1. Letter to Amrit Kaur 2. Letter to Lilavati Asar
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1. LETTER TO AMRIT KAUR SEGAON, WARDHA, Octorber 21, 1936 MY DEAR REBEL, You have certainly provided me with excellent material for Harijan.1 Mahadev will see your letter. I shall make judicious use of portions of it. You must then do a little propaganda work, even write to the papers and invite other women to do likewise. If you women would only realize your dignity and privilege, and make full use of it for mankind, you will make it much better than it is. But man has delighted in enslaving you and you have proved willing slaves till the slaves and the slave-holders have become one in the crime of degrading humanity. My special function from childhood, you might say, has been to make woman realize her dignity. I was once slave- holder myself but Ba proved an unwilling slave and thus opened my eyes to my mission. Her task was finished. Now I am in search of a woman who would realize her mission. Are you that woman, will you be one? If Shummy will be happy and healthy going to Europe and won’t go without you, why should you not accompany him? No time for more. Gave you a long letter yesterday.2 Love. TYRANT [PS.] Yes, you should write to Natesan without doubt. From the original: C.W. 3597. Courtesy: Amrit Kaur. Also G.N. 6406 2. LETTER TO LILAVATI ASAR October 21, 1936 CHI. LILA, I have been thinking of you, though I have been unable to wirte to you of late. Are you aware, or aren’t you, that you have taken upon yourself a much greater burden by asking to be released from the conditions? You do not intend to become a self-indulgent person. 1 Vide “Obscene Advertisements”, 14-11-1936 2 The letter is not traceable. VOL. 70: 21 OCTOBER, 1936 - 24 FEBRUARY, 1937 1 You have self-control and you want to make progress in that direction. Take it that if you forget this, you will have invited perpetual discord. Blessings from BAPU From a photostat of the Gujarati: S.N. 11757 3. LETTER TO MAHADEV DESAI October 21, 1936 CHI. MAHADEV, I am sending some post. Rajkumari’s letter, which I send you, is for you to read. It should be returned as I shall want it for Harijan. Next week it is going to be a question what to write and what not to write. Both the patients are fine— subnormal. Mirabehn’s complaint has toned down today. I give her curds. Blessings from BAPU From a photostat of the Gujarati: S.N. 11501 4. LETTER TO MAHADEV DESAI October 21, 1936 CHI. MAHADEV, You may send a wire to Shivprasad1, also stating who are coming with me. Take it for certain that you will be there. The accompanying is for Raja2. Write to S. saying that I have written to Raja. I can’t see how I may write on Premchandji3. If we suggest it to Viyogi Hari, he might draft a brief note. We take no editorial notice of men of letters. Lallubhai’s4 case, however, deserves to be considered. For my part, I propose to leave here at six o’clock. No arrangements need be made from there. The luggage will be carried in the cart from here. I shall walk as much as I can; I am feeling strong enough. I shall climb on to the cart if I feel it necessary. On my way I shall stop to 1 Shivprasad Gupta 2 The letter is not traceable. 3 Who had recently died 4 ibid 2 THE COLLECTED WORKS OF MAHATMA GANDHI look at Kamala’s1 son. I shall peep into Maganwadi if there is time. You may if you wish suggest any change in this. The patients are fine. Blessings from BAPU From a photostat of the Gujarati: S.N. 11502 5. LETTER TO RADHAKRISHNA BAJAJ October 22, 1936 CHI. RADHAKISAN, I heard the news about Vinay2. It will be good if Kamala whom I very much wish to see comes here. If I go there myself I should have to run away in a few minutes since here I shall be busy working till 5 o’clock. There is no reason for Kamala to confine herself where she is. Read this letter to Kamala if you think it proper and send her or bring her yourself. Blessings from BAPU From a photostat of the Gujarati: G.N. 9121 6. STATEMENT TO THE PRESS WARDHAGANJ, October 22, 1936 As usual I am overwhelmed with messages of birthday greetings. It is impossible for me to send acknowledgments to these kind friends. I, therefore, take this opportunity for thanking them all through the Press for their good wishes. The Bombay Chronicle, 23-10-1936 1 Kamala Nevatia, Jamnalal Bajaj’s daughter 2 Kamala Nevatia’s son VOL. 70: 21 OCTOBER, 1936 - 24 FEBRUARY, 1937 3 7. LETTER TO AMTUSSALAAM SEGAON, WARDHA, October 23, 1936 CHI. AMTUL SALAAM, I got your letter just now. I had Kanti’s letter expressing his happiness on the Rentia Baras Day. It is not worth sending to you. I don’t bother him since he has no time to spare. It is good that you went to hospital. Khurshedbehn had written to me. I should of course be glad if you helped her. I myself never undertake a pilgrimage. There is so much hypocrisy prevailing in places of pilgrimage. I know several persons who have been to Mecca Sharif. I couldn’t see that they had regained health by going there. But since you have the faith, why should I stop you? By all means go, and return more firm of mind, healthier and (free from attachment). What more need I say? I am leaving for Kashi today. I shall spend two days there and then a few hours in Rajkot. I reach Ahmedabad on the 30th. The patients here are now free form fever. Get well soon. Blessings from BAPU From a photostat of the Gujarati: G.N.359 8. TALK WITH AN ENGLISHMAN1 [Before October 24, 1936] A friendly Englishman asked Gandhiji the other day a question which rather surprised me: “You are a Gujarati, you belong to Gujarat. Why should you have selected a Marathi-speaking part for your work and experiments? And why Wardha of all places?” Gandhiji was no less surprised, but he calmly replied: I do not belong to Gujarat, I belong to the whole of India. Wardha I selected because it afforded so many facilities for work. There is Jamnalal Bajaj who is interested in my programme of work and my experiments, and he gave me his valuable garden and his garden-house for the Village Industries Association of which I made Wardha the headquarters. Harijan, 24-10-1936 1 Extracted from Mahadev Desai’s “Weekly Letter” 4 THE COLLECTED WORKS OF MAHATMA GANDHI 9. ALL-ROUND RISE? Sri Krishnadas Gandhi of Maharashtra Charkha Sangh informs me that the rise in the spinners’ wage has necessitated a rise in the twisters’ wage. Experiments are therefore now being made how without raising the price of khadi the efficiency of the twister can be raised so as to enable her to make 3 as per day. He has therefore started using the double spindle Magan Rentiyo for the purpose. If all the workers engaged in khadi production will work with the spirit that fires Krishnadas Gandhi and a few such workers, we shall attain the ideal rise in wages in all the departments of khadi without putting an undue strain upon the consumers purse. And if we succeed in giving the full wage to all the khadi artisans, we shoud have no difficulty in reaching the level for all other village industries. What is needed is a scientific spirit that will take nothing for granted, that will brook no laziness of body or mind, that will have an undying faith in its mission. All work is dead without faith. Harijan, 24-10-1936 10. BUFFALO v. COW Those who are engaged in saving the cow from the swift destruction that awaits her if measures are not taken betimes to save her, are often confronted with the question whether, apart1 from the religious sentiment, the buffalo is not the cheaper animal to keep. As a layman I have always hazarded the opinion that the cow is the cheaper to keep, at any rate in the long run, that it is impossible to save the two animals, and that if we would but concentrate attention on saving the cow, the buffalo will take care of herself. But if the cow goes, the buffalo will never be able to take the cow’s place and the struggling, starving farmer will have in the deprivation of the cow and her male progeny a handicap that will leave him prostrate. Those who are interested in this important problem will get some help form the following opinion2 of Sardar Datar Singh M.D.D.(Eng.) of the Montgomery Dairy Farm sent to me by a friend. Harijan, 24-10-1936 1 The source has “even apart” 2 Not reproduced here. It gave reasons why the buffalo was not an economical animal. VOL. 70: 21 OCTOBER, 1936 - 24 FEBRUARY, 1937 5 11. LETTER TO MARGARETE SPIEGEL1 ON THE TRAIN, October 24, 1936 CHI. AMALA, Mira and Nanavati had been ill, and so the delay in replying.2 They are now better. I am on my way to Benares. I return to Segaon about 5th November. I reach Ahmedabad on 30th and [shall] be there for four days at least.