Ramjibhai Gopalji Bhai Badhiya was born in Lathi village of Amreli district of Saurashtra. He joined the weaving profession at the age of 16 along with his father. In a short time, he became an expert in the weaving of cotton and wool. He settled in Mumbai in 1915. After meeting Gandhiji and on his insistence, Ramjibhai returned to his native and started weaving again. After three years, Gandhi met Ramjibhai in Amreli and asked him to supply cotton to the Ashram for spinning.
Later on, Ramjibhai came to the Sabarmati Ashram with his family and settled there in 1919 at Gandhiji’s invitation. Ramjibhai’s first student of weaving was Gandhi. Ramjibhai’s wife Gangabahen did weaving work too. His elder son Arjunbhai joined the work of removal of untouchability at the Sarbhon village, Bardoli in Surat district. Ramjibhai, his son Harakhajibhai and his son-in-law Ratnaji Nagji were among the 79 soldiers of the Dandi March, which commenced from the Sabarmati Ashram on 12 March 1930. Ramjibhai was sentenced to imprisonment for three months. Later on, he started farming on land at Simej village of Dholka district and worked for the removal of the forced labour system prent in the villages in those days. After working in the weaving school of the Ashram, he stayed with Lakshmidas Asar in Halol for a year and a half along with the family, and worked at the weaving school. Ramjibhai died on 8th April 1972 at the Harijan Ashram, Ahmedabad.
Source: Sabarmati Ashram Preservation and Memorial Trust (https://gandhiashramsabarmati.org/), Ahmedabad
Badhiya, Arjunbhai (1980) ‘Azadina Sainikswa. Ramjibhai Gopaljibhai Badhiya’. Publisher: Arjunbhai Ramjibhai Badhiya. Harijan Ashram, Sabarmati, Ahmedabad