1. TELEGRAM TO MAHOMED ALI KHULNA, [June 17, 1925] REGARDING DELHI TROUBLE1 WANT SAY NOTHING ON MERITS. HAVE FULLEST FAITH YOUR INTEGRITY AND GODLINESS. MAY HE GUIDE US ALL. GANDHI From a photostat : S.N. 10644 2. TELEGRAM TO BASANTI DEVI DAS 2 [KHULNA, June 17, 1925 ] BASANTI DEVI DAS STEPASIDE DARJEELING MY HEART WITH YOU. MAY GOD BLESS YOU. EXPECT YOU BE BRAVE. BABY3 MUST NOT OVERGRIEVE. REACHING CALCUTTA EVENING. GANDHI From a photostat : S.N. 10644 3. TELEGRAM TO SATCOURIPATI ROY [KHULNA, June 17, 1925 ] UNTHINKABLE BUT GOD IS GREAT. MISSING FIRST TRAIN KEEP ESSENTIAL ENGAGEMENTS. LEAVING NOON. PRAY AWAIT ARRIVAL FINAL FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS. THINK BODY SHOULD BE RECEIVED RUSSA ROAD UNLESS FRIENDS HAVE VALID REASONS CONTRARY. NATION’S WORK MUST NOT STOP BUT ADVANCE DOUBLE SPEED HIS GREAT SPIRIT NOBLE EXAMPLE GUIDING US. HOPE PARTY STRIF WILL BE HUSHE AND ALL WILL HEARTILY JOIN DO HONOUR 1 The reference is not clear. 2 This and the telegrams that follow were sent on the passing away of C. R. Das on June 16, at Darjeeling. Gandhiji received the news at Khulna on the following day. 3 Mona Das VOL.32 : 17 JUNE, 1925 - 24 SEPTEMBER, 1925 1 MEMORY THIS IDOL OF BENGAL AND ONE OF GREATEST OF INDIA’S SERVANTS. CANCELLING ASSAM TOUR. GANDHI From a photostat : S.N. 10644 4. TELEGRAM TO URMILA DEVI [KHULNA, June 17, 1925 ] URMILA DEVI NATURAL GRIEVE OVER DEATH LOVED ONES. BRAVE REMAIN UNPERTURBED. I WANT YOU BE BRAVE AND MAKE EVERY MAN YOUR BLOOD BROTHER. REACHING EVENING. GANDHI From a photostat : S.N. 10644 5. TELEGRAM TO MONA DAS [KHULNA, June 17, 1925 ] MONA BE TRUE TO FATHER AND BE BRAVE FACE IRREPARABLE LOSS, MAY GOD COMFORT YOU. EXPECT YOU CONSOLE BHOMBLE AND SUJATA. REACHING EVENING. GANDHI From a photostat : S.N. 10644 6. TELEGRAM TO VALLABHBHAI PATEL [KHULNA, June 17, 1925 ] VALLABHBHAI PATEL DESHBANDHU DIED HEART FAILURE DARJEELING. REMAINS REACHING CALCUTTA TOMORROW. AM PROCEEDING THERE TODAY. OBSERVE MOURNING BEFITTING OCCASION INVITE ALL PARTIES. GANDHI From a photostat : S.N. 10644 2 THE COLLECTED WORKS OF MAHATMA GANDHI 7. TELEGRAM TO SAROJINI NAIDU [KHULNA, June 17, 1925 ] SAROJINI NAIDU HYDERABAD DESHBANDHU DIED YESTERDAY DARJEELING. WHO CAN KNOW OR FRUSTRATE GOD’S PURPOSE. YOU MUST NOT DISTURB REST IF YOU WILL CONTRIBUTE FULL SHARE MAKING UP LOSS ACCORDING OUR CAPACITY. GANDHI From a photostat : S.N. 10644 8. TELEGRAM TO SHAUKAT ALI 1 [KHULNA, June, 17, 1925 ] SHAUKAT ALI DESHBANDHU GONE. GOD’S WILL BE DONE. HE ALONE IS GREAT. GANDHI From a photostat : S.N. 10644 9. TELEGRAM TO SATYAGRAHA ASHRAM, VYKOM2 June 17, 1925 SATYAGRAHA ASHRAM VYKOM I HEAR PROHIBITION ORDERS WITHDRAWN. MY CONGRATULATIONS. HOPE NO OFFENSIVE DEMONSTRATION AND NO ACT CALCULATED UNNECESSARILY IRRITATE ORTHODOXY. GANDHI From a photostat : S.N. 10644 1 At the end of this telegram Gandhiji wrote : Repeat to Mahomed Ali and add “inform Maulana Abul Kalam”. 2 In March 1925, Gandhiji went on a tour of Kerala, and held discussion with local leaders like K. Kelappan Nair, and the Commissioner of Police, Trivandrum— W. H. Pitt, with whom he later maintained contact in regard to the problem; vide “Letter to W. H. Pitt”, 18-3-1925. Gandhiji released this correspondence to the Press on March 24, stating that the “agreement” embodied therein marked some progress in the movement for the reform. VOL.32 : 17 JUNE, 1925 - 24 SEPTEMBER, 1925 3 10. AN APPEAL1 June 17, 1925 DEAR COUNTRYMEN, The nation is in mourning for Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das. And yet why should we mourn? For though Deshbandhu is dead, he shall live in us. We must take up the work at the point he has left it. Our first lesson must commence with rendering the honours that are due to the dead. Let our affection be not blind but intelligent. When the remains reach the Sealdah station, there is likely to be a great rush of people. If we are to satisfy the desire of everyone to pay his or her respect to the remains, the following rules must be observed : 1. There must be no shouting. 2. There must be no rush towards the carriage. People should stand where they find themselves and must not push their way through the crowd. 3. A clear way must be kept for the coffin-bearers to pass. 4. There should be no one in front save the authorized band of Kirtankars and others. Those who wish to take part in the procession will kindly take up the rear. They must not break through the line. 5. At the burning ghat, there should be no rush made towards the funeral pyre. It will not be possible to expose the body to view as it is feared that, three days having already elapsed, it must be in a state of decomposition. 6. Please remember that respect for the memory of the deceased patriot demands not any outward temporary show of affection, but an inward determination to deserve heritage the Deshbandhu has left us. I am your servant, M. K. GANDHI Amrita Bazar Patrika, 19-6-1925 11. THE GREAT BEREAVEMENT CALCUTTA, June 17, 1925 When the heart feels a deep cut, the pen refuses to move. I am too much in the centre of grief to be able to send much for the 1 This was distributed in the form of leaflet. 4 THE COLLECTED WORKS OF MAHATMA GANDHI readers of Young India across the wire. The five days of communion with the great patriot which I had at Darjeeling brought us nearer to each other than we ever were before. I realized not only how great Deshbandhu was, but also how good he was. India has lost a jewel. But we must regain it by gaining swaraj. M. K. GANDHI Young India, 18-6-1925 12. LETTER TO RAMDAS GANDHI Wednesday, June 17, 1925 CHI. RAMDAS, I am waiting for a train at Khulna. On reaching Khulna from Barisal by steamer I received a telegram that Deshbandhu Das1 was no more. I am deeply shocked; because we had come very close at Darjeeling2. My anguish has a selfish cause: But it is there and I am not able to get over it. I have sent a few telegrams.3 After debating whether I should eat or fast I came to the conclusion that it would be proper to eat. And then of course there was the meeting here. I attended it.4 But for that meeting I would have gone straight to Calcutta. At the meeting I broke down although I did my best not to. After that I had no desire left to write. So I span. Spinning brought comfort. Then I bathed and ate. Then the post was brought. It included your letter and many others. I went through them. And now I have sat down to write to you, because this is the most convenient time. It means a lot to me that you have started taking interest in the work there. May that interest continue. Try to read the Gita occasionally, and if possible regularly. Even if you read only two verses you must read them along with the meaning. Your report about Kundla is interesting. If you overcome your fear, you will see that you have a lot of strength. 1 Chitta Ranjan Das had passed away at Darjeeling on June 16, 1925. 2 Where Gandhiji had staved with C. R. Das from June 3 to June 6. 1925; vide “At Darjeeling”, 10-7-1925. 3 Vide “Telegram to Basanti Devi Das”, 17-6-1925, “Telegram Satcouripati Roy”, 17-6-1925, “Telegram to Urmila Devi”, 17-6-1925, “Telegram to Mona Das”, 17-6-1925, “Telegram to Vallabhbhai Patel”, 17-6-1925, “Telegram to Sarojini Naidu”, 17-6-1925 and “Telegram Shaukat Ali”, 17-6-1925. 4 Vide “Speech at Public Meeting, Khulna”, 17-6-1925. VOL.32 : 17 JUNE, 1925 - 24 SEPTEMBER, 1925 5 In view of the above circumstances you may take it that I shall be in Calcutta for the time being. I shall write more from there. Only this much for now. Blessings from BAPU [PS.] Surendra’s letter is worth reading. I am sending it to you. You may tear it up after reading. From the Gujarati original: Ramdas Gandhi Papers. Courtesy: Nehru Memorial Museum and Library 13. SPEECH AT PUBLIC MEETING, KHULNA1 June 17, 1925 You have heard from Acharya Ray what a terrible blow has befallen us, but I know that if we are true servants of the country, no blow, however great, will break our spirit. I was faced with a conflict of duties this morning as soon as the sad news was broken to me. It was my duty to leave for Calcutta by the first train available. It was also my duty to go through the programme you had fixed up for me. The spirit of service in me prompted me to finish the work here, but whilst I have preferred to stop here, to meet those who have come from distant places, I shall, instead of my usual speech on Congress work, devote it to the memory of the departed Deshbandhu. I am sure that my staying here to go through the programme in preference to running up to Calcutta will please his soul. Mr. Das was one of the greatest of men.2 I have had the privilege of knowing him for the last six years, and, when I parted from him only a few days ago at Darjeeling, I said to a friend that the closer I came to him the more I came to love him.