For Global Peace with Social Justice in a Sustainable Environment

Khurshed Naoroji and Mahatma Gandhi

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

Khurshed Naoroji and Mahatma Gandhi

Khurshed Naoroji was grand-daughter of Dadabhai Naoroji and one of the close associate of Mahatma Gandhi. She participated in freedom movement with Dadabhai Naoroji. I am glad you have written to me so fully. There is no cause whatsoever for losing hope. Yours is a new venture. It may therefore take time. But I do want you to add Indian music to your accomplishments, if it is at all possible to do so. Do come again and pass a few days at the Ashram with me. Nothing can be finer than that you should be able to take to the Ashram life, but I know that it is a very difficult thing for you to do. At present we have an Austrian couple. Wife knows both vocal and instrumental music. She seems to be very accomplished. She speaks English only indifferently. She is very fond of sacred music. How I wish you could meet her and hear her. 1 I ought to have acknowledged it earlier, but I have been overwhelmed with work. Those Indo-Chinese friends will be welcome whenever they come. I am sending a short message to the friends. Jamnabehn should come here because I go to Sind from here by the rail route. I leave here on 31st instant. Jamnabehn may come whenever she likes before 31st instant. Of course she is bringing with her a choice assortment of fine khadi. It would certainly be extremely nice if you will join me during my trip to Burma, if it ever comes off. What happened to the balance of the stuff in Calcutta? 2

These are Khurshed Naoroji, a much-travelled woman of exquisite purity and honesty, Elwin whom you know and Devdas whom too you know are the three eye-witnesses. And yet the British official testimony is equally emphatic the other way. It cannot be all manufacture. The mystery can only be solved if I am permitted to go and live in their midst. This is a fundamental necessity greater perhaps than that of going to Bengal from one point of view. I go to the Frontier to find the truth and act accordingly. I go to Bengal not to find any truth but to try to wean terrorists from terrorism. Detention of Abdul Ghaffar Khan and Jawaharlal is a great disturbing factor and a wholly unnecessary irritant. But this detention, while it worries me, does not just now appeal to me as a cause of war. Now you have an analysis of my mind as it is likely to be at the end of the month. What occupies my mind at present is how to achieve the purity of the Congress and to rid the Ashram here of subtle untruth and breaches of brahmacharya. Perhaps you are not sufficiently interested in such things. Here I was interrupted by an army of doctors. They have overhauled the system and say I must not do any writing even this first day of the fast so goodbye and much love. 3

Of course you will stay as long as is necessary but no longer. I agree with you. There is and should be no question of compromise by us. But letting others go their way is part of ahimsa. I think we agree here. I am well. 4 I answered all your previous letters. I do hope you had my replies. I can assure you that not a moment is wasted and taken away from the constructive programme. I am dealing with the post as it is brought to me without leaving any arrear. 5 I am so glad you are going for a change to Panchgani. Work there but don’t descend till you are really well. I treasure your caution to think of nothing but the constructive programme. You have also done well to tell me that I must meet the co-ordinating committee. 6 I do hope you are better. I knew all about Satyavati. She wrote to me. She wants to see me. I have stopped her unless she can’t contain herself. Chand is with me; with the others she is going to join the Borivli camp. Prabhudas and his wife are also to be with the class. Kamaladevi met me yesterday regarding Chimur prisoners. Badshah Khan is likely to be here in a day or two. 7

The same post that brought your letter brings a card from him saying I should do nothing till he says I should. In any case I must not be involved in an appeal for memorial subscriptions. Let Satyavati live in us by each one of us weaving in our lives the virtue we prize most. Let the rich pay money for some such work as appealed to S. and appeals to them. I am not shifting to Poona. It was a canard. To leave Sevagram would be desertion of which I must not be guilty. Jagannath must not take up any Government job. What he should do I cannot say. I am asking Pyarelal to let you have the list you want. So you have at last got the work that attracts you and the atmosphere you can like. 8 Those who make mistakes with individuals cannot make much success with causes; for the latter are never apart from individuals. What you want to say is that individuals are not to be thought of apart from the causes they may represent or may be induced to represent. But this is all nonsense. Let the God of Truth alone guide us. 9 You have done well to join the C. S. P. Who suggested that you showed off or did anything to please anybody? If you did, you would not be a Dandi that you are. 10

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