1. LETTER TO WANDA DYNOWSKA NEW DELHI, July 7, 1947 MY DEAR UMA, Your letter. You are suspicious. Sardar is not so bad as you imagine. He has no anti-European prejudice. Don’t be sentimental but deal with cold facts and you will succeed. My movement is uncertain. You will come when I am fixed up somewhere. Love. BAPU From a copy: Pyarelal Papers, Courtesy: Pyarelal 2. LETTER TO DR. D. P. GUPTA NEW DELHI, July 7, 1947 DEAR DR. GUPTA, Your letter.1 Faith to be faith stands all trials and thanks God. Are not the prayers of your Muslim neighbours sufficient encoura- gement for you to persist in well-doings? Yours sincerely, M. K. GANDHI From a photostat: C. W. 10570 1 The addressee, whose son had suffered injuries at the hands of Muslim rioters, had written that he could no longer have any faith in the doctrine of winning one’s enemy by love notwithstanding the sympathetic attitude of Muslim neighbours who prayed for his son’s recovery. VOL. 96 : 7 JULY, 1947 - 26 SEPTEMBER, 1947 1 3. LETTER TO ABDUL GHAFFAR KHAN [July 7, 1947]1 DEAR BADSHAH, No news from you. I hope you had my long letter and that you have acted up to it. Your and my honour is involved in strict adherence to non-violence on our part in thought, work and deed. No news up to now (9.30) in the papers.2 Love. BAPU Mahatma Gandhi—The Last Phase, Vol. II, pp. 279–80 4. MESSAGE TO KINDERGARTEN SCHOOL July 7, 1947 Are all the Bal Mandirs which are coming up these days worthy of the name? This is a question to be considered by all who are interested in children’s. education. The country needs good facilities for children’s education as much as it needs food, cloth and houses to meet its physical needs, for its future depends on the children. [From Gujarati] Bihar Pachhi Dilhi, p. 290 1 According to the source this was written two days after “Letter to Abdul Ghaffar Khan”, “Letter to Abdue Ghaffar Khan”, 5-7-1947 2 The addressee’s reply dated July 12, inter alia read: “I and my workers have been going about from village to village asking the people to remain non-violent even under provocation on the part of the Muslim Leagues. We have been working under very difficult and trying circumstances but have adhered to non- violence. How long a state of affairs like this can last, it is not easy for me to say. They Muslim Leaguers backed by officials are out to create disturbances…. Another thing causing concern is the presence in our province of a large number of Punjabis who openly incite people to violence…. suggesting…that top leaders of Red Shirts should be done away with.” 2 THE COLLECTED WORKS OF MAHATMA GANDHI 5. LETTER TO MADALASA NEW DELHI, July 7, 1947 CHI. MADU, I have your letter. You must have got my telegram. I hope Bharat 1 has regained health. Do not let him wander around. I wish you to get engrossed in the Mahila Ashram work. That is a major activity among the many activities of Jamnalal. One reason for keeping you near by is that you may get immersed in that work. Now stop having more children if both of you can exercise self- control so that you can look after the two you have and manage the Mahila Ashram work. The Ashram does need a worker like you. If you start doing that work, Shriman will take more interest in it. Sushila has come from Wardha today. [From Gujarati] Panchven Putrako Bapuke Ashirvad, pp. 333–4 6. LETTER TO JIVANJI D. DESAI NEW DELHI, July 7, 1947 CHI. JIVANJI, I have your letter. I shall be content with whatever Narabhai2 brings out. I do not also have the time. It may, perhaps, be necessary to show the matter to pyarelal. This may mean some more time, but Pyarelal has worked with him. I put no great value on August 15. You must have read my speech of yesterday, I see no joy on anybody’s face here. Now do as Naraharibhai advises. Blessings from BAPU From a photostat of the Gujarati: G.N. 9980. Also C.W. 6954. Courtesy: Jivanji D. Desai 1 Addressee’s son 2 Narahari Parikh, who along with Kishorelal Mashruwala was editing Harijan during Gandhiji’s Noakhali tour. VOL. 96 : 7 JULY, 1947 - 26 SEPTEMBER, 1947 3 7. LETTER TO JIVANJI D. DESAI NEW DELHI, July 7, 1947 CHI. JIVANJI, This time I am sending a Gujarati article1 of mine together with its translation, one article by Maganbhai, one published article by Kakasaheb and reports of my speeches. I am alone just now. Rajkumari and Sushila have gone out of Delhi. They will return tomorrow. I don’t think you will be short of English matter. I have with me Gujarati translations of my speeches made by Mridulabehn. I have not been able to revise them. Perhaps I may send them on Tuesday. But I don’t think you will need them. I have followed your other suggestions. Blessings from BAPU From a photostat of the Gujarati: G. N. 9981. Also C. W. 6955. Courtesy: Jivanji Desai 8. LETTER TO NARANDAS GANDHI NEW DELHI, July 7, 1947 CHI. NARANDAS, I have your letter. I don’t at all remember having received the previous one regarding the Trust. Letters do get lost in this way these days. I agree with you about Kamala….2 arrived here yesterday. I shall show him the relevant portion of your letter. About the Trust, I shall think and then write. Abha arrived here yesterday. I shall see now what can be done. I thought it right to let her come. I was pleased to read about the work you are doing. Isn’t the place where you are working as good as an ashram? Where else will 1 “Who is a Socialist?”, vide “Who is A Socialist”, 6-7-1947. 2 Omission as in the source 4 THE COLLECTED WORKS OF MAHATMA GANDHI you build another? Today is my silence day. It is nearing 2. I have heaps of work lying in front of me. I have just managed to write this. I understand about Aunt. She will live on as long as she has debts to collect from you all. Is she calm in mind? Does she talk with anybody? What things is she able to eat. Is Fuli strong enough to do the nursing? Blessings from BAPU From the Gujarati original: C.W. 642. Courtesy: Narandas Gandhi 9. A LETTER July 7, 1947 You ask for my help, but who am I to help you? God alone is the true helper and source of support. Seek help from that Almighty God. [From Gujarati] Bihar Pachhi Dilhi, p. 290 10. A LETTER July 7, 1947 I sympathize with you in your misfortune. But it is ignorance to think that we suffer because of our misfortunes. Misfortune is really a test for us. And if we pass the test, all will be well with us. Only those who are blessed with grace can understand this. You should try to understand this truth and patiently strive to strengthen your power of endurance. [From Gujarati] Bihar Pachhi Dilhi, p. 291 11. A LETTER July 7, 1947 I am able to say from my own experience that the mind also is an important factor in recovering from illness. Fear, anger, impatience and depression aggravate the illness. The more cheerful you are the sooner will you recover. You should therefore try to VOL. 96 : 7 JULY, 1947 - 26 SEPTEMBER, 1947 5 create such an atmosphere around you. It is a sin against God to fall ill. I have repeatedly pointed this out to Chi. Manudi and made her cry for neglecting her health. But I have noticed during these past two days that she has become a little more sensible. I can only hope that this will not prove temporary. [From Gujarati] Bihar Pachhi Dilhi, p. 291 12. LETTER TO GOPALRAO KALE NEW DELHI, July 7, 1947 CHI. GOPALRAO, The Hasan chapter is not yet closed. I have a long letter from him. Let me know if he is clean enough. Herewith I am enclosing a copy of my Gujarati article. When should the whole matter reach you? Blessings from BAPU From a copy of the Gujarati: Pyarelal Papers. Courtesy: Pyarelal 13. LETTER TO DR. HASAN NEW DELHI, July 7, 1947 BHAI HASAN, I have your letter Who wrote it? Neither the handwriting nor the language of the letter appears to be yours. What do Bhai Gopalrao and Dada Dharmadhikari say? I am having another complaint. I desire that at least a few Muslims should prove perfect in every way. I want to see you become such a one. The time is extremely delicate. I am sending a copy of your letter to Shuklaji. Blessings from BAPU From a copy of the Hindi: Pyarelal Papers. Courtesy: Pyarelal 6 THE COLLECTED WORKS OF MAHATMA GANDHI 14. LETTER TO RAVI SHANKAR SHUKLA NEW DELHI, July 7, 1947 BHAI SHUKLAJI, I have a long letter from Dr. Hasan, a copy of which I am sending to you. Is this episode closed now? Has everything been cleared up? Is there no more complaint against the Doctor? Blessings from BAPU From a copy of the Hindi: Pyarelal Papers. Courtesy: Pyarelal 15. LETTER TO AMTUSSALAAM NEW DELHI, July 7, 1947 DAUGHTER AMTUL SALAAM I have your letter. I know I have not been able to write to you often.