Madhubani and Mahatma Gandhi

[Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav]

Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav

Senior Gandhian Scholar

Gandhi Research Foundation, 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

 

 

Madhubani and Mahatma Gandhi 

 

Mahatmaji in replying thanked the Boards for presenting him addresses. He thanked the boys of the Brahmacharya Ashram also for singing before him the sweet Vedic hymns. He said that there was neither any necessity, nor had he so much time at his disposal to reply separately to all the addresses presented to him. But one thing had drawn his attention. He said that he was told in three or four addresses that attempts were being made to start Ayurvedic dispensaries in many parts of the province. It seemed to him that the people of Bihar were interesting themselves in the Ayurvedic system of treatment. He had expressed his opinion on the subject on many occasions and he would like to draw their attention to that. He believed that there was a good deal of truth in that system, but he believed none the less that the practitioners of that system had their own defects and joined the profession without proper training.

He admitted that the Western system of medical treatment was very defective, but he knew this also that the Indians did not do even half of what the people of Europe were doing for the success of their medical science. But they had great opportunity to work for the improvement of that science. He requested the Municipalities and District Boards to see to this matter. He further requested the vaidyas to make a scientific study of the system. If there were defects in the system, and defects there certainly were, they should not try to conceal them; on the contrary, every effort should be made to remove them. Continuing, he said that he was glad to learn that the organizers of the Madhubani goshala agreed with his views on the utilization of the hides of dead cattle for the improvement of the cattle themselves. Goshalas, he said, had two aspects, one economic and the other religious. The question of cow-protection was a noncontroversial matter. He did not understand why there should be any quarrel with the Muslims on that point. His views on kurbani, he said, remained unchanged. Continuing, he said that the existing line of work of the goshala had also many defects in it. They should be maintained in the right and proper way. The organizers of these houses should be thoroughly acquainted with the treatment of animal diseases.

They should know how to house and feed the cows, how to make milk cheaper for the poor village purchasers; in fact, the conductors of goshalas must thoroughly study the science of cattle-keeping and then alone could the purpose of goshalas be served. Proceeding, he said that he had done all he could for the attainment of Hindu- Muslim unity but had failed. For that reason he had given up reading newspapers even. He had no time to read them either. His condition, he said, had become like king Janaka of Mithila who had looked indifferently when his own city was burning, for he had done all he could to prevent the fire. Similarly his (Mahatmaji) attitude towards Hindu-Muslim differences was that of indifference for he knew that it was not in his power to remedy it. He said he did not know how or when Hindu-Muslim unity would come. The people of this country had gone mad; they were unhesitatingly cutting the throats of each other. He could not be a party to it. His religion was of non-violence; his faith in non-violence remained as unshaken as it was before, although attempts were made by his friends to convince him of the utility of violence on special occasions. To him all things were not as they seemed and he believed firmly that non-violence was the religion through which alone one could triumph ultimately. For all those reasons, he said, he had stopped dealing with the subject altogether. But he believed that the unity would certainly come one day, if not through the agency of man, through the agency of God. Referring to khaddar, he said that he was glad that a purse was presented to him for khaddar work. But from Madhubani he expected much more. Madhubani, he said, was a big khaddar centre.

He saw that many poor spinners of the place came four or five miles walking on foot with their yarn to take cotton or money from the workers. He knew that there were people who were even poorer than they. While he was at Champaran he had heard a lady complain that she could not take her bath in the Ganges and clean her clothes because she had no additional clothes to spare. This might have been an exaggeration but such cases were not absent. There was no other way to relieve the poverty of those people except by giving them an occupation and the best possible occupation they could give them was spinning. Continuing, he said that he had just heard a hymn from the Ishopanishad which meant that those who did not work stole other men’s property. What it meant, he asked. It did not mean that he actually stole other men’s property but it meant that he lived on the food earned by other men’s labour. As a matter of fact, no man had any right to live, unless he worked not only for himself but for all men alike, for an individual is but a drop in the great ocean of humanity. Similarly, the Gita taught him that no man should eat unless he had performed yajna and of the many yajna sanctioned by that sacred book that of working for others was the best. Spinning, then, was the only work which could help thousands of people; it was the universal yajna which could be performed by all. Addressing the ladies, he said that to him all who were clad in foreign clothes were naked, for nothing but khaddar could cover the nakedness of Indians. Mahatmaji appealed to the people to look into the affairs of the local national school and of the goshala and help them with money if they deserved it. It was the duty of a citizen, he said, to help his fellow-beings and institutions in distress. He concluded by appealing once more for money for khaddar work and asking people to purchase khadi which was stocked at the meeting. 1

The finest spinner was Devsundari Devi of Madhubani. Her count was 158. The highest speed on the wheel was 618 yards per hour of 10 counts. The highest on the Magan charkha was 925 yards of 15 counts. The highest on the takli was 303 of 12 counts. This is all satisfactory. There is not much scope for increased speed with the present improvements except on the Magan Charkha. Enough experiment has not yet been made on that wheel. But all accounts go to show that is has further possibilities. The takli is any day the queen for easy carriage, simplicity and cost. On the whole it may prove to be the quickest. Whereas the wheels many go out of order, the takli need never. Experiments are being made in plying the takli after the style of the charkha.  

 

References:

1. The Searchlight, 26-1-1927
2. Harijan, 22-6-1940