1. LETTER TO J. C. KUMARAPPA SEVAGRAM, WARDHA, August 18, 1941 MY DEAR KUMARAPPA, I have hurriedly gone through your draft. It reads all right. You may circulate it. But I shall study it carefully before you meet. BAPU From a photostat: G.N. 10157 2. LETTER TO AMRIT KAUR August 18, 1941 MY DEAR IDIOT, This thing about the post is vexing. But what is one to do with a village P[ost] O[ffice]? The second vexing thing is your indifferent condition. Why should you not feel first class? Could it have anything to do with your having taxed yourself too much over Jamnalal? He is in rapturesover the kindness shown to him by you all— meaning you and your. .1 The thought has just occurred to me and I have passed it on to you. Anyway it is time you got well. We had a glorious day here. We had prayers at which Gurudev’s songs were sung, the morning “Jivana jakhan2” by Sushila and the “ Anand lok[e]3” in the evening by Prabhakar who is proving a fine singer. We had a pice collection from every adult and more from those who could pay more. The Ashramites not having any money of their own spun for one hour and got one pice for their labour at market price. Maganlal gave Rs. 2,500, Janakibehn Rs. 110, Sushila Rs. 500 in 10 instalments, i.e., Rs. 50 out of her salary. Therefore, we have a goodly sum in Sevagram. Ashadevi went out for collection and prayer in Wardha. I have not yet had the report. But it was good there too. Vallabhbhai’s condition is bad. You must have seen the report. Let us see what happens. It is a big load on the mind. Mridula leaves today for Bombay. She has come to solve her little difficulties. 1 Omission as in the source 2 These words are in the Devanagari script. 3 ibid VOL. 81 : 18 AUGUST, 1941 - 8 FEBRUARY, 1942 1 I must not give you more time today. What about khadi sales there this time? Love. BAPU From the original: C.W. 4056. Courtesy: Amrit Kaur. Also G.N. 7365 3. LETTER TO SUSHILA NAYYAR August 18, 1941 CHI. SUSHILA, You were to leave one of your pens here. I do not find it here. If it is with you, it is all right. I do not want a new pen. There is a postcard from Nagpur today addressed to you. It is a reply to your letter : ‘‘The prisoner is not legally allowed to meet anyone. And he does not wish to meet anyone in particular.’’ So even if the telephone had been answered, you would have got the same reply. I hope you did not have much trouble and could catch the train easily. If you remember, write to me how many minutes before time you reached. Do not fix appointments anywhere. I do not wish to place any burden on you. It would hurt me taking even a moment from your studies. Blessings from BAPU From the Gujarati original : Pyarelal Papers. Nehru Memorial Museum and Library. Courtesy : Dr. Sushila Nayyar 4. LETTER TO KRISHNACHANDRA August 18, 1941 CHI. KRISHNACHANDRA, Consider that we are all sailing in the same boat as you. The difference is only one of degree. You should fix your mealtime and also the quantity of food. If this is done for a period, everything will be all right. Do not worry about the result, once you have made the efforts. Blessings from BAPU From a photostat of the Hindi: G.N. 4400 2 THE COLLECTED WORKS OF MAHATMA GANDHI 5. LETTER TO AMRIT KAUR SEVAGRAM, via WARDHA, August 19, 1941 CHI. AMRIT, Your note. How strange my letter crossed yours. You have used the same or a synonymous term. You must get rid of your illnesses now. If Shummy and others relieve you and think that you might flourish under humble surroundings I shall gladly nurse you to health. If I am solely responsible, I shall not be nervous. No more today. Love. BAPU From the original: C.W 4057. Courtesy: Amrit Kaur. Also G.N. 7366 6. LETTER TO TARACHAND August 19, 1941 DEAR DR. TARACHAND, Many thanks for your cheque which I am passing to the Deenabandhu Memorial Fund. If you do not like the disposal I can easily alter it. I have purposely not moved in the Hindi matter because of the extraordinary riots in Dacca and elsewhere. The matter has to be settled but the values have changed. As I read the signs of the times the matter does not admit of piecemeal treatment. I drafted my statement. Sunderlalji did not like it much. Meanwhile the disturbances affected me deeply and I stayed immediate action, my views remaining the same. Yours sincerely, M. K. GANDHI From a copy: Pyarelal Papers, Courtesy; Pyarelal VOL. 81 : 18 AUGUST, 1941 - 8 FEBRUARY, 1942 3 7. LETTER TO INDRAVADAN N. DIVYENDRA August 19, 1941 BHAI INDRAVADAN, Searching for the envelope sent by you would take some time, and, moreover, you have no reason to complain since you are getting one pice worth more than what you spent. If we exclusively look after the cow, the buffalo will not perish, but if we exclusively look after the latter both the cow and the buffalo will perish. If we try to look after both, then also both would perish. All the world over people use mostly cow’s milk. From the medical point of view, too, cow’s milk is more beneficial. Vandemataram from M. K. GANDHI BHAI INDRAVADAN N. DIVYENDRA GOODS OFFICE SABARMATI, B.B. & C. I. RLY. From a photostat of the Gujarati: G.N. 121 8. LETTER TO SUSHILA NAYYAR August 19, 1941 CHI. SUSHILA, I have your letter. You will have received mine. You reached well in time. Kunvarji is fine. The conversation with Natwar is enlightening. I understand about the house. I shall of course make the arrangements. It is good you wrote. Enclosed is Balkrishna’s letter. Write to him if you wish. Today Khurshedbehn and Shankerlal are here; also Gulzarilal. Blessings from BAPU From the Gujarati original : Pyarelal Papers. Nehru Memorial Museum and Library. Courtesy : Dr. Sushila Nayyar 4 THE COLLECTED WORKS OF MAHATMA GANDHI 9. LETTER TO MUNNALAL G. SHAH August 20, 1941 CHI. MUNNALAL, What you say in your letter is perfectly correct. When I get up at the sound of the bell, I look at the watch and when twenty minutes pass I start the prayers. BAPU From a photostat of the Gujarati: G.N. 8486. Also C.W. 7152. Courtesy: Munnalal G. Shah 10. LETTER TO DEVDAS GANDHI SEVAGRAM, via WARDHA, August 20, 1941 CHI. DEVDAS, I read your letter addressed to Mahadev. He has been held up in Bombay. I think you should not have published a report like that without verifying it. And even if you published it, to have made unfounded comments on it was certainly wrong. [I]1 cannot save you. And, moreover, you have given the name of the Chief Justice. I am afraid you will be found guilty. You had better consult a lawyer and publish, before attending the court, an apology saying that your correspondent was unable to prove the truth of his report. I think this would be a graceful step. Or you may apologize in the court without defending yourself. I am suggesting this from the moral and legal point of view. But ultimately do as Sir Tej Bahadur and Munshi advise. I am sending a copy of this letter, together with your letter, to Mahadev. You have signed in full, but I can decipher neither “Devdas” nor “Gandhi”. The civilized rule is that the letters even in a signature should be as neat as pearls. Blessings from BAPU From a photostat of the Gujarati: G.N. 2142 1 One word is illegible in the source. VOL. 81 : 18 AUGUST, 1941 - 8 FEBRUARY, 1942 5 11. LETTER TO SUSHILA NAYYAR SEVAGRAM, WARDHA, August 20, 1941 CHI. SUSHILA, There is no letter from you today. Sankaran says that one more stethoscope is required because the doctor has to use one. If you also feel that one more stethoscope is needed, you may purchase one and send it here. Kanu is coming tomorrow. But he may come any time. I am not worried. There are many people coming here. I can see that I shall not be able to eat more. I feel somewhat heavy in the stomach. I am trying hard to follow your instructions, but I realize that that is possible only when you are present here. Maganlal and Kanchan are free from fever. So also is Appa Saheb. You will be getting along well. Blessings from BAPU From the Gujarati original : Pyarelal Papers. Nehru Memorial Museum and Library. Courtesy : Dr. Sushila Nayyar 12. TELEGRAM TO JAMNALAL BAJAJ [On or before August 21, 1941]1 JAMNALALJI SIVALAYA, DEHRA DUN GLAD. STAY AT WILL.2 BAPU Panchven Putrako Bapuke Ashirvad, p. 242 1 According to the source the telegram was received by the addressee on August 2 The addressee had sought permission to prolong his stay at Anandmayi Devi’s Ashram; vide “Letter to Amrit Kaur”, 21-8-1941 6 THE COLLECTED WORKS OF MAHATMA GANDHI 13. LETTER TO UTIMCHAND GANGARAM SEVAGRAM, August 21, 1941 DEAR UTIMCHAND, I have Government papers containing Rs. 500. I am handing the 3_ p.c. ones (Rs. 200) to Harijan Sevak Sangh and the other Rs. 300 to the Deenabandhu Memorial, since Gurudev would have donated the amount to the Memorial which, as you know, is to be wholly used for Santiniketan.