Selected Letters of Mahatma Gandhi
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Selected Letters of Mahatma Gandhi By M. K. Gandhi THE SELECTED WORKS OF MAHATMA GANDHI VOLUME FOUR GENERAL ELDITOR SHRIMAN NARAYAN Rupees One Hundred Fifty for set of five volumes © Navajivan Trust, 1968 Price of this set of Selected Works of Mahatma Gandhi is subsidised by Navajivan Trust ISBN 81-7229-278-3 (set) Printed and Published by Jitendra T. Desai Navajivan Publishing House Ahmedabad-380 014 (INDIA ) Phone: 079 - 27540635. 27542634 Fax: 079 - 27541329 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.navajivantrust.org Selected Letters of Mahatma Gandhi FOREWORD This volume contains selected letters written by Mahatma Gandhi from time to time. Very few of these letters were published in Gandhiji's own lifetime. After his passing away, systematic efforts were made to collect numerous letters written by him to many friends and co-workers. We have tried to select and classify under different heads significant thoughts contained in these letters. In the first part of the Volume, we have included about a hundred letters in their complete form. Most of these letters were written on memorable occasions. I am sure the reader would be able to get an insight into Gandhiji's rich and varied personality through these letters. The second part contains Gandhiji's ideas which have been lifted from a large number of letters written by Gandhiji to many of his co-workers as well as men of public importance. Most of these ideas are of universal significance and would, I am sure, interest our readers in different parts of the world. Shriman Narayan Raj Bhavan Ahmedabad, October 16, 1968 www.mkgandhi.org Page 2 Selected Letters of Mahatma Gandhi PUBLISHER'S NOTE A deluxe edition of Selected Works of Mahatma Gandhi was released in 1969. It went out of print in about six months. To meet the popular demand for it and to make it available to individual readers at a reasonable price a new soft- cover edition was soon released. It, too, was enthusiastically received and the entire stock of the publication was sold out in less than three years. We are very happy to say that the set was reprinted and was offered at a subsidised price to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee year of Navajivan Trust during 1993-94. Looking to its continuous demand and so also to fulfill Navajivan's object of propagating Gandhian Literature, its fifth reprint is being published with new type-setting in five volumes. We are sure, this new revised edition, too, would be well-received by individual readers, in order to enrich their personal library. www.mkgandhi.org Page 3 Selected Letters of Mahatma Gandhi 1. TO DADABHAI NAOROJI 1 [This letter appears to be the first of many that Gandhiji wrote to Dadabhai Naoroji. Dadabhai was acquainted with the problems of Indians in South Africa, having been approached by them as early as 1891 to place their petitions before the British Government. The complete letter is not available, and the following extracts from it are taken from R. E Masani's Dadabhai Naoroji : The Grand Old Man of India, pp. 468-9.] Durban, July 5, 1894 The first Parliament of Natal under Responsible Government has been pre- eminently an Indian Parliament. It has for the most part occupied itself with legislation affecting Indians, by no means favourably. The Governor, in opening the Legislative Council and Assembly, remarked that his Ministers would deal with the Franchise which was exercised by Indians in Natal, although they never exercised it in India. The reasons given for the sweeping measure to disfranchise Indians were that they had never exercised the Franchise before, and that they were not fit for it. The petition of the Indians seemed to prove a sufficient answer to this. Hence they have now turned round and given out the real object of the Bill, which is simply this: "We do not want the Indians any more here. We want the coolies, but they shall remain slaves here and go back to India as soon as they are free." I earnestly request your undivided attention to the cause and appeal to you to use your influence that always has been and is being used on behalf of the Indians, no matter where situated. The Indians look up to you as children to the father. Such is really the feeling here. A word for myself and I have done. I am yet inexperienced and young and, therefore, quite liable to make mistakes. The responsibility undertaken is quite out of proportion to my ability. I may mention that I am doing this without any remuneration. So you will see that I have not taken the matter up, which is beyond my ability, in order to enrich myself at the expense of the Indians. I am www.mkgandhi.org Page 4 Selected Letters of Mahatma Gandhi the only available person who can handle the question. You will, therefore, oblige me very greatly if you will kindly direct and guide me and make necessary suggestions which shall be received as from a father of his child. Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. I, pp. 105-6 1'Dadabhai Naoroji (1825-1917)—Pioneer statesman known as "the Grand Old Man of India"; President, Indian National Congress, 1886, 1893 and 1906; was first to enunciate Swaraj as the objective of the Congress; was elected member of the House of Commons, 1893. www.mkgandhi.org Page 5 Selected Letters of Mahatma Gandhi 2. TO G. K. GOKHALE1 21-24, Court Chambers, Corner, Rissik & Anderson Street, P. O. Box 6522, Johannesburg, January 13, 1905 To THE HONOURABLE PROFESSOR GOKHALE , POONA DEAR PROFESSOR GOKHALE , The existence of Indian Opinion you know. It has now embarked on a career when I think I may fairly appeal to you for active sympathy. I propose to write perfectly frankly, as you know me too well to misunderstand me. When I saw that Mr. Madanjit could not carry on the paper without pecuniary assistance and as I knew that he was guided by thoroughly patriotic motives, I placed at his service the bulk of my savings. That, however, was not enough. Three months ago I took over the whole responsibility and management. Mr. Madanjit still remains nominally the proprietor and publisher, because I believe that he has done much for the community. My own office is at present being worked in the interest of Indian Opinion and I have already become responsible to the extent of nearly £ 3,500. Some English friends, who knew me intimately and before whom I placed the scheme as described in the enclosed, took up the idea and now it is in full working order and, although it does not show the same measure of self-sacrifice as shown by the founders of the Fergusson College in Poona, I venture to think that it is not a bad copy. It has been a most delightful thing to me to see the English friends coming forward so boldly. They are not literary men but they are sterling, honest, independent men. Each of them had his own business or employment where he was doing well, and yet none of them had the slightest hesitation in coming forward as a worker for a bare living which means £3 per month, with a distant prospect of getting profits. www.mkgandhi.org Page 6 Selected Letters of Mahatma Gandhi It is also my intention, if my earnings continue, to open a school on the grounds, which would be second to none in South Africa for the education primarily of Indian children who would be resident boarders, and secondarily, of all who want to join the school but would also reside on the premises. For this, too, volunteer workers are required. It would be possible to induce one or two Englishmen and English ladies here to give their lifetime to this work, but Indian teachers are absolutely necessary. Could you induce any graduates who have an aptitude for teaching, who bear a blameless character and who would be prepared to work for a mere living? Those who would come must be well- tried, first-class men. I would want two or three at least but more could certainly be accommodated, and after the school is in working order, it is intended to add a sanatorium with open-air treatment on hygienic lines. My immediate purpose, however, is in connection with Indian Opinion. If you approve of all I have said regarding it, will you kindly send a letter of encouragement to be sent to the editor for publication; also if you could spare a few moments, occasionally write an article ever so small for it? I am also anxious to secure either honorary or paid correspondents who would contribute weekly notes in English, Gujarati, Hindi and Tamil. If it becomes expensive, I might have to be satisfied with only English correspondence which would lend itself to being translated in the three Indian languages. Could you recommend any such correspondent or correspondents? The weekly notes should give an idea of what is being done on your side with reference to the Indian question, giving extracts from notices of the question in the newspapers, and should contain matters that are likely to be interesting to the Indians in South Africa. You may at your discretion disclose partly or wholly the contents of this letter in so far as such a course may be necessary in the interests of the subject- matter hereof. I hope you are keeping good health. I remain, Yours faithfully, M. K. GANDHI Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi , Vol. IV pp.