For Global Peace with Social Justice in a Sustainable Environment

Padmaja Naidu 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

Padmaja Naidu and Mahatma Gandhi

Padmaja Naidu was singer and lived in Shantiniketan. Mahatma Gandhi met first time there with her. She was very impressed with Mahatma Gandhi. She wrote his questions in letter to Mahatma Gandhi and he gave its answers. I am surprised not to see you in Ahmadabad. You have to be bright, strong and active if you want to do your bit of service in the battle for freedom. 1 I hope you received my wire. Are poetesses’ daughters all silly? You seem to delight in your illness. Do be good and get well. 2 Mother is here today to see how I look after the Cutch tour. She tells me this should reach you on your birthday. This, therefore, comes to you charged with all the love I am capable of bearing towards you. And you know what that love is. Are you going to behave yourself and be strong? You have to help mother in her labours next year. 3 You may not fade. You must bloom. Though I never write you are constantly in my mind. 4 I was so happy to have Mother with me for a few hours before her sailing for her great mission. Naturally we talked a lot about you. I see you are now allowed to move about. If doctors permit you it would be a good thing for you to accept Mrs. Ambalal’s invitation to pass some time with her. Ahmadabad has a dry climate. And if you came and were strong enough to do some work there is enough here to occupy you. I did not at all like the idea of your working on the permanent staff of The Hindu. You will not do the work. It was good and brave of you to have let Mother go to America. And having let her go, you must make up your mind not to be unwell at all. 5

This is merely to acknowledge your letter and tell you that you are ever present in my mind. Does the medical prohibition still continue? 6 You must not mind this dictated letter. It is better that I dictate than that I delay writing to you. What on earth are you doing with your health? Is it not more your mind that is at fault? Why can’t you make up your mind to be and remain healthy? This set back in your health is bound to trouble the poor old songstress in America. You must become a good daughter. 7 Unlike the lotus the Lotus-born can write much and say nothing. For your letter occupies a fair space and tells me nothing except about myself. What I wanted to know was how you were keeping, what Lilamani was doing and how Father’s hospital, which you had showed me and where the prayers were offered, was doing. But you would not be Padmaja if you gave me credit for wanting to know all these family details instead of being told that I was by nature a wrinkled old slave-driver rather than a saint. Anyway for your credit let me slave-drive you to give me a decent letter giving me a proper budget of family news. I duly got the grapes and other fruit, also The Candle of Vision. For all these gifts thank if you need them. Mother evidently forgot when she prompted you to buy the book for me that at her instance the poet had himself sent me his own copy. 8

The basket of lovely musambis came in last evening. I hope you got my letter posted to Hyderabad. Mother has begun the same pranks she used to play in London. She spoiled me there by bringing the choicest fruits and now she is using you to do the same thing. Do tell me all about you. Remember me to all the friends of the Society. 9 Should bad handwriting be hereditary? Why should you copy Mother’s vices? Being India’s only poetess, she can afford to write a bad hand and do many other bad things. But you have no excuse. Do you know how long it took Mahadev to decipher your letter? Supposing you were to try to write a passable hand and give the trial some of your idle moments you will be surprised at your success. You think a pot is calling Miss Kettle black, do you? Well, I am prepared to submit to a comparative test and I know that in this at least I should beat you hollow. My handwriting is wretched, I admit, but not as indecipherable as yours. Now try to be good and render voluntary obedience to the slave-driver. I hope you got my p. c. which was sent to acknowledge the oranges you sent. 10

Your basket of oranges again! Seeing that you will insist on sending them no matter what I say. Let me tell you that they are really a good variety—very juicy. You have responded to the gentle driving by the poor little slave-driver. Even I could decipher your letter without difficulty. But I do not want you, please, to exert yourself when you are lying flat on your back. Any abomination will do. Even the abominations of loved ones are preferable to their silence. But when you are really ill, why not get some willing assistance? Anybody will gladly write to your dictation. Your mention of that magnificent story of the Buddha brings to mind many sacred things. Yes, I do dream many dreams. All may not be airy nothings or I would be crushed under the weight of the love I appropriate from people of all sorts and conditions—men, women, boys and girls. Sardar and Mahadev have more books than they can cope with. The former is absorbed like a diligent student in his Sanskrit studies; the latter in his French and Urdu thanks all the same on their behalf for your offer. It is no use, I fear, your wanting to see them. I wish it was possible. 11

I shall treasure your very beautiful letter. It has been followed by loving sermon from Mother. You must not consider me so proud as not to need the prayers of ‘friends, comrades and playmates’. Indeed God is nearer to me than the air which surrounds me and which I breathe. But I sense His invisible presence in the prayers of the innocent. They sustain me. Do therefore pray that He may give me the strength to pass through the fiery ordeal that awaits me. 12 I miss your presence. The flower-pots are a constant reminder. But then it is a prisoner’s privilege to miss the presence of dear ones. 13 You know all Hyderabad. Will you write to someone at the Osmania University to send me their text-books for lower standards or if you know them send such selection as in your opinion is likely to be useful to me? I badly need a small dictionary that will give me spelling of Urdu words and a small grammar. And will you condescend to tell me how you are faring with all the cases sic of keeping a separate house? 14

I was shocked to hear from Devdas about the accident. You have to be a good girl and a better slave and listen to the slave-driver. You must go to the hospital and be properly treated there. Do not consider Father and Mother to be so soft as to be shaken to bits by a very simple a necessary act, After all your own bravery is surely derived from them. I therefore expect a reply to this from the hospital. You should do as Devdas says. He is very good and very noble about such services. 15 This trite wish requires modification in your case. I do not want a return of the day to find you in the same state of suspended animation you are in now. I want the day to return to see you hale and hearty. And you have a whole year to do that very simple thing. Be good and do it. Sardar did justice to your oranges yesterday, I did it this morning and Mahadev says I leave him no time think of such meatiest. But he says he is going to taste them. It certainly pays to be a Mahatma. I get fruit and flowers from slaves like you when it is their birthday and also when it is mine. I am sorry to tell you that the Urdu dictionary you sent is not of much use. It has phrases but not a good vocabulary. What I want is a good vocabulary so that I can easily get spellings of words. If you can easily get hold of such a dictionary, I should like it. But do not put yourself to trouble about it. I read today your translation of the bhajan with which I started the fast. I liked it very much. 16

It certainly pays to be a Mahatma. I get fruit and flowers from slaves like you when it is their birthday and also when it is mine. 17 I was sorry that you had to run away so abruptly, but I do hope that there is nothing serious with Father. I hope too that you will behave yourself and not get worse than you were here. You will render me an account of what you may do without much exertion for the Harijan cause. 18 I do not write to the Old Lady because one never knows where she is from day to day. I had your joint love wire and your own letter regarding Bihar. I gave you my hearty consent the moment I got your wire. But that raises the question whether I should come just now to Hyderabad at all. I have just now been going only to those places which want me in spite of the Bihar calamity. No doubt wherever I go I make Bihar’s wail heard and even collect. But when one flies through space, collections can’t be fat. But it is a sight to see how the poor vie with one another in pressing their coppers into my hands for a province whose name many of them hear from me for the first time. I have been in correspondence with Vaman Joshi on the subject. Please see him and advise by wire what you all want me to do. If you want me to come to Hyderabad now it will be only four hours. What is possible later I do not know? And if I am to come Vaman Joshi wants me to stay with him. I have told him my permanent abode there is Golden Threshold and if I am to stay elsewhere it can only be subject to the consent of the family. So after due consultation you will advise me on both the matters. And now the last question. How are you? And how are the others? I can almost answer the question about you. But it is better to know the answer from you. The Hungarian painters have been meeting me often and telling me a lot about you. 19

Whether I am to plant your stolen tree or do some other thing depends upon you and not I, for you will be pulling the strings. Only don’t you tax me overmuch—and then you can’t brave the sun. More when we meet. You must be fit. 20

How stupid of you not to have broken your journey because I was silent. You did not need to hear my voice. And you could have made sure yourself that I was not ill. I expect better behaviour next time. 21 I was not going to write to you just yet. I have been only dictating the most necessary correspondence. But the imperious singer won’t rest till I promised to let you have a line. For I am told you are visibly growing in years and for us hope in wisdom too. Your birthday is nearing! May it find you full of health, fun and wisdom? 22 Hope you have been behaving yourself and that Bhopal air has done you good. But tell me if you are ever going to be fit enough to do active work. Don’t tell me that you did excellent work about Hyderabad famine and the like. 23 So 17th Nov. is your birthday! Many happy returns. But for us these returns can never be happy unless they provide us with fresh scope for service. And you are going to Hyderabad specially to render service. You will write to me of your doings. You are under promise not to overstrain yourself. 24

I hope no news is good news both about your health and your mission. You are not to wear yourself out on the mission work. I shall never excuse myself if you damage your health by overwork. 25 I knew your worth when you sent me that masterly report of yours on the famine condition. This one can’t be compared with that. But it is good. The other was for the public. This is hurriedly drawn for me. You are doing good work. My condition is doing not kill yourself over it. If you will only behave yourself, you are capable of giving first-class work. You will take extra care to be accurate about your facts. I shall bear your caution in mind. There won’t be a hasty word on my part. Continue to write regularly. 26 I am sorry to hear about Father’s and your illness. I sent you a wire which I hope you received. I am yearning for good news from you. Having undertaken the great mission, you must keep yourself fit. What a brave letter you have written. It is quite worthy of you. May your mission be crowned with success! I knew it is a difficult task. But nothing is difficult for God. If He wills it, you will pull through with credit. 27 You must go slowly. If you are a true and willing slave, you have to listen to the slave-driver. And so you will go with Lilamani to Delhi, have the bracing air there, be strong and then come to me for a little work and much play. Tell Lilamani that love always finds and even makes time. How are she and Surya faring? What about the latter’s big scheme? 28

If you have run away, correspond with me freely but not at the risk of your health. I was asking the old woman whether you could go or can she go to Hyderabad. If you can make an authorized statement merely of facts, you may do so if you are sure of your facts. I could not deal with it more than I did. I will gladly write more, if you prompt me by raising questions better in the form of a signed letter. Have you any status with Mr. Akbar? All I can say for the present is that one should sit still and watch. If an opportunity occurs, intervention may take place. No use plunging in unknown waters. You assure that I don’t want to interfere with anything at all. I certainly do not want to confiscate a single article of jewellery, nor do I want Sarup to feel constrained to wear khaddar sari even today, much less tomorrow. She is her own mistress today and so shall she remain tomorrow. I quite agree with you that things should be finished smoothly—I have only given my opinion today on one matter and that too when asked. 29 People who say we grow old with the passing of years are wrong. On the 17th you will have discharged one year’s debt. How nice of you. Go on doing it for many more years. Meanwhile cart-loads of love. 30

It is well you are by Sarup’s side. But you are not to join her or any of the resisters. What may be bravery for others would be cowardice for you. And I cannot have you regarded as a coward. Tell Chand to condescend to write to me occasionally. 31 ‘Handsome is that handsome does’. J. H. has gone by the appearance of the exterior. The imposing case was nonsense. Remove the nonsense and the bare dhanush takli is the cheapest and the most efficient thing going. It is cheaper than the original takli. It cannot easily go out of order and is so incredibly simple that the spinner can adjust it, not so the vertical wheel or the horizontal. I touch no other. After having said this, let me admit that the solid charkha has its special merits. But putting all things together, the dhanush takli I consider the best. You will pass on this to J. H. These riots are a wicked thing. Evidently we have to go through the purgatory. 32 Here is work for you and for which you ate eminently fitted. It is reported in the Press that in Tandur 30 miles from Wadi, 3,000 pilgrims suddenly took ill after drinking water from a certain well about the beginning of the month. They had drunk from this well before with impunity. It is suggested that the well was deliberately poisoned by somebody. Whatever the cause, have the authorities remained indifferent over the tragedy? Or is it all a hoax? 33

You have no business to fall ill as often as you do. I expect your further letter and a cheery report about your health. Of course I knew that you would throw yourself into the work entrusted to you. 34 You deserve the name for you have slaved as only you could have to make the whole function the success it was. You have been a friend indeed for you have been that in need. God bless you. You must not grow stouter. 35 I miss you at this meeting which you would have liked. But your contribution to the struggle is to restore your broken body to full health and then report yourself to me for the next order. Therefore, concentrate on the full restoration of your health. First thing first. Cheer up. 36 So you will presently complete another year of the allotted span of your life. Who knows what your span is? So it is forgivable to hope that you will have many years of service of the mother land. Hope you are taking care of yourself. 37

Your congratulations wanted for my exemplary patience in deciphering your indecipherable love-note. You robbed me of my precious 15 minutes. Have I done sufficient penance for my not knowing in time that you were behind Indu last Sunday? Of course Lotus will have some time from me on 29th although it is my silence-day. 38 Your report is a good and great document. And I am making of it the wisest use I know. Have already written to Sir Mirza. Hope to make still better use if it is necessary. You should take care of the obstinate old (with apologies) Singer. 39

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