For Global Peace with Social Justice in a Sustainable Environment

Youth and Mahatma Gandhi - VII

Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav

Senior Gandhian Scholar, Professor, Editor and Linguist

Gandhi International Study and Research Institute, Jalgaon, Maharashtra, India

Contact No. – 09404955338, 09415777229

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

dr.yogendragandhi@gmail.com

Mailing Address- C- 29, Swaraj Nagar, Panki, Kanpur- 208020, Uttar Pradesh, India

Youth and Mahatma Gandhi - VII

As for me, the death of friends and relatives does not hurt as much as it used to. All religious forbid fear of death or grief over death. Yet we are afraid of death and grieve over the death of a dear one. And if someone dies in the prime of youth, there is greater grief. Truly speaking, death is God’s eternal blessing. The body which is used up falls and the bird within flies away. So long as the bird does not die, the question of grief does not arise. 1 Babu Hardayal Nag is a leader in Bengal. He is an octogenarian but like Dr. Besant has the energy and enthusiasm of youth. He now and then favours me with the enthusiastic optimistic letters. Here is his latest: I have no notion that after the midnight of 31st December next the war of India’s independence will commence and that I shall have to take up the leadership of the war. Nor have I made up my mind like Babu Hardayal Nag that the national demand will not have been granted before 1st January next dawns upon us. Just as I believe in living till death embraces me holding myself in readiness for that warm embrace, so do I believe in the vindication of my just demand holding myself in readiness for a fight on the rejection of the demand by the appointed time.

Many things are impossible forman, nothing is impossible for God. We witness the unexpected happening. I refuse to think that in our case alone, the unexpected will never happen. On the contrary, I cherish the belief that swaraj will come to us in a manner least expected by us. Ours is but to do what we think is the right thing for its advent. All the same I welcome the letter for its enthusiasm and commend it to the youth of the country. I invite them to prepare even as this Bengali octogenarian is preparing. And he who would prepare must fulfill the conditions laid down in the constructive resolution which is designed to prepare the nation for the next year’s battle. The question of leadership will settle itself when the proper time comes. It is the cause and not the leader that matters. 2 To want an answer to one’s prayer is to tempt God. If prayer fails to bring relief it is only lip prayer. If prayer does not help nothing else will. One must go on ceaselessly. This then is my message to the youth. In spite of themselves the youth must believe in the all-conquering power of love and truth. The difficulty with our youth is that the study of science and modern philosophy has demolished their faith and so they are burnt up by the fire of disbelief. That is due to the fact that with them faith is an effort of the intellect, not an experience of the soul. Intellect takes us along in the battle of life to a certain limit but at the crucial moment it fails us. Faith transcends reason. It is when the horizon is the darkest and human reason is beaten down to the ground that faith shines brightest and comes to our rescue. It is such faith that our youth require and this comes when one has shed all pride of intellect and surrendered oneself entirely to His will. 3

Whatever may be the pros and cons of going to the public theatre, it is a patent fact that it has undermined the morals and ruined the character of many a youth in this country. You grown-up people may regard yourselves as immune from the insidious effects of the theatre on yourselves, but you ought to have regard for your little children whose innocence you expose to an unconscionable strain by taking them to questionable performances. Look around you. We are situated in the midst of a raging fire. The cinema, the stage, the race-course, the drink-booth and the opium-den—all these enemies of society that have sprung up under the fostering influence of the present system threaten us on all sides. Is it any wonder, then, that I have not hesitated to call the present system Satanic? My advice to you therefore is, beware of pitfalls. 4 The Antyaja youth in question should also remember that whatever purity he has attained is not for the sake of anyone else but for himself. Hence, he must derive mental peace from that purity itself. He who expects others to appreciate the worth of his own purity has not truly become pure. Purity is always self-reliant. Moreover, he should not, out of despair, abandon his brother-Antyajas. Those who have been suppressed for ages will take time to come into their own, to be awakened. It is necessary to cultivate patience and love towards them. The entire Antyaja society is likely to receive the education and the opportunities which this Antyaja brother has received. It is necessary, therefore, to understand his sadness. He has quoted a proverb about the stone. I shall remind him of another: “A rope can cut hard granite.” And this line contains greater truth than the former. When the waters from the Himalayas come rushing down on the rocks, they are not left just dry, they get worn into powder .The water of love will melt even a heart of stone. 5

Chhaganlal Gandhi, elder brother of the late Maganlal Gandhi, is a cousin of mine. He has been like a son to me and was brought up by me under my care from his youth. He has been discovered to be engaged in a series of petty larcenies over a number of years. I should not have felt the aberration so much if the repentance had been voluntary, but as it was the thing was detected quite accidentally and brought to light by a namesake, the vigilant Secretary of the Mandir. Indeed Chhaganlal Gandhi even made an unsuccessful attempt to conceal the guilt. He is now apparently consumed with remorse and is shedding bitter tears. He has, further, of his own accord left the Mandir, but I have hopes that he will one day return to the Mandir completely purified and the Mandir will then welcome him back to its fold with open arms. His larcenies seem to have been of a very trivial character involving very inconsiderable sums of money on the whole. I am inclined to treat the lapse in the nature of a disease So far as one can see these thefts have not meant any pecuniary loss to the Mandir. 6

I do not see in this letter the bubbling optimism of youth nor its courage. It betrays rather the miserliness of a Bania and the grey pessimism of one like me nearing the brink of death. How does this young man, “seeing the prevailing conditions”, conclude that the Government will not grant Dominion Status? He forgets that the Government is not going to grant anything; that we will get what we want we want by the force of our sacrifice and unity. What may seem impossible to the timid calculating mind should seem possible to the indomitable courage of youth. In making possible what appears impossible lies the bravery and the glory of youth. But I agree that if the youth and other sections of our people continue to take things easy, we cannot achieve victory by the end of the year. However, even if it so turns out it will be something which the brave should welcome because it will give them opportunity to fight. When faced with a battle, does a fighter flee the field saying “my land may be taken from me”? I see a new spirit arising in our youth. It delights me, but it does not make me blind. This spirit is as yet only a momentary impulse and to some extent mechanical and artificial. When the real spirit emerges, it will dazzle the world with its brilliance like the rays of the sun. And with the birth of that spirit in our people, no student will have any need for either school or college. For the present, however, like the paper currency of the Government, its schools and colleges are also current coin. And who is free of their lure? 7

If the admission of the Bhangis’ children into the existing schools angers the residents of Bulsar, the municipality should start a good school for the Bhangis and the Vibhishanas should send their children to it. The municipality can do all these things quickly, but if it does not do its duty, the Congressmen of Bulsar should do theirs, and the youth league of Bulsar should follow suit. In improving the sad plight of forty-two men, no big economic question can arise nor that of the availability or non-availability of many workers. The question is merely one of compassion if the Goddess of Compassion dwells nowhere in Bulsar, this story of cruelty will remain buried in the files of Navajivan as a proof of Thakkar Bapa’s anguish of soul. If there is any vigilant person in Bulsar, he should write to Navajivan and intimate whether anyone has taken any steps in this respect or not. 8 I have been tempted by what Gopalrao says and by his experience and I have commenced at 60, an experiment which I had abandoned out of fear in my youth. In point of results, the experiment is very important and hence I shall tell the reader what it is. I have lived on raw fruit and dry fruit continuously for six years. But I have not lived for a long time on uncooked cereals and pulses and I have believed that a man like me could not digest it at all. 9

Our real task is to reach the classes we have neglected so far. They are the merchants, craftsmen, farmers and labourers. I believe that these classes will not advance the argument which the president of the Youth League is believed to have offered. A bulletin meant for them would contain a short history of the Congress from its inception up to date, an account of its main activities and the benefits of joining the organization whether they become members or not, such a movement itself constitutes the political education of the people. It is my firm belief that where the Congress volunteers have been working and they are known, there should be no difficulty in enrolling the said classes as Congress members. 10 Being a coward, he holds back his name. It is a good rule not to take cognizance of anonymous letters. This youth had no reason to feel ashamed to communicate to me his name. There was no fear at his entire name being published without his wish. But the poet’s assertion that “cowards die many times before their death” is true indeed. Fewer people die of a disease itself than from fear of it. People, who suffer from the fear of a certain thing, do not suffer so much when the thing itself comes to pass. There is nothing in this letter to be ashamed of. If there is shame at all, it is in doing an evil thing, not in exposing what has been done. On account of our not understanding this golden principle, we commit grave sins and turn hypocrites. Hence people like “A Hindu Youth” must get over fear. I publish at times letters like the one under reference because, despite being anonymous, they contain matter which applies to many people. This letter is of that sort. The condition of many Hindu youths is similar to this young man’s. The narrowness of caste Hindu society’s slavery to convention today is at the root of it. Instead of tradition following religion, religion is playing second fiddle to tradition. Conduct contrary to the caste is regarded as irreligious.

There may be many vices current in the caste system, but, since it is an all-purifying Ganga, it has come to be regarded as faultless and as having the power to change vice into virtue. Because the practice of putting on the vertical mark of one’s sect on one’s forehead has been handed down through generations, it is regarded as part of religion and if one does not put it on because it has become a symbol of hypocrisy or for some such strong reason; he is regarded as having forsaken his religion. Thus by surrendering to convention, we became emasculated and finally even lost our country. The slavery born in one field proved all-pervasive. It has become the duty of forward-looking youths to destroy this tradition of castes. Nevertheless, a number of youths, instead of doing their duty, out of weakness break the restraints imposed by castes mentally and in secret action wherever opportunity offers. And yet they keep up the external pretence of observing them. The Shastras call this dishonest conduct. Hence in predicaments like the one facing “A Hindu Youth”, one has to show courage and hew down the tree of convention. The young man has entertained perverse thoughts because of his firm belief that one may not break the imaginary or artificial restraint imposed by caste. He wants to marry in order to satisfy his sexual urge. If he has money, he is ready to buy a bride and then he would pretend that the action fell out of the category of sexual indulgence because it could be called a marriage. If such adultery approved by custom or some other pretence is not possible, he is tempted to commit open adultery even. And if he holds himself in check, it is because he is afraid of appearing bad in the eyes of people. If, however, all these things fail him, he also entertains ultimately the thought of giving up his religion. This is the limit of cowardice.

He, who has even a little understanding of religion, can have no excuse whatever to give up this religion. A religion cannot be put on and put off like a garment. It is more precious than even the body. A body is born and it dies. Religion has taught us clearly that it is connected with the soul and cannot be changed. The rot that has set in in religion can be got rid of, but religion cannot be given up. How can one give up a religion in which the Vedas, the Upanishads and the Puranas were composed, in which myriads of men performed lifelong tapascharya, a religion whose adherents’ bones have added luster to the Himalayas and blood has made the trees and flowers of the Himalayas blossom forth? It is the reformers alone who have maintained this religion in a state of splendour by cutting down the dead wood of tradition. In opposing tradition men like the Buddha, Mahavir, Shankar, Ramanuja, Kabir, Nanak, Chaitanya, Rammohan Roy, Ramakrishna, Dayanand, Vivekananda and others have pointed out the way to us. These reformers, far from abandoning their religion, kept it fragrant and preserved it by breaking down bad traditions. They were great; therefore they became famous as reformers. We may not be known as reformers, but it is our duty within our limited field to save our religion by pulling down irreligion wherever the latter holds sway by usurping the place of religion. “A Hindu Youth” should now understand:

1. The married state is not meant for the purpose of sexual indulgence. It is for preserving the sacred love between man and woman and also for progeny. Moreover, when both are possessed of passion, religion permits its satisfaction while observing certain limits. People have held that the less such liberty is taken, the better it is. Sexual union outside marriage or even union with one’s married partner merely for the satisfaction of one’s sexual urge is adultery.

2. Adopting this attitude towards marriage, the “Youth” should seek a wife.

3. He should make a vow not to offer even a cowries or pice by way of bribe while making that quest.

4. He should apply to his caste to secure such a girl for him.

5. If he does not secure one, having notified his caste, he should look for a girl belonging to the Varna of his caste and should have confidence that if he has worth in him, he will get a suitable girl. If he is not worthy, he should try to become so. In doing this, his passion will abate and it will be easy for him to be patient in obtaining a girl.

6. If he does not get a girl of the same Varna since the Varna system has now become weak and exists in name only, he should secure a girl from any other Varna.

7. If he cannot get a maiden, he should marry a widow.

8. If he has the courage to effect reforming his caste, then even if he can get a girl from his own caste, he should, in order to break the practice of marrying from the circle of sub-castes, insist on finding a girl of the same Varna but from another caste.

9. If he has the courage to introduce a reform in regard to widow-remarriage and if he has the requisite fitness, he should insist on marrying no one but a widow belonging to the same or any other Varna.

10. Ultimately, he should firmly resolve that, if he does not get a girl despite observing the nine rules above and even disregarding caste restrictions, he will not forsake his dharma and will not indulge in adultery.

It is improbable that observing the nine conditions, he will not get a girl from the twenty-two crores of Hindus. But even if the improbable happens, every man must have the courage and strength not to forsake dharma or to fall into sins like adultery. He, who does not have this, will not be regarded as a man. While taking the nine types of liberties, calamities like boycott by the community, parents’ displeasure, loss of an inheritance, etc., are likely to befall one. This article is not meant for one who does not have the grit to bear such hardships. 11

As a result of the letter of Thakkar Bapa that I had published regarding the sad plight of untouchables in Bulsar, the enthusiastic youth of that town immediately took the task in hand and made the Municipality aware of the problem. During my tour, I received letters about this from the taluka committee, the National Seva Mandal and such other organizations. I give below extracts from the report which I have received of the resolution that has been passed by the Municipality as a result of this movement. 12 I cannot withhold my homage from a youth so brave, so sacrificing, so simple and so noble in character as young Shri Rama Raju. If the facts collected by Sjt. Annapurniah are true, Raju was (if he is really dead) not a future but a great hero. Would that the youth of the country cultivated Shri Rama Raju’s daring, courage, devotion and resourcefulness and dedicated them for the attainment of swaraj through strictly non-violent means. To me it is daily growing clearer that if the teeming millions whom we the articulate middle classes have hitherto suppressed for our selfish purpose are to be raised and roused, there is no other way save through non-violence and truth. A nation numbering millions needs no other means. 13

Older men have had their innings. The battle of the future has to be fought by younger men and women. And it is but meet that they are led by one of themselves. Older men should yield with grace what will be taken from them by force if they do not read the signs of the times. Responsibility will mellow and sober the youth, and prepare them for the burden they must discharge. Pandit Jawaharlal has everything to recommend him. He has for years discharged with singular ability and devotion the office of secretary of the Congress. By his bravery, determination, application, integrity and grit he has captivated the imagination of the youth of the land. He has come in touch with labour and the peasantry. His close acquaintance with European politics is a great asset in enabling him to assess ours. 14 It is a gratuitous insult to Pandit Jawaharlal or Subhas Chandra Bose to say that they are awaiting my permission or mandate to organize the youth of the country, and are being kept back for want of it. They are already doing the work of organization to the best of their power and ability. They need no permission from me for doing their part. If they are true soldiers as I believe they are, I could not hold them back if I would. But the plain, painful fact of the matter is that today not to talk of one crore volunteers, there are not ten thousand who are prepared completely to sacrifice themselves for duty’s sake. I know that they can get ready in no time if they wish, but ‘the will to do’ is lacking. You cannot get swaraj by mere speeches, shows, processions, etc. What is needed is solid, steady, constructive work; what the youth craves for and is fed on is only the former. 15

If there is no ill will in your questions, they are harmless. But whether they are well or ill meant, why this cowardice in concealing your name while asking questions? You bring credit neither to yourself nor to Kathiawar by this concealment. Those who do not possess even the courage to reveal their names can render no service, much less join in the fight for swaraj. 16 The Kathiawari friend in question has an undoubted right to write to me as he has done, just as it is my duty to give a patient hearing to what the youth might have to say. Every duty performed confers upon one certain right, whilst the exercise of every right carries with it certain corresponding obligations. And so the never-ending cycle of duty and right goes ceaselessly on. In the present case for instance the Kathiawari youth began by exercising his right to pour forth his grief to me. I discharge my duty by giving him a patient hearing, with the result that the right to speak out my mind to the Kathiawari youth has now accrued to me, and it is the duty of the Kathiawari youth in question to hear and try inwardly to digest and assimilate what I might have to say. 17

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