For Global Peace with Social Justice in a Sustainable Environment

Gangabehn Vaidya and Mahatma Gandhi - II

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

Gangabehn Vaidya and Mahatma Gandhi - II

It no doubt puts a very heavy responsibility on us when parents of grown-up girls entrust them to us. God will help us to bear it. When, however, you feel in a particular case that the responsibility will be beyond your strength, plainly refuse to accept it sent away any girl who refuses to submit to your discipline. Explain the position clearly to the parents and the girl before you accept her. If we do not take such steps of practical wisdom, God will not help us. He never helps the timid, the lethargic and those who are not vigilant. Have any facilities you require, but safeguard your health. If you think that tea and coffee are essential for it, take either without the slightest hesitation or without feeling ashamed about doing so. Giving up tea or coffee is not at present the purpose of your sadhana; that purpose is the service of those among the inmates of the Ashram who suffer. I cannot think of one single remedy which will help Madhu and all others in the Ashram who suffer from constipation. I will tell you how I overcame it in my case. For three or four days, I ate only cooked greens like tanka. That completely restored my bowel movement. Then I added almonds to the diet. You do not need them for the people there. Perhaps you will not get even greens. But you can certainly get onions. If those who suffer from constipation eat boiled onions that, too, will probably help them. If you can get tomatoes, you may mix them with onions. If simple boiled onions do not taste well, even with the addition of salt, and if tomatoes are not available, they may use kokum. The persons may try shirshasana. It has helped people to overcome constipation from which they had suffered many years. The asana should be done only on an empty stomach. It is quite easy to do. The skirt should be tucked up behind and one should stand on one’s head, supporting the body against a wall. After some practice the support of the wall will not be necessary. The head should be supported by the palms joined together. I suppose you know that these days I eat the rotlas of jowar and bajra, and vegetables, served to prisoners in jail. The vegetables for me have to be cooked separately, because those cooked for other prisoners contain spices. I continue to eat dates. In place of milk I take four tolas of almonds. I keep fairly good health. If I do not keep it up, I will resume milk. 1

You should have no objection to drinking tea as a medicine. Bear the harmful effect which it may have. After all, one must learn to live with a delicate body. There would be pride or obstinacy in not taking tea even if it is necessary for one’s health. One must be humble and take it, as I take dates. Shirshasana can certainly be done in the presence of others. Why should a woman mind doing so, since she will have tucked up her skirt! Do not worry about me at all. It had become a religious duty to give up papaya. Giving it up has done me no harm. Friends can help each other best by practicing self-denial in their own person. Are there any quarrels among the women inmates of the Ashram? There was a hint about them in Kalavati’s letter. I would not be surprised if that is so. We have not become perfect. As we strive to become so, we shall stumble and fall and rise again. 2 When children grow up, they become our friends. One can only advise a friend. He may then do what he thinks best, and one should not mind if he does so. Moreover, we hold all human beings in equal regard; how, then, can we be pleased with some and offended with some others? You should not, therefore, feel hurt about Kaku in any way. Take care of your feet. You should keep them in warm water for a long time and then apply kokum oil. That will be enough. 3

I do not know where you are. I am sure your agitation must have subsided now. The central teaching of the Gita is that we should preserve peace of mind and be happy in all conditions of life. The first verse of the Morning Prayer, too, speaks of sat-chit sukh. Till we have attained that state, all else in us is imperfect. We should be indifferent to honour and insult. We should, therefore, do, to the best of our ability, the task that has fallen to our lot. 4 How shall I compliment you? You have shown that you are what I had always thought you were. How I would have smiled with pleasure to see your sari made beautiful with stains of blood. I got excited when I knew about this atrocity, but was not pained in the least. On the contrary, I felt happy. I would have certainly felt unhappy if none of you were among the victims of that assault. I know that there is ignorant attachment even in feeling thus, but I cannot conceal my attachment to the Ashram even if I tried to do so. The shortcomings of the inmates of the Ashram are intolerable to me. Likewise, I feel happier when I see their virtues than when I see the virtues of others. Is it a great thing that you did not feel angry with those who hurt you? Would you be angry with Kaku if he beat you? These others who beat you were also your sons, who had become blind through ignorance. 5 By the time you get this letter you will have been out of jail for many days. If it again becomes necessary to let your clothes be stained with blood, let them be. This colour is more pleasant than that of kumkum or sindoor. I expect a letter from you describing your experience in jail. 6

Do not grieve over the death of Kaku’s brother. Such tragedies will always occur in this world. The body is rightly compared to a glass bangle. It takes less time for the body to perish than for a glass bangle to break. If we preserve such a bangle with care, it will remain intact for thousands of years, but the body never lasts for more than a hundred years. And it is rarely that one life even that long. Kaku’s brother may have passed away, but the soul which dwelt in his body has not perished. It had no brother; or rather all were its brothers. When, therefore, there are deaths among relations, instead of letting ourselves be swayed by ignorance we should cultivate greater capacity for endurance, greater disinterestedness towards the world and greater knowledge Let Kaku remain there now and work and earn. He may take up voluntary work if and when he feels inclined to do so. I shall leave for Simla on Monday. Come and see me before that. I see no need for you to go to Bombay, but you may certainly go if you cannot restrain yourself. 7 Why do you feel so unhappy? After all, no great tragedy has struck you down. There is no law that no one shall die young. Moreover, you and I have not one child, but countless children. Some of them will die and others will be born to take their place. Why, then, keep count of who dies and who lives? We should do our best to serve those who happen to be near us. It will then be the same to us that someone lives and another dies. If the secretary has made the necessary arrangements, we need not think about the matter any further. 8

The Ashram is the right place for you. You cannot leave the girls. You should even take in others who may wish to join. You can, therefore, serve best in the Ashram. Vasumati may live in Nadiad if she wishes to do so. Santa Cruz khadi is very good. Let me know when you are leaving. Write to me always and tell me how you think or feel about any matter. 9 Take Indu under your loving care. That boy is pining away without his mother. The thing is that you should, like a mother, keep a watchful eye on all boys and girls. To any woman who wishes to serve as a mother, they are her children. Many women may act as mothers to the same children. If, therefore, any other woman feels such love in her heart, we should be happy about it. It is but right that she should feel such love. At any rate you should try to a waken it in other women. Whenever you feel upset and worried let me know. Never lose heart. Try and get to know personally the men and women who have recently joined. Remember that you are also a member of the Managing Committee. You have taken a rather difficult vow in regard to your food. Since you take milk, no harm will follow. Keep me informed about the effects on your health. 10 I expect much from you at this time. If you wish to cultivate oneness with all the women and see that the girls make great progress, you should, instead of undertaking too many tasks, be content with a few and give more time to general supervision. If you try to do every small thing yourself, you will not be able to exercise general supervision. You should also give up thinking about new plans of work and the ambition to jump high. At present you have quite a large number of grown-up women and girls under your charge. If this field of the Ashram activities is perfectly organized, the Ashram will overflow with women and girls. 11

You seem to feel worried and upset. If you are very much worked, come over for a day. “Never lose heart” means that, if we get unhappy experiences in society or do not succeed immediately in our undertakings, we should not give way to despair but should remain cheerful and go on doing our work. This is what is meant by never losing heart. By saying you are a member of the Managing Committee, I tried to remind you of your responsibility and your powers you can say in the Committee what you wish to and persuade it to accept your proposal. What I expect from you is this. Even if others lose heart, you should not. Swallow all bitter draughts, go ahead and do the work expected of you. This is what I want from you. All my expectations of you concern strength of heart and not intellectual ability. The intellect has less value, the heart has more. And the heart is something which everyone has. Do not try to jump too high” means that, instead of planning big things, you should try to improve what we are already doing. If you are impatient to take up new things, the task on hand will suffer. In my thoughts, I am always there. But how can I come away? I must finish the task that has come to me unsought. 12 You did right in writing the letter which you did. Others will also do what and did. Do not get frightened. The times are such and our experiment is full of risks. However, no big task is ever achieved unless one is ready to take risks. We wish neither to condemn our experiment nor denounce Antyajas. We should rather believe that our tapascharya is insufficient and our purity imperfect. 13

I have not been able to write to you, but I do think about you every day. I have even talked about you to Kaka. I am very eager indeed to meet you. Why should he ever worry in whose heart is inscribe the name of God? Those three verses, which I have taught the women to recite daily as part of their prayers, what do they teach? “I take upon myself the burden of the welfare of that man or woman who is filled with devotion to me” Why, then, should we worry? The hymns in our Bhajanavali are such as will give peace to us. Anyone who meditates over them constantly will never feel upset. You should give up all worries. Write to me from time to time. I feel more worried if I get no letter from you. 14 You have some subtle pride in you. That is what is hurting you. We bow to Mother Earth every morning and pray for her forgiveness for touching her with our feet. I have explained the significance of this verse. The Earth bears our burden but does not hurt us; she bears the burden uncomplainingly. According to modern discoveries, she is hanging in space without support. If she were to get angry with us and stray ever so slightly from her path, we would instantly perish. For crores of years, however, the Earth has been rotating in her orbit and has sustained our life. This is the utmost limit of humility. We have sprung from this earth and to that shall we return. After knowing this, what pride can we feel? We are but a particle of dust and should remain so. Those who wish to kick us or insult us should be welcome to do so; such is the humility which non-violence implies. Cultivate it and you will be able to dance with joy. You can cultivate it only in the Ashram, for, willingly or unwillingly, you have to regard every inmate of the Ashram as a member of your family. You have to spend your whole life with them. You will have to swallow bitter draughts there. Do so and roar like a lioness. “Never to give up, even though we may die.” We used to sing this bhajan formerly. 15

In reply, I have sent a brief message with Kaka. I shall expect to see you in Borsad on Tuesday. I will not, therefore, write much in this letter. You feel defeated, but there is no such word as ‘defeat’ in a satyagrahis dictionary. Even when someone insults you, you should go on singing cheerfully. If you feel that Premabehn is your own daughter and not someone unrelated to you, everything will soon be all right. You should not mind if, though your daughter, she acts as the leader of you all. Though Prabhudas is like a son to you, wouldn’t you admit that he can teach you? 16 About Lakshmi I have sent a message with Joshi. If Maruti is ready, they may marry at any time. We should put no pressure on him. Krishnakumari’s eczema must have been cured by now. Why don’t you try and cultivate a perfect understanding of heart with Narandas? Formerly you used to like him so much. Has he changed now? I have not felt that he has. The Ashram is yours, whatever it is, and it is there that you must seek your happiness and peace of mind, if you can get any. If you resolve thus, you will get everything there. 17 I hope your mind is at peace and you are keeping good health. I do not immediately get all the letters to read, so I do not know whether there is one from you. Write to me every week and pour out your heart. 18

Your letter has set my mind at rest. Everyone is being tested. We should pray in our hearts that God may regard us as fit to make a pure sacrifice. It will be enough if every one of us does the task that falls to one’s lot to the best of one’s ability. How is Kaku? What is he doing at present? Do you take enough milk and fruit? Don’t be stingy about them or shrink from taking them. Regard them as medicine. If you feel better with coffee, you can take that too. Write to Nath and request him to pay a visit from time to time. 19 I am not surprised at what is happening today. I had expected it all. Much worse will follow yet. Didn’t Sudhanva have to jump into a pan of boiling oil to prove his faith? Sita had to enter the flames, and Prahlad was forced to embrace a red-hot pillar. He whose faith in God is perfect has no limit to his endurance. God provides sufficient food alike to the elephant and the ant according to the need of each. There is a verse in the Gita which says: “In whatever way men resort to Me, even so do I render to them.” This is what it means: “I give to the people in proportion to the faith with which they worship me.” If you draw water from a well with a cup, you will get a cupful and, if you draw with a pitcher, you will draw a pitcherful. 20 I see that you are devoting your time to good work. Write to me regularly from wherever you may be. If God protects even ants, surely He will not leave us unprotected. He is the Creator, the Destroyer and the Preserver. That is why He preserves even while destroying. I have nothing particular to say about ourselves. We eat and walk and sleep, that goes without saying. In between we read, spin, etc. Wherever you may be, do not forget to pray daily. 21

The disturbance of my correspondence continues and letters are delayed. Thus we are made to feel now and then that we are prisoners, and we should, since it gives us the opportunity to practice the Gita doctrine. When we cannot get what we want, we find out if the deprivation disturbs our peace of mind. If it does, it shows that we have much headway to make up. I therefore try to preserve my equanimity. We may ask only for what we are entitled to. If we get it, it is all right. If we do not get it, then also it is all right. Congratulate Sarojini on her assuming the role of a physician. Tell her also that her sweets were appreciated by many of us. But this should not be construed as a request for further favours of the same kind. Real enjoyment is derived from drops, not from mouthfuls. In my earlier letter too I had written only in jest. Sweets are not the thing for us here as they are for her, whom we dare not imitate. Here we are a servant, a farmer and a porter. If the like of us put on royal robes, the village urchins would pelt stones at us and we should have deserved such treatment. Tell all this to Sarojini Devi if you can tell her without putting her out. Otherwise this lesson may be learnt by your other fellow-prisoners. You see how I have mixed instruction with amusement. 22 I certainly felt unhappy that I could not see you. But we have no choice when dharma requires us to act in a particular way. Having stopped receiving visitors, surely I could not make any exception. You should now write to me. Tell me how you keep. Give me news about Kaku, too. Amina1 also should write to me. I am sure you are quite happy. All three of us are well. It is not certain whether I shall be able to continue to write letters. We must resign ourselves to whatever happens. 23

It seems after all I shall be able to continue to write letters. What had Kaku done? Ask Ramibehn to write to me. What disease is she suffering from? She should realize that you are no longer in a position to serve your family personally. She should [willingly] make that sacrifice. She is, moreover, a woman of spiritual understanding. She should rely on God for protection. She will always enjoy that, wherever she may be. I am trying to do something about Kaku. 24 I got your letter. It would be very good indeed if Ramibehn recovers before leaving that place. I hope you got all my letters. Regain the weight which you have lost. Feel no hesitation in eating any food which may be necessary for your health. 25 That there is no one living in the house in Kamatipura and that some property from it was stolen, you should look upon as a test of your faith. Keep repeating to yourself: “It is a blessing that the chains have broken; it will now be easier for me to find Shri Gopal.” Kaka wrote to me, too, about Chapter XVI. At present, however, I have no time for it. Ask Ramibehn to write to me. I hope your health is now all right. Besides, the hakim is with you. What more do you want? Give my due regards to him. Has Nathji’s eczema been cured? 26 This time you wrote to me a long and beautiful letter. I know, of course, that to you Hakimji is not merely a physician but is a brother, one of your family, a friend, a counselor and a respected elder too. It is, therefore, quite right that you take as much help from him as he can give. You did well in visiting the homes of Muslims. Such work will bear fruit in future. If our hearts are pure and filled with love, we shall succeed in getting rid of all prejudices. The Inspector-General gave me news about Kakasaheb. He is in good health. I had also a letter from him. Though it is true that he has lost weight, he is not suffering from any disease. There is, therefore, no cause for worry. Lakshmi, it seems, is enjoying the benefit of good company. It was good that you paid a visit to Noorbano. Look after Qureshi as long as you are there. I am happy that Ramibehn is still with you. If you feel comfortable staying with Shamalbhai you may certainly do so. Do what keeps you cheerful. My mind is at rest since Nath is there always to help you. My advice regarding Babu is that, for the present, he should study, that is, he should become proficient in Gujarati, Sanskrit, Hindi, arithmetic, history, geography, all the processes through which cotton passes till it is woven into khadi, and carpentry, and learn a little music. He will then know what line to take up. His intellect must blossom and his heart must expand. Sardar and Mahadev of course read your letters. All of us often think of you. 27

Nowadays you have been writing fairly regularly. Do not at all be alarmed or upset by the yajna I have in mind. I am going to have you all undertake similar sacrifices. I will leave this body if I have to—with the faith that you will be able to do it. This is the only way to atone for the sins accumulated through generations. Such a vow is not to be imitated. It can be fulfilled only if there is a spontaneous urge. If the urge is felt while the mind is not yet pure, the fast is likely to be demoniacal. Hence such a yajna should be undertaken only if there has been a prior cleansing of the heart. The Ashram has come into existence to help people attain such purity. But you say that one hears much criticism of the Ashram. You should bear with the criticism. The cause for it, if found to be just, should be examined and corrected. We should be indifferent to what is not true. People have a right to say what they feel. And some may find fault simply out of spite. Is not such criticism beneath consideration? There is some truth in what we have been hearing about. And whatever little there is deserves to be overlooked. My little experience of is very good. He is a simple man has not been enjoying herself there needed a change of climate. Since it could be easily had she availed herself of it relations with her are absolutely pure has not been living there in an unbecoming way. Her letter has given me the impression that she has continued to make such efforts as she can to purify her atman. But now has fallen. I have therefore suggested to him to lead Ashram life now about your loss of peace. There are two reasons for it. First, you are not satisfied with your own performance. You aspire to do much more than you can. Your desire would be commendable if it were within limits. When it crosses the limits the result is grief. A greater reason for the loss of your peace is your intolerance. You are irked when others fail to work as much as you can or do not agree with you. The remedy for it is simple. You should rest content with whatever work you can do after applying your body and mind to it and continue to make such progress as you can. You should realize that one who does scavenging has as much right to go to heaven as one who learns the Vedas. But if a scholar of the Vedas is a mere recite of the text or a hypocrite he will go to hell however learned he may be and a scavenger who daily cleans latrines in a spirit of service and dedicating his services unto God would certainly rise high although he may not know the word Brahman. This contentment is one remedy. The other is a liberal attitude. We should not take it amiss if others do not work as much as we ourselves do or want them to do. Only in this way can we maintain peace in the community in spite of living close to one another. Read this letter over and over again and think over it with the help of Nath. Please accommodate Behn. What more can I wish than that you will shine out if it is God’s will? 28

I had not much expected to receive a reply, since, if you wrote to everybody, you would soon exhaust the number of letters which you were entitled to write. However, I got news about you from time to time. When you are out of jail, write to me an account of how you passed your time. 29 I am glad that you are released. You did not get the second letter which I wrote to you, but I think they must have given it to you at the time you were released. Write to me about your experiences in jail this time. You have done right in accompanying Lakshmi. Write to me about your experience in the Ashram together with your experience in jail. And also tell me how your health was while in jail. What did you read, and what did you think about? And what work did you do? The women prisoners here are quite well. The Jail Superintendent often tells me in joke that, when you were here, all the other women prisoners wanted medicines form you, but now nobody asks for any medicine. I replied to him, of course. But you also may send your reply, if you wish. 30 We did what was right in not meeting, and we should always feel happy in doing what is right. Your experience this time was splendid. You read well and also kept good health. Mirabehn did write about you. Let me have your impressions of her. In all jails there is the same story about letters. I do not expect much improvement in that state of affairs just now. Wouldn’t we submit even if they did not permit us to write any letters? We should, therefore, feel satisfied with whatever freedom we are allowed. A prisoner means a person over whose body the imprisoning authority assumes complete control. Those who court such imprisonment voluntarily should know that it would be their duty to remain contented even if they were given nothing to eat. That is the secret of living which the Gita teaches. 31

Who wrote it for you? Stay there as long as you think it necessary and solve the problems. Why does Ramibehn carry a burden on her mind? Has she forgotten her study of Sanskrit and the Gita? Do not spoil Mahavir and Krishnamaiyadevi. The latter must do some work. And Mahavir should keep an account of every pie. Do not let him become a beggar. He must make some return. He will be happier if he learns to face difficulties. He should not use the name of the Ashram anywhere. By all means give him whatever help you can in finding a job. We cannot meet, but you may write to me and ask any question which you may wish to. For what was Mirabehn criticizing Ba? The latter is full of faults, no doubt, but her devotion is immeasurable. There can be no doubt that Ba is covering herself with glory. Her faults are overshadowed by her firmness of mind. I did get the list of simple books which you read. I am now waiting for your account of your reflections. Kaka and I meet every day. He keeps good health. At present he lives only on milk and fruit. By milk I mean curds. 32 Read the accompanying letter to Sharda and give it to her. You may not be able to provide Krishnamaiyadevi a job, but you can certainly give her some work to do. You can give her sewing and embroidery work, as you formerly used to do. My point is that she must produce something and not feel that she is living on charity. Dharmakumar’s education should consist in his upbringing at home. That is the ideal of education in the Ashram. If children learn from their parents to be virtuous and to love bodily labour, book-learning they will get afterwards. We know from experience that book-learning does not always make a person virtuous. I am sure that anybody who possesses a good character will never starve, though he may not become rich. Misplaced compassion is not non-violence; it is, on the contrary, a form of subtle violence and one should, therefore, guard against it all the more carefully. You should help both Krishnamaiya and Mahavir, but in the right manner. They should shake off their lethargy and work, and live contentedly. Pyare Ali says that he can help Mahavir to earn up to Rs. 40 or 50. If he does not get more than Rs. 25 at Sundardas’s place and if he satisfies Sundardas by his work, it would be better, provided of course the latter can release him, to keep him with Pyare Ali. Think over this. Whole family is leaving the Ashram. I have still not been able to understand. He believes that he was never fit to live in the Ashram, since he wants to become a big engineer says that she cannot do without certain pleasures and, therefore, she also was not fit to live in the Ashram. If they leave, . . .4 certainly cannot live alone in the Ashram. Thus the whole family will leave. This is no ordinary event. But it is right that they should leave. We would not like anybody to stay against his wishes. This is our reward for having practically exempted the family from observing the Ashram rules now wishes to take up an independent job in some factory. It seems he wants to join. There will be no harm if he can do so. Of course his expenses will be high. In Deolali it the family will spend about Rs. 100 himself will spend rather freely. I, therefore, think that their expenses will come to Rs. 150. God’s will be done. The Ashram, of course, will stop giving them money. But I think we shall have to give them a month’s expenses. You seem to be fairly occupied in solving family problems there. Do try and solve them. If Kaku and Lakshmi have developed such relations that they even meet each other alone, I would advise that they should be married off. After they are married, they may, if they wish, live separately and may observe brahmacharya as much as they wish. But, before they are married, if they constantly think about each other, feel physical attraction towards each other and even occasionally touch each other with such feelings that would definitely be against dharma. An engagement may be broken off, but a marriage cannot be dissolved. If, therefore, there are occasions for them to go out together, it is desirable that they should get married. Discuss this with Kaku and Lakshmi, and also with Nath. How much would your sister need? Meet Jamnalalji and have a talk with him and afterwards take your sister to meet him. If she is not eager to earn money, if she wants to live a life dedicated to service and has no responsibility for supporting anybody, and if she is ready to follow the Ashram way of life, I think she can live in the Ashram. But this may not perhaps be possible for her at this age. Ask Gomati why she has stopped writing to me. I have not heard from Kishorelal of late. 33

You have asked my blessings for Kaku and Lakshmi, but do you know that you have not given the date of the wedding? But Chandrashankar has given it. I, therefore, send the letters with this. Kaka tells me in his letter that you fasted for three days. What was the cause? If anything happens for which you should think it necessary to fast, you should inform me about it. 34 I cannot write a long letter today. Your letter requires no reply. I hope the news about my intended fast has made you happy. Your turn also will come. But that will be after some time. This fast is of a different character from all the previous ones. Our forefathers used to fast without much ado, to remove the cause of external troubles or for self-purification. This fast is exactly of the same kind. Just now I feel that, if people come forward to fast, I should ask them to do that one after another. 35 I did get news of you from time to time. I deliberately refrained from writing to you. As you were permitted to receive only one letter I thought you should be able to get other more important letters. But, whether I write or not, I always remember all the women workers. My message to all the women is this: Irrespective of the resolution or promise made or given at the time of the march to Ras, let all the women think again independently and take a fresh decision. I will accept it. I adhere to my previous view. Nobody should persuade anybody else to adopt a particular course. Everyone should decide for herself. It is their religious duty to do so. Each should act according to her capacity and her inclination. It is an accident that I am out of prison. No one should stay in the Red Bungalow. Nobody should stay at any place where he or she is permitted to stay as a matter of favour. A time may come when one may not get a place to live in or anything to eat. We have learnt that it is our dharma to bear such hardships without grumbling and without feeling unhappy about it. This is the essence of the Gita. If other people do not now welcome us, it means that they are not in a position to do so. Why should you be unhappy about it? However, things have not yet reached that stage. It will indeed be good if they do. It will be a real test for us. Every one of the women should not expect a separate letter from me for the present, but I expect them all to write to me. You should, of course, write for all. And you should pour out whatever is in your heart. If you need anybody’s help for writing the letter, you may take it. Everyone should tell me in her letter what work she has been doing. 36

Rajendrababu has asked only for men workers. I therefore sent a wire to Ahmadabad instructing that such workers should be sent. There is not much likelihood of his asking for women workers. You may, therefore, finish as much work there as you wish to and leave for your place. Even those who have gone to Bihar will probably return in two or three months. I had received your letter also. Let me have some news about Durga, Mahavir, etc. None of them writes to me. But I hear that does not behave properly. Take care and see that he is not spoiled by us. Chandrashankar thinks that Bachu, being gentle of nature, gives way in everything. 37 This, being hand-made paper, is more expensive than ordinary paper and I, therefore, use it economically. Since I started using it, consumption of paper has gone down to one half, just as consumption of khadi cloth has gone down to one-tenth or even lower than that. Everything indigenous is always cheaper in the end. I am writing with a reed pen. You are a keen observer. Examine everything in your surroundings carefully. Every article of food and clothing must, as far as possible, be indigenous. Learn to eat fresh leaves uncooked, to drink milk without boiling it, to use wheat flour without sifting it and rice without polishing it. If you learn only this and no more and teach the villagers to do likewise, crores of rupees will be saved. 38 Why do you long for my letters? I do not write to you because I feel that you do not need my letters so much and that also saves time. I do write if there is anything to say. Moreover Kishorelal is here, so I get to know things from him and also let you know anything I want to convey through him. I hope you are keeping well. Know it for certain that you are making a big mistake if you are spending too much time with the doctors. Medical science is not the greatest need of the people of India or that of the world. Perhaps you are aware that common experience does not prove that people are more healthy and freer from diseases where there are many doctors. But they are healthier when they strictly observe the laws of nature, i.e., cleanliness. There was a Turkish woman here. She said that in Turkey villagers were told to shun six things and one of these was doctors. This does not mean that one should not make use of the knowledge one has obtained. It only means that it should be used very sparingly and even while doing that people should be taught to prevent diseases. 39

I understand what you say. Go on doing service with ever greater devotion. May your pledge to remain steady at one place for five years be fulfilled? What simple remedies did Hakimji teach you? I heard about Maître being betrothed too. When are they getting married? The credit for saving that family goes wholly to you. 40 Bachubhai seems to be causing you much worry. Death, disease and decay are the inevitable lot of every creature that is born, no matter how many vaidyas like Charaka and hakims like Lukman come into the world and go out of it. It is our good fortune that God always keeps from us the time of death or of recovery from disease. It is because of that that we can make some limited efforts to fight against the two. Keep me informed about Bachubhai’s condition. 41 It is a difficult time for you. Tell Bachubhai that he should not lose his peace of mind in spite of his painful condition. Our faith is tested only in adversity. Do drop me a few lines from time to time. Nath’s presence there must be a great support for you. 42 I was pained to read about Bachubhai. You cannot leave him as long as he is bed-ridden. Tell Jugatram to consult a homoeopath. Homoeopathy has not won my faith, but it helped Devdas and a medical specialist whom we met here is all praise for it. In any case it will do no harm, and may do some good. I am returning Kusum’s letter. I should like it very much if she went to Bochasan. If Lilavati feels inclined to go, I would certainly encourage her to do so. I will have a talk with her when I return to Wardha on the 14th. Amtul Salaam is not at Wardha. She is still in Delhi and is not too eager to leave it. If she joins, she can of course give you much help and the work will benefit her, too. Write to her at Delhi; she reads Gujarati. Her address is: Harijan Nivas, Kingsway, and Delhi. 43

Cooking and washing clothes are no small service. There is an idea abroad these days that only the educated can do public service and the value of cooking and similar work has gone down very much. But did you not see that at Sabarmati the responsibility of the kitchen was entrusted only to a mature and experienced Ashram worker? When the Ashram was first established at Kochrab, I had in the beginning assumed the responsibility myself. Subsequently it was passed on to Vinoba, Kaka and others, and a worker like Vrajlal lost his life while attending to the washing of clothes. Even when he joined, he had asked to be allowed to do all the clothes-washing, though he could do accounting and possessed handwriting beautiful as a string of pearls. At a time of difficulty once, the charge of the store had to be entrusted to him. Without such workers we can never hope to win swaraj. What I have said above doesn’t mean, however, that you may not increase your knowledge of letters when you get the opportunity to do so or that you should not encourage others in their desire to learn. All that I mean is that anybody who hankers after education, neglecting the dharma that has fallen to his lot unsought, is committing an error. Do come to Wardha before going to Bochasan. Gomati will try to drag you to her place. Besides, there are Maganwadi and Mahila Ashram also. Janakibehn is there, too, and, if you wish, you can come to me at Segaon and even stay with me, though we have only one room here for all of us. Only lately Tukdoji Maharaj has come and has been assigned one corner. The room is large enough, 29 x 14, with a 7’verandah running all round. In one corner of the verandah is a small kitchen and in another a bathroom for me. The walls are made of mud. The entire building is constructed with purely local materials. All around in this season our eyes rest on green fields. 44

Even if somebody offers a big donation, do not spend money received from outside on the sanitation work. I have forbidden the spending of even a single rupee in the village here where sanitation work is being carried on, for then people miss the education. We should work as hard as we can but must not spend money. Let the work remain incomplete till the people themselves are prepared to pay for it. We may ourselves do the sweeping, remove the night-soil and bury it. But until the people put up latrines with their own money, let them relieve them in the open. We may instruct people in the ways but they must themselves find the means. The Taluka Board may find the money. It may not cost more than ten or twenty rupees. If you do not follow all this, ask me again. Have no doubt that sanitation work and educating the people with regard to a healthy diet is the only real medical service. Why should not Shamalbhai, Shivabhai and the other men staying there join the sanitation work? It will be enough to devote one hour daily. You should set out every morning like the Bhangis with brooms, spades and baskets. 45 Why need you fall into despair? Why do you feel that you have wasted fifty-seven years? Ever since I have known you, I have observed that you are always striving. God has given man only the strength to strive and nothing more. If we ever remain absorbed in doing our duty without lethargy, we have no reason to feel despair. Ramibai seems to be very unhappy. Can anything be done to help her? I understand about Bachubhai. 46

I was only joking regarding Vasumati. I had asked her, “Why did you run away?” But I couldn’t spare the time to force her to reply. I could gather from her letters that your temperaments didn’t agree. If I had asked her more, she would have given details. But why should I do that? After asking her, I would have had to write to you. All of us have lived together for quite a long time. Nobody has lost anything. Everybody gave his or her best to the others. I, therefore, blame nobody for Vasumati’s leaving Bochasan. Everybody can overcome his or her nature only up to a certain limit. That is why at one place the Gita says, “Practice self-control,” but elsewhere it says. “What will self-control avail?” Rubber also can be stretched only up to a certain point. If stretched further, it will snap. Let all of us, therefore, practice self-control according to our capacity and keep advancing. Kusum is fine. Let me know when something about Manju’s marriage is settled. 47 I am going to Delhi at the Viceroy’s invitation and am writing this letter on the train. You say in your letter that you are prepared to get Manju married in another caste. Is Manju also willing? Would you accept an alliance if a suitable partner is available from any part of the country? It is certainly necessary to do so. The barriers ought to be broken. When the whole country is ours, why should we keep ourselves confined to one community or province or region? Pleasure should not be the end of marriage; there should be some sanctity about it and it should be entered into as a matter of dharma. All other barriers should be disregarded. It is difficult to say when Kusum will settle down to something steady. She makes many plans but is not able to carry out any of them. Guide her as much as you can. By all means draw her there if you can. Ask Manju to write to me. Bachu, one may say, has had a new life. I have been acquiring more and more cows. If at any time you are keen on paying a visit here, do come. The season following the rains is pleasant. 48 There is nothing wrong in your spending your life there in Bochasan. What you write about the Muslim boy makes interesting reading. I take it you have arranged for his education. If he is a Gujarati boy it is desirable that he knows Gujarati very well. 49

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