For Global Peace with Social Justice in a Sustainable Environment

Premi Jairamdas 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

Premi Jairamdas and Mahatma Gandhi

Premi Jairamdas was wife of Jairamdas and a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi. Mahatma Gandhi taught her like his daughter. Yes, I had all you sent me. You will now tell Father I had his love letter and that I am getting on well. You must be quick and begin to write in Hindi. 1 Your Hindi letter is extremely good. The characters too are very well formed. I did not write as I thought there was no letter from you. Inform Father when you write to him that we are all well. Jamnalalji too is quite well. I saw him only today. 2 I do not get letters from you these days. Tell your father that if Shri Aney goes to jail and he becomes the president and if he accepts my views about dictators, he should abolish the post of Dictator and those of Provincial Dictators. 3 I was glad to have your letter and the news about Father. Of course I have no home in Hyderabad as dear to me as yours. When I come you will keep me there or wherever on your behalf the Committee keeps me and the large company accompanying me. Is Father allowed to receive many letters? Give him my love and tell him Vidya is flourishing. 4

Tell Father I shall be touring in Tamil Nad till Nearly 23rd February, and then for 10 days in Karnatak. The programme after that is not yet fixed. 5 What food is Father taking? He ought to take plenty of fruit fresh and dried and leafy vegetables plain-boiled and he will get rid of piles. How has he taken my new decision? Do you like it? The Sind tour will not come off before June. Hope Dr. Choithram is better. Hyderabad won’t have more than a day, I fear. I go to Assam tomorrow and return on 24th to Patna. 6 The provisional date fixed for Hyderabad is 7th July. Only 3 days have been allowed for Sind. There is ample time for you to prepare. We are a party of 12 to 16. By that time Father should be out. I do hope Dr. Choithram is better. Give my love to Father and Dr. Choithram. 7 If you want congratulations for having passed your examination you can have them. Why will you only see me at the station? Surely Father will go with me to Karachi Then why not you? What about you’re Hindi? 8

Your Hindi is not good, but I like it better than your English. Further efforts would improve it. Father has arrived here. He writes better Hindi than you do. 9 I saw the Swami today on the train. In fact he travelled with us for an hour. I told him everything about Baba and he is prepared to go to Segaon to examine and treat Baba, or to have him at Delhi for treatment. Bapu says we will do exactly as Baba wishes. So please discuss it with him and let me have a line in reply immediately so that I may inform the Swami. He is a busy man and I shall have to give him a few days’ previous notice. We had your telegram duly and we were all glad that Baba was feeling better there. I do hope the improvement is being maintained. Please let us have a wire again tomorrow. Bapu is always anxious about him, and a wire every alternate day may be just the thing to do. 10

I want a letter daily. There is no harm in staying on there as long as you like. We shall be leaving here for Calcutta on the 15th evening. We shall return on the 27th or the 28th. Are you able to read my handwriting? If you cannot, I shall write in English. 11 You have given me news regularly. I wonder if you are still there. I hope the progress continues. 12 Please give the enclosed to Father, if you think it should be given to him. Will it be safe to take him to Sindh in his present condition? Why not to Kashmir as he had originally planned? Somehow or other I dread the idea of going to Sindh especially at this time of year. You won’t be remiss in writing to me. A postcard will do. I must have the latest condition. 13

Our letters crossed. I hope Father is none the worse for the journey nor the climate there. My letter contained the mala for you. I hope you got it safe. You will give me a detailed letter and guard Father against unwanted interviews. 14 What a bad girl you are? You have not written to me for ages. What was your promise? How is Father? 15 What are you doing in Hyderabad that Father is quite restored now. He is not working, is he? Do write to me something about the situation. Love to you all. 16 Even though there are a few mistakes in your Hindi, I find it sweeter than your English. You will certainly pass because you have worked hard. Do not worry. 17

I was very happy to have your letter. Sushilabehn will write in greater detail. I am glad that you are keeping good health. I was of course worried. What do you propose to do now? I do often remember Jairamdas. Let her write to me. Do not come here. 18 Get well. See God in any work of service and regard Ramanama as the panacea for all ills. Sushila has gone to Bombay for the Sardar. She may be returning now. 19 God is my guide. But the same can be said for all. I don’t know where I shall be tomorrow. The work here is tough. Who can say what will happen ultimately? Tell Father that I have replied to his telegram. Do you regularly help him? 20

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