The Gandhi-King Community

For Global Peace with Social Justice in a Sustainable Environment

Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav

Gandhian Scholar

Gandhi Research Foundation, Jalgaon, Maharashtra, India

Contact No. – 09404955338

E-mail- dr.yadav.yogendra@gandhifoundation.net

 

 

Messages of Mahatma Gandhi; Part-10

 

 

Mahatma Gandhi a different man. He met a lot of persons daily. He had a lot of work and their concerning people. He gave a message everybody time to time. Those messages had a lot of meaning. The person who had gotten it, change his life according to it. Those messages may be useful today. We can solve many problems by help of them.

 

Mahatma Gandhi gave a message to Student; “What new message can I give you at the age of 68? And where is the use of my giving you a message if you pass a resolution there of assassinating me or burning my effigy? Assassinating the body of course does not matter, for out of my ashes a thousand Gandhis will arise. But what if you assassinate or burn the principles I have lived for?”268 Mahatma Gandhi gave a message to Rashtra Bhasha Sammelan, Fazpur; “I am sorry that it being my day of silence I may not speak today. I have no doubt in my mind that we must have a common language for intercommunication throughout India. And I have also no doubt that that language can only be Hindi, i.e., Hindustani. It is the language that is understood by the Hindus and Muslims alike in northern India. English can never take its place.”269

Mahatma Gandhi gave a message to Bahujan-Vihar Budha; “I regard this opening as a part of the Hindu revival movement that is going on in our midst. It is fortunate that so learned a scholar as Prof. Dharmanand Kosambi is to be the priest and teacher in charge.”270

Mahatma Gandhi gave a message to International Parliament of Religions; “Wish Parliament success. Wish it could do some constructive work.”271 Mahatma Gandhi gave a message to Associated Press of America; “You ask me to give you a special message for the readers of your 1,300 American newspapers, whom you serve. I would like Americans first of all to know my limitations and our internal politics. They should know that I am not even a primary member of the Congress. Whatever influence I possess is purely moral. Congressmen recognize in me the author of purely non-violent action and its technique and, therefore, so long as the Congress retains its creed of truth and non-violence, Congressmen are likely to be guided by my advice whenever it has anything to do, directly or indirectly, with nonviolent action, but those who can speak with authority are the President of the Congress i.e., Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, and the Working Committee, i.e., the Congress Cabinet. I function purely as a humble adviser. For me the present issue is not political, but moral, It is a fight between truth and untruth; non-violence and violence and right and might; for I hold that Lord Zetland could not have uttered the speech he did, unless he was conscious of the might of the sword behind him. It seems as if British statesmen are repenting of even the limited electorate they have created in India. If they were not, they ought to have bowed to the will of the majority as represented by their elected leaders. Surely, it is violence to impose nominated Ministries on the electorate of their creation.

The crisis is of their own making. It is presumption on their part to interpret Acts of their Parliament. Their jurisprudence has taught us that no man can take the law into his own hands, not even the king. Evidently, the maxim does not apply to the British Ministers. Proof of the pudding is in the eating. I have offered an honourable way out. Let a judicial tribunal of joint creation give the interpretation. It will be time for them to plead incompetence when the tribunal finds in favour of their interpretation. Till then Congress demand for assurances must be held valid. I must repeat that the latest gesture is one of the sword not of goodwill; certainly not of democratic obedience to the will of a democratic majority.”272

Mahatma Gandhi gave a message to Inter-Religious Student; “The thing I would like to say in the forthcoming Inter- Religious Students’ Conference is that before they enter upon their deliberations the students assembled should realize that they meet on a common platform where all the religions represented by the students are treated with equal respect. If they approach their task with mental reservations there will be no heart-fellowship.”273 Mahatma Gandhi gave a message on Opening Of Annaksherta; “I congratulate the Thakore Saheb of Lathi on his throwing open the Annakshetra temple to Harijans. I wish the ceremony will be completed without any obstacle. I hope the public will accept with grace the Thakore Saheb’s generous gesture and the Harijans will make their lives purer by taking advantage of this privilege. As regards Thakore Saheb Gandhiji wrote: I congratulate you for having decided to throw open your Annakshetra to the harijans. I hope that untouchability will be completely eradicated from your State.”274

Mahatma Gandhi gave a message to Travancore Women’s Conferenc; “How I wish Travancore women will play their part in purifying religion by removing from their heart untouchability and all it means and by taking their due share in the prohibition campaign now commenced.”275 Mahatma Gandhi gave a message to Karnataka Unification Leauge; “The creation of Karnataka as a separate province cannot be resisted on merits. Therefore, whoever brings a resolution to that effect should be welcomed by the Congress Ministry and the difficulties of its immediate execution should be frankly pointed out. The Congress Ministry can take the wind out of the Opposition’s sails by announcing its policy, means and ways.”276

Mahatma Gandhi gave a message to people of Midnapur; “I hope that Midnapore will show that it stands for unadulterated non-violence. In my opinion that is our greatest need.277 Mahatma Gandhi gave a message to Gurukul Kangri; “A serious problem faces the teachers and students of the Gurukul: How can the country and dharma be protected by truth and non-violence or by untruth and violence? How nice it would be if the Gurukul could provide the answer to this question with its head as well as its heart.”278 Mahatma Gandhi gave a message to Jaipur Rajya Praja Mandal; “Everyone who cares to study what is happening at the present moment in our country can see that what we want can be attained if we will but achieve the mantra of peace, the creed of non-violence. You cannot breed peace out of no-peace. The attempt is like gathering grapes of thorns or figs of thistles. The more I go into the question, the more forcibly the conclusion is borne in upon me that our first duty is to grasp this fundamental fact. There was a day when I used to flatter myself with the belief that I had mastered the key to learning that lesson. Today I am filled with doubt. I do not know that I have in me purification enough to realize true peace or non-violence. In that frame of mind I cannot think of any other thing, talk of any other thing. But whatever may be my condition, I have no doubt in my mind that there is no swaraj without non-violence, nothing that goes by the name of constructive work. Constructive work is a mild aspect of non-violence, but the true test of non-violence lies in acquiring the capacity to meet an innocent and unflinching death in the service of our cause. How to achieve it is the question. I want you to apply your minds to it.”279

Mahatma Gandhi gave a message for Mysore; “ Do everything possible to keep the movement absolutely nonviolent. The death of a large number of pilgrims, if true, is too high a price to pay. If necessary, I am prepared personally to lead the movement in Mysore, wherever I happen to be in India.”280 Mahatma Gandhi gave a message to Indians in South Africa; “I can give only one message to the Indians in South Africa. We shall never be able to preserve our self-respect in South Africa without self-sacrifice. There can be no such distinctions as Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Madrasis, Gujaratis or Punjabis.”281 Mahatma Gandhi gave a message to The Aryan Path; “I welcome your advertising the principles in defence of which Hind Swaraj was written.1 The English edition is a translation of the original which was in Gujarati. I might change the language here and there if I had to rewrite the booklet. But after the stormy thirty years through which I have since passed, I have seen nothing to make me alter the views expounded in it. Let the reader bear in mind that it is a faithful record of conversations I had with workers, one of whom was an avowed anarchist. He should also know that it stopped the rot that was about to set in among some Indians in South Africa. The reader may balance against this the opinion of a dear friend, who, also, is no more, that it was the production of a fool.”282

Mahatma Gandhi gave a message to Harijan Satyagrahis; “I am pained to see the troubles that you are taking because I do not know what useful purpose your troubles are going to serve. I consider that your vow is born of lack of knowledge. Whatever that may be, your fast cannot effect a change in my views. We should not coerce anyone by resorting to fasts. I therefore appeal to you that you should give up the fast and then resort to any other kind of agitation. At the same time I do not consider that agitation of any kind is necessary because it is the duty of every Congress Ministry to include a Harijan in the Cabinet if a capable Harijan is forthcoming.”283 Mahatma Gandhi gave a message to The Natianal Herald; “I hope the paper will always represent truth and non-violence.”284

Mahatma Gandhi gave a message on Opening of Khadi Exhibition; “Do not be misled by names. A piece of Japanese cloth cannot become swadeshi merely by being labelled ‘Swadeshi’. Only an article that is wholly manufactured in India by the hands of millions of villagers and out of raw materials grown in India deserves the name of swadeshi. Khadi alone, it will be seen, fully satisfies this test; all other cloth is a travesty of swadeshi. Just as there can be no dawn without the sun, so there can be no genuine swadeshi without khadi. Judged by this test, Peshawar is left far behind in the race for swadeshi. There is only one khadi bhandar here and that too is being run at a loss. I hope that one result of this Exhibition will be to put the khadi bhandar on a firm footing, and to preclude the possibility of its having to close down.”285

Mahatma Gandhi gave a message on death of Kemal Ataturk; “This death is a great loss to Turkey. May they come out safe through the crisis.”286 Mahatma Gandhi gave a message to C. K. Gibbon; “I wish you success in your endeavour to wake up the Anglo Indian community to a sense of their duty as citizens of free India.”287 Mahatma Gandhi gave a message to Allahabad University Union; “I believe nothing except non-violence can solve our difficulties.”288 Mahatma Gandhi gave a message to All-India Women’s Conference; “Women alone can emancipate themselves not men. If women will, they can help in the fulfilment of ahimsa. Through the charkha, they can serve the cause of their poor sisters. By wearing khaddar, they can bring help to the homes of the poor. They can bring about Hindu-Muslim unity. They can abolish the purdah and drive away the ghost of untouchability. Will the Women’s Conference at Delhi undertake to fulfill any of these causes?”289

Mahatma Gandhi gave a message to President, Travancore State Congress; “On receipt of a telegram from the President of the Travancore State Congress, Gandhiji said he was delighted that personal allegations against the Dewan were withdrawn. He added that civil disobedience should also be suspended in order to examine the whole position afresh. He hopes that in view of withdrawal of the allegations prosecutions will be withdrawn by the State and prisoners will be set free.”290

 

 

References:

 

 

268.Harijan, 16-1-1937

269.MESSAGE TO RASHTRA BHASHA SAMMELAN,FAIZPUR; December 28, 1936

270.The Bombay Chronicle, 27-1-1937

271.The Religions of the World, p 80

272.The Bombay Chronicle, 15-4-1937

273.The Hindu, 17-5-1937

274.Harijanbandhu, 23-5-1937

275.The Hindu, 25-8-1937

276.The Hindu, 24-9-1937

277.The Hindu, 12-4-1938

278.MESSAGE TO GURUKUL KANGRI; APRIL 12, 1938

279.Harijan, 4-6-1938

280.The Bombay Chronicle, 30-4-1938

281.MESSAGE TO INDIANS IN SOUTH AFRICA; June 6, 1938

282.The Aryan Path, September 1938, Vol. IX, No. 9, p. 423.

283.The Bombay Chronicle, 31-8-1938

284.The Hindu, 9-9-1938

285.Harijan, 10-12-1938

286.The Hindu, 11-11-1938

287.The Bombay Chronicle, 13-12-1938

288.The Bombay Chronicle, 21-12-1938

289.The Hindustan Times, 28-12-1938.

290.The Bombay Chronicle, 26-12-1938

 

 

 

 

 

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