E. Kateli 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

 

 

 

E. Kateli and Mahatma Gandhi

 

 

E. Kateli was jail superintended during Mahatma Gandhi. He was appointed by British Government to detention jail of Mahatma Gandhi. He was careful to Mahatma Gandhi and at end he would be a true follower of Mahatma Gandhi. He supported to Mahatma Gandhi very well. Kateli called at night and suggested deletion, in my letter to Doyle, of the paragraph about his refusal to give me a copy of the Government’s letter. He allowed me to take out a copy Handed over the corrected letter today. Received yesterday the honey sent by David. 1 Shri Kateli knew that we had a stock of the swadeshi ink for fountain pen which you wanted, and, therefore, we have sent a bottle of it for you. We have quite a large quantity of it. 2 I gave you on the 4th a letter addressed to the Central Government and along with it was a letter to Qaid-e-Azam Jinnah. Another I gave you on the 15th. With that there was a letter to Lord Samuel. Please be good enough to inquire and let me know whether these two letters have reached the proper quarters, and whether the letters to Qaid-e-Azam and Lord Samuel have been forwarded to them. Yours 3

You have informed me that the Central Provinces Government desires to release me, since I was detained by that Government, but that if I want to stay here, I can do so under the present restrictions. In reply to this, I have to say that I have come here only to serve Smt. Kasturba Gandhi and, so long as she wants me here, I shall stay with her under the present restrictions. Truly speaking, I should ascertain the wishes of my father, but I think that he will certainly want me to stay here to look after her. I understand that if I wish to, I can obtain my release; hence there is no need to ascertain the wishes of my father. However, when I write to my father, I shall let him know my desire to stay here for the present. 4

After the talk I had with my son Devdas today, I have ascertained Kasturba’s wishes which are as follows:

1. In case Kanu Gandhi cannot stay here during patient’s illness, he should be allowed to visit her for about an hour daily so that he can sing her some bhajans and also do some little nursing. As you are aware, the patient is insistent upon having Kanu as a whole-time nurse.

2. The son and daughters of Jayabehn, whose names I have already given, and Dhirendra Gandhi should be permitted to come and sing and play to her, whenever they can come.

3. Including my father they were six brothers. Their descendants and sons-in-law would, according to the common practice, be regarded as near relations. Such of them whose names may be sent up by Devdas, Samaldas or Jamnadas Gandhi, should be permitted to come and see her. The idea underlying this is that if some of the relations can see the patient once a week, it would give her some mental peace. In case they are given the permission, it is necessary that those who can come should be able to see her all together. The patient does not mind their number. On the contrary, the greater the number, the more pleased she would be.

4. I must confess that the patient has got into very low spirits. She despairs of life, and is looking forward to death to deliver her. If she rallies on one day, more often than not, she is worse on the next. Her state is pitiful. The aim behind seeking permission for visits from relations is that they may give her some peace.

5. I regard the experiment of having an ayah as having failed. Shrimati Prabhavati Jayaprakash Narayan has done a lot of nursing for the patient before. She is like a daughter to us. Her father himself sent her to stay in the Ashram when she was quite young. If she is sent here, she will be of great help. 5

You have given me the following memorandum: Mr. Gandhi may reply to messages from his relatives, and Government will, if he so wishes, informs other correspondents that their messages have been delivered to him. In reply, I beg to say that unless I can write to senders of condolences irrespective of relatives, I would not care to exercise the facility Government has been pleased to give me. As to the other messages, I have no wish in the matter beyond what I have said above. From the newspaper notices of the messages sent to me, I observe that all the messages sent to me have not yet been handed to me. From the memorandum I infer that they will be handed to me in due course. I should perhaps mention that the messages received and given to me during my son Devadas’s presence were handed by me to him. 6

 

Reference:

 

1. October 25, 1932,
2. Letter to Jamnalal Bajaj, December 15, 1932
3. Letter to Ardeshir E. Kateli, May 26, 1943
4. Letter to Ardeshir E. Kateli, September 16, 1943
5. Letter to Ardeshir E. Kateli, January 6, 1944
6. Letter to Ardeshir E. Kateli, March 16, 1944