Nature Cure Trust 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

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Nature Cure Trust and Mahatma Gandhi 

 

Letters are being received in large numbers from patients wanting to be admitted to the Nature Cure Clinic at Poona. Let me inform them that no such facility exists at present. The standard of cleanliness that was intended to be introduced into the institution has not been reached. Work for the village people has not yet been started. So long as the preliminary adaptations are not complete, nothing can be done. The patients have, therefore, to wait. Dr. Dinshaw Mehta’s Nature Cure Clinic at Bombay is no doubt there. He may open branches at Poona and Sinhagarh also. But since he has undertaken heavy responsibility in connection with the Nature Cure Trust, all this may take time. For private patients the scale of his fees will continue as before. 1 

Gandhiji said that he had fought many battles in his life. There was one more battle to be fought which was quite different from others and that was of nature cure. He had known Dr. Dinshaw Mehta for a long time and became a co trustee with him of the Nature Cure Trust to turn Dr. Mehta’s clinic into am institute for the poor. But he had found that he could not serve the poor remaining in Poona. The rich could afford to go to hospitals and clinics and get the services of doctors, but the poor could not move away from their homes and villages. If he was to teach them the method of nature cure and serve them, he had to go to them. He had studied nature cure and practised it. Now, in the evening of his life, he had undertaken as part of his life’s work the bringing of nature cure within the reach of the poor millions. He was going to the village of Uruli to work and try his experiment there. 2 

The local Trust for Uruli may be kept separate from the original Trust. Only then will you be able to carry on rural reconstruction activities under it. Among these you may include farming, cow rearing, weaving, running indigenous oil-mills, etc. The Trust will be called Gramsudhar Trust. Nature cure will be a part of its activities. All the activities should be mentioned in the Trust deed. You may ask Mangaldas Pakvasa to prepare the draft. Get it done soon. Even Balkrishna may prepare it. I leave to the local workers the decision whether the Trust should be an independent one or a sub-trust of the original Trust. If you wish to have an independent trust, you will have to be ready to stand on your own feet and shoulder all the responsibility. If you make a sub-trust, you will have to work within the framework of the original Trust’s constitution. You will not, then, are able to take up rural reconstruction programme. The trustees will be, beside myself, Dr. Dinshaw and Jehangirji (if they are willing to be included among the Trustees of an independent Trust), Maganbhai, Gulbai, Balkrishna and a local worker, provided he is capable, Balkrishna will have to agree to be one of the Trustees. Maganbhai is not one of the Trustees of the original Trust. He has been included only on the Uruli Trust. If farming, cow-rearing, running indigenous oil-mills and similar activities are to be carried on through the Trust; they will have to be self-supporting. You will have to be ready to run them all in that manner.

I should be happy if you can do without bullocks. For Goseva work, you should utilize the services of residents of the village. Our methods of work ought not to be like those of capitalists. You may employ local workers who have the spirit of service in them for farming, cow-rearing and indigenous oil-mills, etc. The other family members of these workers should also give their services. Oil- engines must not be used. For all these activities, you may get the money from Sevagram. I will give a note to Chimanlal. You cannot use the money of the original Trust. And the expenditure should not exceed one lakh rupees. If patients from the village do not seek admission to the hospital, you may admit outsiders. Local patients should get priority and the expenses on their treatment also should be borne by the institution. You may fix a fee for patients from outside.

The standard of treatment for everybody will be simple. This should be laid down among the objects of the Trust, If any men or women workers from outside wish to join, they may come and stay in a spirit of service. They cannot be paid any remuneration. Menial staff should be employed from amongst the villagers and should be paid. You may engage ten or twelve-year old children from the village and pay them, and also arrange to teach them according to the Wardha Scheme. Get a few service-minded workers from outside. Train some servants and children from the village and admit only as many patients as you can easily look after. The workers will be subject to the Ashram rules. For the servants, you may frame lighter rules. There will be bye-rules relating to such matters. If, after his marriage, Parmanand starts an establishment of his own, we will pay him just enough to meet his expenses. We may pay something to Gokhale, too, if he needs it. Fix the amount in consultation with Balkrishna. The equipment for the hospital should also be very simple. It would, of course, be best if you got it made in the village itself. For tubs, you can even use large containers made of baked earth. Or you can get them made of tin. For beds, you may arrange bricks to form the four legs and place a plank over them.

This is merely by way of a suggestion. I am of the view that non-vegetarian food has no place in the treatment. I am not here looking at the matter from a religious point of view. Instead of tea, you may serve Indian-style decoction. In any case, wheat coffee will do. We cannot supply bidis. Don’t mind if persons addicted to these things do not come for treatment. Try to explain the reasons to the people. Patients suffering from tuberculosis, leprosy and other contagious diseases may be admitted if there is provision for separate accommodation for them. Non-violent honey should be extracted in the village itself. Teach the local Vagharan the improved method of extracting honey. You may even start bee-keeping. Make arrangements to supply cow’s milk and ghee. But in the absence of cow’s milk, you can supply buffalo’s or goat’s milk. You may send for Hoshiraribehn after she completes her education. For preserving good health, more expenditure may be incurred if necessary. Every inmate of the Ashram must put in at least seven years of total work. I would not like anybody to be permitted to cook his or her own meals. Decide about the Ashram rules after discussion with Balkrishna.

I will write about the subject when I get time. It would be better if Bhagawat gives up the idea of visiting other centres for the present. The additional expenditure on account of the current construction work should also be obtained from Sevagram. The money may be kept in the custody of Dr. Mehta, if he agrees. It would, however be better to keep it with a respectable banker in Uruli. There is no need just now to call any meeting of the Trustees which I must attend. This should be enough. 3

There was a telegram yesterday saying that Jehangir would be going to Japan for some time. I did not worry knowing that he was by your side. I never stop thinking about you. I was attracted by you and followed you and got myself involved in nature cure. But having got into it I see and am increasingly realizing that probably there is a great difference between our approaches. I do not think I can change my outlook now. Probably you cannot change yours either. And so, we must both decide about our course of action. There is no need for you to rush to me. I am passing through a process of change, am trying to perfect myself. I have to be constantly on the move. I am striving to perfect my non-violence. I cannot divert my attention from it and take up other things. For me nature cure too comes under nonviolence. As for you, your dharma, your sadhana consists for the present of two things. You must serve Maji, remain by her side and give thought to your own needs. This cannot be done by being with me, because Maji is not with me and I am not with her. About money too you have to think for yourself. Now, the second thing is a matter of shame for me. Chi. Manu always follows my instructions, and so, I was wondering how far I could take her with me. Even while I was in Delhi I had suspected that she had appendicitis. But my knowledge being absolutely superficial, how could I trust myself? Even so I treated her with earth and water.

I also laid down her diet. I used to ask her to have enemas. After constipation she started having motions. Then it was that her appendicitis was detected. Two naturopaths came my way. But the poor fellows had very little knowledge. I have still not come across a perfect naturopath. I was eager to put you in that category. But in trying to do so I realized that I myself was by nature a true naturopath, though an imperfect one. Then I came here and since I had to be here for ten days I found some spare time. Instead of one, four doctors arrived. They recommended an operation. Accepting defeat I allowed the operation. Today is the second day. I am dictating this in the morning. I have received information from the hospital that Manu is well. I did not at all like the idea of the operation. If I had expert knowledge I would never have allowed it. What would you have done in a similar situation? I am asking this question so that I can have some help in future. You can reply at your own convenience when you have the time. There is no hurry. According to my present information I have to be in Delhi on the 25th. God alone knows where I shall be tomorrow. I hope your mind is at peace. Maji must be all right and both the children must be fine. 4

I don’t wish to have you come here for my sake, for as far as possible I hope to keep up my health purely with the help of Ramanama. It is a difficult job, but I should like to try. I think, moreover, that your place is there. If, nevertheless, you cannot control your desire, there is certainly no ban on your coming. I do not know how long I shall be here. And now about’s house. I have no doubt that we cannot purchase it in the name of the Trust. Before we purchase a building, we must have the men to work in it. But how can I object to your accepting it if it is offered to you for ‘missionary’ work? As regards Uruli-Kanchan, I will have no objection to your proposal if you believe that its conversion into a separate institution would harm the original Trust. From a purely legal point of view, however, I believe that in that case it cannot be used to further other aims. Consult Bhai Pakvasa. I am sure that its being made into a separate institution cannot affect the original Trust. I was glad to learn that Mother was keeping well. 5

 

References:

 

1. Harijan, 17-3-1946
2. The Hindu, 23-3-1946 
3. Note on Gramsudhar Trust, April 13, 1947
4. Biharni Komi Agman, pp. 373-4
5. Bihar Pachhi Dilhi, p. 25