For Global Peace with Social Justice in a Sustainable Environment

Messages of Mahatma Gandhi; Part-5

Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav

Gandhian Scholar

Gandhi Research Foundation, Jalgaon, Maharashtra, India

Contact No. – 09404955338

E-mail- dr.yadav.yogendra@gandhifoundation.net

Messages of Mahatma Gandhi; Part-5

Mahatma Gandhi a different man. He met a lot of persons daily. He had a lot of work and their concerning people. He gave a message everybody time to time. Those messages had a lot of meaning. The person who had gotten it, change his life according to it. Those messages may be useful today. Mahatma Gandhi gave a message to Congressmen; “Have faith. Along with intellectual capacity develop strength of character.”122

Mahatma Gandhi gave a message; “God is Truth. The way to Truth lies through Ahimsa (nonviolence).”123 Mahatma Gandhi gave a message on V.S. Srinivasa Shastri; “ I wish your meeting every success. The Rt. Hon. Srinivasa Sastri embarks upon his arduous mission under the best of auspices. He takes with him the goodwill of all India, and both the Europeans and our countrymen in South Africa are looking forward to his advent. I know that if any man can possibly produce harmony between the Europeans and the Indian settlers, it is certainly Sjt. Srinivasa Sastri. May God give him all the wisdom and all the strength he will need in South Africa.124 Mahatma Gandhi gave a message to Forward; “ If we would be worthy of swaraj and of the sacrifice of Deshbandhu, we must show some tangible work of construction in terms of the nation. Khadi holds the field till something better and equally universal can displace it. And if khadi and the spinning-wheel be considered beneath dignity and notice, we stand in danger of being considered beneath notice by the Mother.”125

Mahatma Gandhi gave a message to People of South India; “It has been a matter of deep grief to me that owing to the collapse of my health, I was unable to enter upon the tour in South India on the appointed date. God willing, I hope to commence the tour some time in July though the original programme will have to be considerably modified and reduced. Meanwhile, however, I hope that those who have not yet taken to khadi will do so for the sake of the starving millions; for, whoever buys one yard of khadi puts the whole of the cost of it into the pockets of the poor people of this faminestricken land, more than half of it going directly into the pockets of those to whom every pie means so much money to buy the necessaries of life.”126 Mahatma Gandhi gave a message to The Searchlight; “Those who want a message from me must not be surprised to receive the same message again and again; for, I have nothing new. Let the editor, the proprietor and the staff of The Searchlight as also the readers do their quota of work for the millions, that it, let them wear nothing but khadi; let them exclude all foreign cloth from their use; let them give as much as they can towards khadi work; and let them spin at least for half an hour good, even and weavable yarn and make a present of it to the All-India Spinners’ Association in the name of and on behalf of Daridranarayana. To know whether this message has at least been read by those concerned, I suggest their sending me contribution and telling me whether they have accepted and are acting in accordance with the message. If they do not appreciate the message, let them send me a postcard stating their objections and reasons.”127

Mahatma Gandhi gave a message on Silver Jubilee; “It has been a most agreeable thing for me to find that no one has ever had a word to say against the Maharaja Saheb. I have almost wondered whether the friends round me have conspired to keep all evil reports from me. May all the good I have heard of the Maharaja be and for ever remain wholly true. I join the people of Mysore in wishing His Highness many a long year of useful service to the State and its people.”128 Mahatma Gandhi gave a message to Students; “I am not going to be satisfied with the students’ performance merely by their donations to khadi, etc., no matter how great they ae. I want them for the country body and soul. That would be some, not much, return for what they are receiving.”129

Mahatma Gandhi gave a message to educational conference; “I wish the teachers will exercise the great power that they have over the youth of the country for the purpose of binding them to the starving millions by inducing them at least to use nothing but pure khaddar for their dress, but this they will not succeed in doing unless they set an example themselves.”130 Mahatma Gandhi gave a message to New India; “In wishing Dr. Annie Besant many happy returns of the day, I can say that my debt to her was first incurred in 1889-902 . It has been increased manyfold since. Cruel God has not yet answered my petition for the power to repay that debt.”131 Mahatma Gandhi gave a message to South India; “I am leaving the South not without much regret. Wherever I have gone I have experienced richest affection from all kinds of people, not excluding those who consider themselves to belong to a different political school. Wherever I went I found a genuine faith in the message of the spinning-wheel. I am therefore leaving the South full of hope. I wish that I had more time at my disposal so as to enable me to overtake the many places whose invitations I was not able to respond to. I ask the people now to translate their faith into practice more than they have hiterto done, and they will discover a potency in khadi which they had not expected.”132

Mahatma Gandhi gave a message to People of Ceylon; “Though I am going to Ceylon as a self-chosen representative of Daridranarayana and therefore in the high hope of filling the begging-bowl, I have long looked forward to visiting the historic island. I nearly went there in 1901 but God had willed otherwise. I am a labourer and would love to make the acquaintance of Ceylon labourers to whom Ceylon owes its present condition.”133 Mahatma Gandhi gave a message to Jamia Milia Islamia; “Thakkar Saheb asks me to send you a message of hope, when the calamity in the death of Hakim Saheb has overtaken us. Let the deceased’s spirit ever abide with us. Let us keep his memory for ever green by making the Jamia a living temple of unity. You must not lose hope. The Jamia cannot perish so long as the professors and the boys are true to it. For my part you have my promise that, God willing, I shall use all the powers that He may give me, for putting the institution on a sound financial basis.”134

Mahatma Gandhi gave a message to Second Graduates; “I regret I am not able to participate in the gathering of the Graduates’ Association1. I hope that the graduates will make the Association a potent instrument of service and, while bringing credit to it as well as to themselves, will substantial contribution to the yajna of our motherland.”135 Mahatma Gandhi gave a message to Public Meeting, Ahmadabad; “I hope this meeting will not disperse without deciding to do something concerete. The Congress Committee has entrusted us with such a task; if we fail to achieve this definite goal of boycott of foreign cloth, we would be ridiculed.”136 Mahatma Gandhi gave a message to Gujrat Vidyapeeth; “Having submitted to the doctors I may not attend the meeting. Acharya Kripalani is going away. I hold that he is not in reality leaving the Vidyapith, because his spirit will be here. He will come here occasionally to deliver lectures and he also promise to come as helmsman if the time comes. My connection with Acharya Kripalani dates back to the time of my arrival from South Africa. I wish all would follow him in his spirit of dedication, his simplicity and his devotion to duty.”137

Mahatma Gandhi gave a message to Marcelle Capy; “There can be no living harmony between races and nations unless the main cause is removed, namely, exploitation of the weak by the strong. We must revise the interpretation of the so-called doctrine of the survival of the fittest.”138 Mahatma Gandhi gave a message to New india; “I wish New India many years of useful service to the country. May its revival hasten the advent of swaraj.”139 Mahatma Gandhi gave a message for News Sheet; “True promotion of Fellowship is to be found in silent acts of fellowship. One such little act, therfore, is more than tons of professions.”140

Mahatma Gandhi gave a message to student congress Ceylone; “A message was received from Gandhiji wishing the Congress success and expressing the hope that the students would not forget the starving millions of the mother country, the most effective manner of helping whom was by wearing khadi.”141 Mahatma Gandhi gave a message with an autograph; “God is Truth. The way to reach Truth is through the loving service of all that lives.”142 Mahatma Gandhi gave a message to Baroch District Conference; “Those who help Bardoli, help themselves.”143 Mahatma Gandhi gave a message to The Hindu; “I gladly add mine to the many tributes that will be paid to The Hindu on its Golden Jubilee. I consider The Hindu to be one of the best, if not the best, among the Indian owned dailies throughout India.”144

Mahatma Gandhi gave a message to “Khadi Vijay means victory of khadi. It is good that there should be a monthly devoted to khadi, but it will be better if people especially the mercantile class will devote themselves to khadi. Then victory for khadi is assured.”145 Mahatma Gandhi gave a message to Lahore Students’ Conference; “Do not fear Government or any other power that may Come in your way. GO forward and build a strong link between yourselves and the toiling millions who do not know even the meaning of the word education.”146

Mahatma Gandhi gave a message to Literary Conference; “Where Anandshankerbhai is the President, success is assured. I hope that lovers of literature will not forget the poor of Gujarat and that Anandshankerbhai will not let them do so.”147 Mahatma Gandhi gave a message to Andhra Conference; “I wish every success to the Conferences1 and I hope, in a poor district like yours, the wheel will have its due appreciation.”148 Mahatma Gandhi gave a message to Khadi worker; “Gandhiji after asking a few questions about the details of their work and emphasizing the necessity of self-carding, said to them. Our scriptures say that not to begin any enterprise is the first degree of wisdom but it is folly to give it up after having commenced it. Now that you have commenced your project after due deliberation I hope you will see it through.”149

Mahatma Gandhi gave a message “Our patience is proverbial. Let it not be said by the future generations it was the patience of the coward.”150

References:

122.Aaj, 13-1-1927

123.A MESSAGE; March 13, 1927

124.The Bombay Chronicle, 8-6-1927

125.The Hindu, 1-7-1927

126.The Hindu, 2-7-1927

127.MESSAGE TO THE SEARCHLIGHT; July 13, 1927

128.MESSAGE ON SILVER JUBILEE; August 5, 1927

129.FAREWELL MESSAGE TO STUDENTS; After August 22, 1927

130.The Hindu, 26-9-1927

131.The Hindu, 29-9-1927