serving communities other than theirs by separating themselves from their own family and community. These volunteers do not get a chance to deal with such situations (opposing the customs of your own community and family). I had the awareness to oppose these undesirable customs in my own community. It was not based on certain basic instinct to oppose it but on certain sense of duty (dharma, ધર્મ) and oppose it in that context. So I opposed these old customary traditions of my community with that perspective and sense of duty. In such circumstances community never accepts such behavior from a poor person* and either they are ignored or insulted. It is rather impossible to oppose unfair and undesirable customs when time comes to oppose it in your own family while living in the community and gain the goodwill and love from the community at the same time. So we should either accept such insults with true humility, love and understanding or oppose it. But when you oppose them there should be tremendous heartfelt goodwill toward them being expressed in your dealings with them.
Pujya Shree Mota
Jivan Mandan
Edition 3; page 194.
*
My two cents -- There was tradition of not touching certain lower cast community members and not sharing the source of water with them. Pujya Shree Mota opposed this tradition. Because of that his community was against him initially but later some members were appreciative of his efforts. Pujya Shree Mota and his family was poor.
