1. LETTER TO HERMANN KALLENBACH AHMEDABAD, May 21 [1915] MY DEAR FRIEND, Here am I now hoping to settle down. The boys are at the Gurukul, Hardwar, I have wired for them and they may be here any day. Two cottages have been placed at my disposal. They are isolated from this big city. There are 3 acres of ground attached to them. Living there I shall conduct the Institution1 along our lines and shall search for an agricultural plot. I pleaded for admission to the Society after Mr. Gokhale’s death as I knew that such was his wish.2 Of course, my admission could not mean any alteration of my views. They are too firmly fixed to be altered. I find here nothing but confirmation. I am passing through a curious phase. I see around me on the surface nothing but hypocrisy, humbug and degradation and yet underneath it I trace a divinity I missed there as elsewhere. This is my India. It may be my blind love or ignorance or a picture of my own imagination. Anyway it gives me peace and happiness. It fills me with hope and confidence without which no man could work. I wonder if you will stick to your carpentry and restaurant- keeping. Both are good education. Your diary does not even give me an idea of your monthly expenses. Does Polak continue to give you satisfaction by way of letters? Do you do any reading at all? Have the rosary and Imitation of Christ disappeared from your view entirely? With love, OLD FRIEND From the original: Gandhi-Kallenbach Correspondence. Courtesy: National Archives of India 1 The Kochrab Ashram which was established on May 20, 1915 on the outskirts of Ahmedabad 2 Vide An Autobiography, Part V, Ch. VI. VOL. 15: 21 MAY, 1915 - 31 AUGUST, 1917 1 2. LETTER TO UMIYASHANKER AHMEDABAD, Vaishakh Sud 7, Friday [May 21, 1915]1 CHI. UMIYASHANKER, I have your letter. I returned only yesterday, after visiting Rajkot and Limbdi. I have no personal relation with Hussain Tyobji so that I could write to him. However, Chhabildas should apply immediately, or you may do so on his behalf. You . may mention my name and say that I know him well and will be ready to give a guarantee [on his behalf]. If he then inquires of me, I shall be able to say something. Have you done anything about what you were to send me concerning Chhotu? Blessings from MOHANDAS From the Gujarati original in Gandhiji’s hand: C.W. 1635. Courtesy: C. K. Bhatt 3. LETTER TO KUNVARJI V. MEHTA AHMEDABAD, May 25, 1915 BHAISHRI KUNVARJI, I do not see the least possibility of my being able to attend the conference this time. I feel there is need for me to stay here at present. I find I have been away from the students too long and should not therefore leave at once. I must therefore look for another occasion to visit Surat. Vandemataram from MOHANDAS GANDHI From a photostat of the Gujarati G.N. 2662 1 Gandhiji returned to Ahmedabad on May 20 from Rajkot and Limbdi. 2 THE COLLECTED WORKS OF MAHATMA GANDHI 4. LETTER TO G. A. NATESAN AHMEDABAD, May 28, 1915 DEAR MR. NATESAN, I have your letter enclosing cheque for Rs. 3,000 for which please find receipt herewith. I notice that the Bangalore ‘talk’ has been much misrepresented and that Mrs. Besant has done me no justice whatsoever. I saw the ‘talk’ only the day before yesterday and it is a parody of what I actually said. I never sent Mrs. Besant any explanation for publication I now hear that she has published what purports to be an explanation from me. Could you please send me the copies if you have seen them. Yours sincerely, M. K. GANDHI From a photostat of the original in Gandhiji’s hand: G.N. 2229 5. LETTER TO G. B. VEERASWAMY AHMEDABAD, May 30, 1915 DEAR MR. VEERASWAMI, You may come here at any time you like and you will stay if we mutually agree. .1 now nothing is obligatory. English books are stocked here in a large quantity and newspapers are also received. Those who are in the Institution2 do write letters and stamps or post-cards are provided for them. The rest can be discussed personally if you decide to come. Servants of India Society may not admit you as you are only a matriculate. Yours truly, GANDHI From a photostat: C.W. 11015. Courtesy: Balachandran 1 The source is damaged here. 2 The Satyagraha Ashram VOL. 15: 21 MAY, 1915 - 31 AUGUST, 1917 3 6. LETTER TO P. G. BALASUNDARA SASTRI AHMEDABAD, June 1, 1915 DEAR SIR, Mr. Natesan1 has sent me your letters addressed to him and to me. I thank you for both. Your son2 has been in correspondence with me. His last letter stated that he was driven away by you. I therefore wrote to him yesterday saying that in that case he was free to come to me. His ultimate aim seems to be to join the Servants of India Society. If your boy comes here and is found to be not of mature age so far as I am concerned he will be certainly sent back to you. I take no boysunder age without the consent of their parents. You may therefore fully depend upon my co-operation with you. Yours faithfully, M. K. GANDHI MR. P. G. BALASUNDARA SASTRI GOVINDAPURAM VILLAGE ADUTURAI POST THANJAVUR DISTRICT, MADRAS PRESIDENCY From a photostat C.W. 11016. Courtesy: Balachandran 7. LETTER TO HERMANN KALLENBACH AHMEDABAD, June 4 [1915]1 MY DEAR FRIEND, I feel like crying out to you ‘Do come and help me!’ Mrs, Gandhi is again down with her swellings. She has lost all power of resistance. She weeps like a child, is ever angry with me as if I was the party responsible for her swellings. I am over head and ears in work. This institution costs me much trouble. I wish I had the time to 1 G. A. Natesan 2 G. B. Veeraswamy 3 From the contents 4 THE COLLECTED WORKS OF MAHATMA GANDHI describe to you the troubles I am passing through. I am not dejected but I feel lonely. You know what I mean. Heaven knows what will happen. There are so many sick people on the Farm. I want hours of solitude and have not a minute of it. Do ‘buck up’ and prepare for the struggle of the spirit when you are able to come here. I know nothing about some honour1 that has been conferred upon me. I have just received a letter of congratulations. More in my next. With love, OLD FRIEND From the original: Gandhi-Kallenbach Correspondence. Courtesy: National Archives of India 8. LETTER TO MAGANLAL GANDHI Vaishakh Vad 7 [June 4, 1915] CHI. MAGANLAL, I have your letter. I see that you are rather upset. The fault, I am sure, is mine. In attempting to ride too many horses at a time, I am in danger of falling off all of them. I have not quite, for my enthusiasm proceeds from an eager desire for service. I may not, however, be able to hold on long if I continue to go the way I am doing, forgetting all about service. Be patient. I intend to send you all, on suitable occasions, to different places, so that you may see things for yourselves. Everything will depend on what help we get and how many we can have with us here. I am perfectly confident of this, at any rate, that I shall satisfy the aspirations of you all; meanwhile, I do feel that the life you have all led so far has not been in vain, that, on the contrary, you have learnt much. I am not unaware that you have not attained to a state of perfect non-attachment, for I have not attained it myself and I know that you are yet to reach even my level. If we stop making noise about the vows, we shall “not find ourselves in unhappy situations as we occasionally do. And now one question. Explain to me what you mean by “not having attained to a state of perfect non-attachment”. I can explain [how that is so with me]. For example, I observe brahmacharya, but not in all its subtle aspects. I cannot say that my 1 The Kaisar-i-Hind Gold Medal; vide the following item. VOL. 15: 21 MAY, 1915 - 31 AUGUST, 1917 5 mind or eyes are never disturbed. 2. I maintain truthfulness, but I cannot say that I am never guilty of exaggeration, consciously or unconsciously. To say what I like saying and not to say anything which I do like saying casts a shadow on the vow of truthfulness. 3. I make untiring efforts to control the palate but I observe that I extract the utmost pleasure from the five articles [I permit myself in a day]. But I do want to keep these and other vows inviolate and make progress in them day by day, and I am quite confident that 1 shall succeed. I feel that I am not likely now to depart from a literal observance.1 From the Gujarati original in Gandhiji’s hand: C.W. 5685. Courtesy: Radhabehn Choudhri 9. LETTER TO RANCHHODLAL PATWARI AHMEDABAD, Vaishakh Vad 8 [June 5, 1915]2 RESPECTED SHRI RANCHHODBHAI, Having been very busy with various affairs, I could not write earlier. Those at Hardwar were expected to arrive any day and so I could not go to Gondal nor could I stay on [at Rajkot].