Book Blurb / Publisher’s Note
The letters of Mahatma Gandhi are invaluable political documents and deserve to be carefully studied [as] an index to the solution of intricate socio-economic problems that face India to-day. This book embodies some very significant epistles which Mahatmaji addressed to representatives of the British Government in India. Now that India stands on the threshold of the Temple of Freedom, this book gives us a golden glimpse, in the twilight of democracy, of the bleak and barren avenues through which Gandhiji have had to guide the destiny of his country. Besides being precious documents these letters are a delightful piece of literature. Gandhiji has a literary genius which shines best in his letters.
Introduction
MAHATMA Gandhi’s life has been a persistent struggle against the powerful forces of British Imperialism which have held India in bondage for more than a century and a half. During a period of about fifty years of his political career he has been off and on writing letters of the nature of advisory notes, “petitions”, and ultimatums to the Viceroys of India and other British statesmen. In these pages have been collected some of the most important letters of the Mahatma.
With the exception of those written to the inmates of Sabarmati Ashram, which are rather personal in nature, all others are of immense significance to a student of Indian politics. They afford us a peep into the mind of the Great Mahatma. He is considered to be one of the most outspoken, fearless and ‘seditious’ writers of India, but a spirit of humanity and fellow-feeling permeates through all his letters. In spite of a marked sense of revolt against the British Government, his letters indicate a strong desire to maintain peace at all costs. The Mahatma does not hate the British people; he only desires British Imperialism to go.
Besides giving us an insight into the mind of the Mahatma these letters also constitute a gradual chronological survey of the political events in India and in this respect they are also of historical importance to readers interested in the political history of India.
Not only that these letters besides being informative in content and historical in nature are also exhortative in tone. When you read them, your heart throbs with emotion and you feel one with the Mahatma in condemning British Diplomacy in India. They can serve as emotional stimulants to many a weary youth of India.
This golden sheaf of the letters of Mahatma Gandhi combines in itself the elements of a biography, political history and patriotic exhortation. As such they are sure to catch the interest of all who want to have a recollection of India’s freedom movement at its various stages, and others who are interested in the life and work of Mahatma Gandhi and still others who just need a mental pill to stimulate patriotic sentiments.
In the end I am grateful to Mr. Shanti Parkash Kohli who gave me all possible help in the compilation of these documents and also in getting the manuscript typed.
R. L. KHIPPLE 71, Royal Park, Lahore 23rd February, 1947.
Mahatma Gandhi
A Short Biographical Sketch
Mohanlal Karamchand Gandhi, now famous as Mahatma Gandhi, was born in the year 1869 in an orthodox Gujerati family known for their loyalty to the various Kathiawar States. His father was the Prime Minister of Rajkot and his grandfather was the Prime Minister of Porbander. The story goes that on one occasion, consequent to some intrigues, his grandfather was required to take refuge in a neighbouring State, where he saluted the Ruler with his left hand. On being questioned about it he replied that his right hand was pledged to Porbander.
Mahatma Gandhi seems to have inherited his deep rooted religious sense from his mother, who was known to be a lady of simple and pious habits and of deep devotional mind, and was renowned for her regularity in visiting the temple almost daily.
Mahatma Gandhi was married at the early age of 12 years to Kasturba and seven years after their marriage, at the age of 19 years, he left for England for higher studies in Law. After finishing his studies in Law he was required to go to South Africa to fight a law suit on behalf of a very big firm of traders. It was there, in South Africa, that the seeds of his political career were sown. There were, at that time, about 1,50,000 Indians in that country, whom Gandhiji found living virtually in a state of semi-slavery, subjected to a pernicious colour bar with many political and social barriers. His struggle in South Africa for the emancipation of Indians in that country was one of his earliest encounters with “White Imperialism”. Many a time even his life was in danger but nothing could deter the dauntless Indian Barrister from the path of justice and truth. He fought a valourous campaign of non-violent passive resistance in South Africa with such a spirit of consistency and sacrifice that the haughty General Smuts had to come round to a settlement with the non-violent Indian resister.
From South Africa, Gandhiji returned to India with his faith in British justice greatly shaken. After the lapse of some time the Great War I began. In spite of her great sacrifices India was not given the promised Home Rule, and instead of that big crowds of Indian patriots were subjected to indiscriminate machine-gunning — that was the reward for loyalty to British cause! Consequently a wave of indignation ran across the country; Hindus and Muslims joined hands together in their determination to weed out the foreign rule from India. Gandhiji was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment.
Ten years later he started another campaign for India’s freedom, resulting ultimately in a pact between him and the then Viceroy — known as the Gandhi–Irwin Pact. Soon after, in response to an invitation from the British diplomats, he went to England to present India’s case in the Round Table Conference held there at that time. He was, however, once again disillusioned by false British pretences. Everything ended in smoke and the “lathi” and the bullet, and Martial Law ruled India for the next two years.
In 1942 he was in a way the initiator of the August Movement which, although put down by British bayonets, will nevertheless go in the annals of Indian political history as a great uprising of a brave people for their own liberation.
Besides politics, social and religious reform are the other interests of Gandhiji’s life. He has been taking special pains to alleviate the sufferings of women and untouchables and has endeavoured his utmost in the direction of bringing about a new philosophy in a new world. Education too engages enough of his attention and he is literally the father of the Wardha Scheme of Education. Gandhiji in short is a politician, a saint, a social reformer and a constructive philosopher all combined in a frail little person.