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Selected Letters Of Gandhiji January 11, 1915
Posh Vad 101, 1971, CHI. MAGANLAL, I have your letter. I was filled with tears of joy when, nearing Bombay, I sighted the coast. I am still beside myself with joy. I don’t like Bombay, though. It looks as if it were the scum of London. I see here all the shortcomings of London but find none of its amenities; which appears to be a slip, for that day was a Tuesday. Son of Khushalchand Gandhi, Gandhiji’s cousin. Maganlal had assisted Gandhiji for about a decade in his activities and experiments in South Africa; left Phoenix in August 1914 with a party of about 25 students and teachers for India, and with the party stayed at Tagore’s Santiniketan this is also one of the benefits of living in India. It would seem that Lady India had resolved to exhibit nothing but the scum of London lest we should be thrown off our balance by the amenities. I feel suffocated by all this public honouring. I have not known a moment’s peace. There is an endless stream of visitors. Neither they nor I gain anything. My health is good, on the whole, and the same is true of Ba1. I am divided in my heart over three places Rajkot, Porbunder and Bolpur. It will take more than a month before I am there2. You do well to stay on patiently there. A farmer should not go about from place to place. A farmer’s son would be violating his dharma if he were to neglect sowings that he might go and see his father. You have spread your fragrance there; it must be that some good deeds of yours and mine are now bearing their fruit. Mr. Andrews3 writes much in praise of you. We are to meet before long, so I won’t write much. This letter is meant for you all. I think all of us should know the Hindi, Urdu, Tamil and Bengali scripts. It would be good if the children could be taught all these. I gave much thought to this matter while on board the ship. I have made considerable progress in the study of Bengali. I shall leave here on the 16th for Rajkot.4 I shall return before February 5, to leave for Poona immediately and from there proceed to Bolpur. Let me know the shortest way to that place. Ask Mr. Andrews or Mr. Pearson5 about it. I am glad that your difficulties about food are over. I have been living entirely on fruit, subsisting mostly on bananas, groundnuts and lime. Blessings from BAPU
At Bolpur Charles Freer Andrews (1871-1940), British missionary who took great interest in Vishwabharati University founded by Tagore; his devoted services for many years in the cause of the Indian people won him the name ‘Deenbandhu’ "brother of the poor"; he was deeply attached to Gandhiji. Actually Gandhiji left for Rajkot on January 15. Vide "Diary for 1915". William Winstanley Pearson, a Christian missionary and an active supporter of Indians; for some time teacher at Santiniketan [PS.] Tell me if I should bring anything. I have not been able to bring any books from England. We may get them here, if you send me the names. Mr. Kallenbach1 has not been able to come, since he did not get the permission. From the Gujarati original in Gandhiji’s hand: C. W. 5660. Courtesy: Radhabehn Choudhri |
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Copyright 2004 Mani Bhavan