D. B. Shukla and Mahatma Gandhi

[Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav]

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- [e-mail];

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

 

 

D. B. Shukla and Mahatma Gandhi 

 

 

D. B. Shukla was a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi. He was advocate. Mahatma Gandhi discussed with him about the law. I have not heard from Kalabhai for months. I am very anxious to know how he is getting on, what he is doing & what are his pecuniary prospects. Will you kindly inquire & let me know? I hear from Mehta that you are doing very well there. I have no doubt he told you all about me. As I could not improve my bad hand I have taken to typing for the last few days. 1 I am leaving for Rangoon on Tuesday next. I have been successful in a way. I approached the President of the Bengal Chamber of Commerce, who interested himself in the matter & requested an interview with the Viceroy who, instead of receiving a deputation, has given a most sympathetic reply. The President has also promised to forward a memorial whenever necessary. I have also been on the stump. The leaders have certainly begun to interest themselves in the question. Many thanks for going to my house. Please continue to do so now & then. All the boys it seems have been getting fever by turns. 2

Thakur of Tharad has just seen me. I have cursorily glanced through the papers. I remember you suggested an appeal to the Privy Council, but against which decision? Not against that of the Political Superintendent! And I don’t suppose it can lie against that of the Bombay Government! The Thakur is anxious to obtain an opinion from Mehta, whom I propose seeing this afternoon. I have at last secured an office at the above address where please direct your reply. I have to pay Rs. 20 per month for one room. What is the period within which you may appeal to the Government of India? 3 Just then my children were ill and in any case I do not yet feel strong enough for the mental strain a visit to London and South Africa would require. I have not yet heard in reply to the cable from me. I cannot yet say, I have begun to feel my way about here. I am not, however, anxious about the future. So far the office work has paid my expenses which I see will reach a higher figure than we thought there. I am very glad you have been retained for the prosecution in the Najawala case. For more reasons than one, I hope you will succeed in securing a conviction. I do not know whether letter-heads for a Barrister are in good taste. Whether they are or not, mine are a present from Durban and I have been using them though not yet for office work. The Plague must have changed the face of Rajkot. I hope it is now on the wane. 4

As I have not left in me sufficient energy to cope with the difficulties there, I have asked certain questions before deciding to leave, so that my way may be Rs smooth as possible under the circumstances, so far at any rate as the internal management is concerned. 99 chances to 1, I will have to leave and that too on the 19th instant. This therefore may be my last letter to you in India. I have not the time to write to Devchand Parekh separately; kindly therefore show this to him. If he is ready to go, or if Vanichand, of whom he talked to me, is ready to go, I shall be prepared to do all I can. South Africa can accommodate 6 Indian Barristers, if not more, and if some, of course of the right stamp, were to come with one eye on their living and the other on public work, much of the burden may be distributed not to speak of the relief in the pressure here. I am corresponding with another party too. Now for self; whether Mrs. Gandhi accompanies me or not will be decided after I receive the reply from Durban but whether; she does or not, I propose to leave the two boys Gokaldas and Harilal here. They would go to Rajkot as soon as it is free from plague. Benares I have tried but it would not suit. Gondal has no special attractions. The best thing therefore to do is to put them in the Kattywar High School and to keep a trustworthy, paid man who would look after their education.

All I have to say to you, and then is, please look after the boys, look them up now and then, induce them, if you have no objection, to use your tennis court. I might have also to trouble you to find out the right man for them if I fail in doing so myself. 5 May I thank you for sending Rs. 1500? My health is fairly good. There is still pain in my ribs but Dr. Dev said that there was no pleurisy now. I am left without shelter through revered Gokhale’s death. I am thinking of leaving here on Thursday and returning to Bolpur. 6

 

References:

 

1. Letter to D. B. Shukla, January 17, 1899
2. Letter to D. B. Shukla, January 25, 1902
3. Letter to D. B. Shukla, July 11, 1902
4. Letter to D. B. Shukla, November 3, 1902
5. Letter to D. B. Shukla, November 8, 1902
6. Letter to D. B. Shukla, March 2, 1915