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March

1-3-'18 To Ambalal Sarabhai :

"Sugna Bhaishri,

Early this morning, as I was getting up, I feel into a reverie. Whither are we going ? What would be the results of my activity, if it was continued for long ? And what of yours ? In the former case, you would either accept the demands of the labourers or, if you are adamant, the labourers may take to some other occupation. If they give up their resolve and accept the wages you offer, it will be my defeat. But the public will not feel morally shocked at my success or defeat.

But what about your activity ? If you win, the labourers will be all the more suppressed; they will sink into deeper depths in cowardice and despair, and they will be convinced that Mammon is the real Ruler, who can triumph over everything in this world. If, despite your efforts, the labourers get an increment, you and those with you will consider yourselves beaten. But is your victory really desirable? Would you wish the rich to get even more purse-proud ? Would you like labourers to become utterly helpless, before the might of wealth ? What would you prefer?to let the workers grovel in the dust, or to consider it as your victory, not theirs merely, if they get their due or even a little more? Don't you see that in your defeat lies your true victory, and that your seeming victory is dangerous even to yourself? What would have happened, if Ravana had won against Rama ? Can't you realize that your victory would give the world a moral shock and, therefore, it is durãgraha (persistence in an untruthful act, as against Satyagraha, persistence in truth) ? Success of my movement will be hailed everywhere as a progressive step, but, even in the case of my defeat, there will be no harmful repercussions. It will only show that the labourers were not strong enough to hew their way to victory. My effort, therefore is a form of Satyagraha. Please consider deeply. I appeal to you to listen to the still small voice within you and follow its dictates. Will you have the goodness to dine with us here ?"

3-3-'18

During the continuance of the strike, as we were once returning from a meeting of the workers, our talk turned on the spirit and fanaticism of Muslims. This led him on to confide to me the hidden workings of his mind.

"There are two subjects on which I have to cruelly suppress my mind's urges. Ever since I read the history of the East India Company, my mind refuses to be loyal to the British Empire, and I have to make strenuous efforts to stem its tide of rebellion. The first thought that rises up in the mind, is that the British should be driven out of India bag and baggage; but a feeling, deep down in me, persists that India's good lies through British connection, and so I force myself to love them. The same about Muslims. Though we do say that Hindus and Muslims are brothers, I cannot conceive of their being brothers right to-day. I have talked with Indian leaders also, and many of them do not at all believe in Hindu-Muslim unity. They do talk of it, of course, but they have no such belief in the hearts. Just the same in this matter also, something within me tells me that Hindus and Muslims are going to unite as brothers one day, that there is no other course open to them and they have but to be brothers. If we go on remembering old scores, we would feel that unity is impossible, but at any cost we ought to forget the past. History teaches us that these things have happened the world over, and that the world has forgotten them, because public memory is always short and forgiving. This is another instance of love by a compelling mental effort. Hinduism is so liberal and broad-minded that, I think, it can achieve this consummation. Not that all religious distinctions will be wiped out in future, but Hinduism will captivate Muslims by the power of its compassion, which is its very essence. This red-letter day of heart-unity, however, will come only when Hindus region their spiritual heritage. We can win over the Muslims this very day, if we are sufficiently imbued with that spirit of brotherly love. But it is difficult to predict just now the time when Hindus will rise to that height."

Then on the topic of teaching English to women, he said :

"I am often tempted to write a letter to Prof. Karve1 to the effect that it is a tyranny on them to make English a compulsory subject for girls. I can understand English being included in the list of optional subjects for them, but personally I don't see any necessity for even that. So much time and labour are wasted over committing to memory the words of English language, with their entirely foreign background, that the student then becomes unfit for many other things he ought to do. And it would be very harmful to the country, if the energy of our girls is used up in studying English. In fact, there is no need for men also to learn it. Only politicians, representatives who go abroad and students with a literary bent may learn the language. I don't see any necessity for the masses to learn it. I do not mean to say that the masses should be deprived of the benefit of anything worth knowing, that may be written in the English language, but those who are proficient in English, may translate it into regional languages, so that the masses can get the benefit. It would also mean a great saving of expense, if English is dropped from the subjects of study". __________________

1. Ever since he took the bold step of marrying a Brahmin widow, Prof. D. K. Karve devoted his life to the cause of women's education and founded the S. N. D. T. University for women.

"Bhaishri,

....We are always so anxious to live on as long as possible that death, and specially that of some loved one, appears to us like a dreadful phantom. But I have often felt that the occurrence of death is the real time of our test. He who has even a slight awareness of the immorality of the indwelling spirit, sees death in its true colours. To that man any grief over the death of anybody, is at once unnecessary and wasteful. These thoughts are by no means new, but their reminder, at the time of a calamity, gives solace to the heart. It is with that object that all this has been written."

To Manilal :

".. ....I feel bored at the blind adoration of the people for me. If they know my views and even then respected me, I could utilize their regard for me for national work. I do not wish to gain any popularity at the cost of hiding my religious views. If I become an object of universal contempt for sticking to the right course, I would hail that too.

Remembering that man always looks before and after and pines for what is not, as all his desires are never satisfied, let us be at peace with ourselves."

To Mrs. Millie Polak : Sabarmati,

• "Dear Millie,

6-3-'18.

.. .. .. .. I am here attending to the Kaira trouble, as also a big strike. My passive resistance is, therefore, beginning to have full play in all the departments of life. These two things detain me in Ahmedabad. I am sending Henry some papers about it directly. I have been watching his career. Nothing that Henry does in this direction will surprise me. I should feel sad, if I found him doing less. He will feel the loss of Sir William Wedderburn (a veteran Congress leader), but he has not left the world before his time... Do you write to Mr. Ambalal ? He is the most stubborn opponent in the strike."

Deodar's reply to Bapu's letter: Did not accept all Bapu's contentions, but complained about his illness. Answer :

Wednesday 9-3-'18

• "Do by all means come and we shall discuss. Meanwhile, we must

agree to differ. I have come in close touch with both Messrs. Pratt and Ghosal (the Collector of Kaira District) and I think I know them. I suppose we shall have to be content with half your usefulness. He who remains sick half the time of his life, is only half useful; is he not? You will not do the one thing to regain health.

Yours sincerely, M. K. Gandhi"

7-3-'18

"Bhai Pranjivan,

Whatever the final outcome of the struggle in Kaira, it is certain that both the public and the official world are given a very good training. An unprecedented awakening has come over the people. The very idea of non-payment of taxes was once unthinkable, and considered an act of disloyalty. But now people have begun to put the idea into action freely and fearlessly. Those from the educated classes, who have become volunteers, are benefited immensely. Towns people who had never seen a village, got an opportunity to see 600 of them; the work there is still not over. Things are going on the same splendid way, in the tussle between millowners and workers. We are penetrating all the strata of Indian life. That 10,000 workmen are observing a strike quite peacefully, without a rupee being spent after them, is by no means a small achievement and yet it is a fact. People have realized the truth of the principle : 'Self-help is the best help'. The strikers have been given these two keynotes for success :

'On you, not on others, depends your success' and 'No victory without voluntary self-suffering.'

Gandhiji then answered Sri Pranjivan's question?whether he should extend his shipping business, as one ship owned by him was being built :

"The answer to your question, whether it is good for you to expand your business, depends entirely upon your goal in life. Nobody knows how long he will live. It may be all right to earn money in order to do good to the people, but, if in the process of gaining wealth, death overtake the man, he will have to repent at his deathbed, for having done no service to the people. But if earning money is considered a good thing by itself, and so if the aim of life is to pile up money, or if a man thinks it his duty to expand his business, so that the country's trade position may improve, then, of course, one has but to go in for greater and greater business."

"Bhai Mansukhlal,

Your criticism does not make me unhappy. I do not think of the question of Kathiawar as one of no importance. It appears to me to be such a big problem, that I feel I have not the capacity to cope with it, at least, at present. Nor is it true that I have not thought over the problem, but I have deliberately set it aside. It is possible that my decision, not to handle it, betrays my weakness. If it is so, I should be endowed with sufficient strength; it cannot be pumped into me by you or anybody else. For it, there must be a fire burning within, which it is not."

10-3-'18

Bapu drenched me with his love today, as he opened himself out in sweet reminiscences of his family :

"Harilal will indeed be hurt by my letter to him, but I could not give him any other reply. Nobody in the world, perhaps, has tasted the joys of parental love as much as I. My claim in that matter is very high. If I am told that so-and-so loves his father or mother more than I, I would say, 'All right, bring him to me; let me test him first.' My parents had surrendered themselves to my love. My father would never ask any of the servants to do anything for him, but he would insist on my doing it. If it was water that he wanted, or a shampoo of his legs, or any other personal service, small or big, there was sure to be a call for me. He simply doted up on me. It is hard to find a father so loving as he. That day, when I tried to see the drama, is indelibly carved in my memory, O, the tears he shed, and the punishment he inflicted upon himself then ! This was how it all happened. That day I was pressing his legs, as usual, but my heart was far away. The one thought 'Oh, if only Bapu spared me today to let me see the play !' revolved in my mind "Bapu!" I broached the subject timidly. But he had chosen to be deaf. He had sensed, of course, that the boy's heart was not in the massage. 'Bapu'. I ventured to repeat, 'an excellent play is to be enacted today'. No answer. But my craze to see the performance blinded me to the plainest signs. The third time I pressed; "Bapu, there is an excellent programme. Shall I go to see it ? 'Yes', came out from his trembling lips, but the meaning was a clear 'no'. Even that did not deter me. I stuck to the letter of the permission and went. The curtain was only just lifted and the first scene was on, when a man came from home and told me, 'Bapu is weeping like anything and beating with his palm his forehead in anguish.' I came out, sped home, fell at Bapu's feet. He spoke not a word, not one word of anger or reproach. He showed his dislike merely through a stream of tears and gesticulation. Never since that day have I seen a single play, so long as he was alive.

He was a very strict disciplinarian. "No; you will do this, not that." "This has got to be done." "What's this nonsense ?" "Who did it this way ?" ?came out from his lips with irresistible finality. He insisted on having his way always. Even when the most confidential consultations were going on, or when the most celebrated State-representative was visiting him, he would have me by his side. Every little personal service he would take from me alone. I used to pestle into a paste his medicated opium also. Some Vaidya (physician who prescribes from Sanskrit medical books) had told him, "If you take just a slight quantity of opium, it will keep up your vitality." His was such a personality that the Thakore Saheb of Rajkot himself would often come to our house. There was an unforgettable incident in connection with the Thakore Saheb. He was about to marry two princesses?one from Dharampur and the other from Kanpur. Dharampur's was a more imposing durbar, and the marriage party going there to fetch the bride were sure to receive far more costly gifts in jewellery, clothes and money. But Bapu decided that we ?my brother and myself ?were to proceed to the less respectable Kanpur. This raised a hot discussion at home. Mother was offended. 'What ? My sons to go to Kanpur! She grumbled. She thought out a stratagem to override Bapu's wish. She asked us to see the Thakore Saheb himself just on the day when the marriage-parties were to leave Rajkot. To Thakore Saheb then we hied that morning. But Bapu was there, sitting. Eyes red with rage, he glared. We broke down. The Thakore Saheb saw us weeping. What's the matter, Gandhi ? Why this severe look ? What's it that they want ?" "We are Diwansaheb's (Chief Minister's) sons," we pleaded, "and don't like to go to Kanpur." "Perfectly true," agreed the Thakore Saheb. "The marriage party may not have reached even the city limit. Run and join them. Yes, Dharampur, not Kanpur is where you should go." But Bapu put his foot down. "No", he intervened with a quiet decision: "You are going to Kanpur. Dharampur is no good for boys like you." If his sons got out of hand at that early age, he felt, and caught a craving for luxuries, what would they come to in life ? So Bapu's point was carried and we went to Kanpur.

I used to get scholarships, 5 and 10 rupees, in the sixth and the seventh forms. But not a pice have I ever used for myself."

I talked of Lallubhai's son.1 Bapu remarked,"Yes, that's typical Kathiawar. Devdas seems to have thoroughly imbibed all such healthy traditions and has been keeping them up, I see." ________________

1. Late Sri V. L. Mehta, an ex-Minister of Bombay State after Independence and son of Sir Lallubhai Samaldas, who relinquished his right to a College scholarship in favour of Mahadev Bhai Desai, who was then in need of the amount for his further studies.

12-3-'18

Mrs. Besant visited Ahmedabad. There was a dinner in her honour at Ambalal Sarabhai's. Confidential talks were held before the dinner-time and I was present. They referred to the strike first of all. With a look towards Ambalal Bapuji said to Mrs. Besant: "They were prepared to crush millhands out of existence," and Ambalal paid back in the same coin, "And they were prepared to crush the millowners out of existence." Mrs. Besant then suggested, "Do you wish, Mr. Gandhi, that I should approach the Government in the matter ?" Bapuji : "No, I do not at all wish you to move the Government in the matter. There has been perfect good humour between us." Mrs. Besant : "Oh, quite unusual. What about your Kaira people, Mr. Gandhi ?" Bapuji: "Well, I think I need not be sparing in the use of adjectives, and I may say that the Government have been most stupid in their attitude. They ought to understand. They do not see how far we have climbed down. We have taken particular care to keep the agitation out of the Press. Otherwise, we could have done it very well. There is an unusual amount of activity in Kaira, we have reached every village and every homestead. (As to the ryot) Kaira has a bold peasantry. It is one of the richest tracts in India. It has magnificent trees. Trees in Bihar grow of themselves. Here they are grown. The Kaira farmer has put in the whole of his energy into the soil."

There was a long 'personal and private' letter from Ambalal Sarabhai today. Immediately after reading it, Bapu tore it to pieces. He was then at Ansuyabehn's and there and then he wrote out a reply. As I was standing just behind him with my face over his head, I read the letter through as he was writing it. I requested him to let me take down a copy. "Nothing doing", he said, "such letters should never be copied and preserved. These things can never be published. You must not copy it even in your diary." "But I may write down at least what I can remember." I put in. "Well? ?, You may," he relented. This was the last day of the notice-period given by the mill-owners before declaring a lock-out. Seth Ambalal might have expected that a large number of weavers would turn up before the notice-period expired, but none of them did, though some of them, it seems, had given him some hope that they might. In that private letter Sri Ambalal seems to have made an allegation that some workers were prevented from attending the mills by intimidation and force and so, it appears, he had requested Bapuji to give instructions to the strikers not to use pressure.

The gist of Bapu's reply was :

'I have got your letter and destroyed it after perusal. I have never wished that any pressure be put upon loyal millhands. I will certainly inquire and do the needful, if you give me specific instances of intimidation. Personally, I am indifferent about the success or failure of the strike, after doing my duty in the matter, and I never wish that a single mill-hand remains absent from his mill against his will. I am even prepared to escort a loyal worker to his mill, if he comes to me and says he wants to join. I am entirely indifferent in the matter of the workers' attendance or absence. My part of the work is done and there the matter ends for me.

Now that you have given me this delicate question (of the strike) to tackle, how is it possible for me to have the pleasure of a stay with you ? I am very eager to meet your children, but I have to suppress that desire for the present. I have but to postpone that delightful meeting to a more favourable occasion in future.'

17-3-'18

During his prayer speech in the Ashram, he explained his reasons for going on a fast :

"The step I have now taken is really very drastic and dreadful, but I was actuated by a deep and weighty consideration. It is dreadful because all those numerous men and women in India who know me will get a shock and will bewail it. At the same time, I saw in the fast a good opportunity to give out to the world one sublime principle of action. I thought I should not miss that chance and so I took that terrible step. I have been impatient for the last 2 days to explain significance of the fast, but till now I could not get sufficient leisure for it. My inability to present myself at the morning and evening prayers of the Ashram pains me deeply. That is one reason why I am here today. Added to it is the fact that the artiste, whom we wanted for our prayer songs, came to stay with us yesterday, and I won't allow myself to be cheated of the joy of listening to his melodious music. I have overcome many an allurement, but there are many others that still cling. As we have got all that we wanted on the subject of music in the Ashram, for the present at least, I made it a point to come over here, despite the most loving pressure of Ansuyabehn to stay with her. On occasions such as this (of fasting), specially, the Ashram music has a very soothing and elevating effect on my whole being. This is just the right time and place to pour out before you what is welled up in my mind. It would be bad to call you away from your respective duties and collect you here at any other time.

From the mine of our ancient culture and civilization, a gem has come into my possession, i.e., I have learnt a principle of life, which, if thoroughly assimilated, can enable even the very few of us who are here to rule the world. But before I tell you what it is, I have to say something else by way of a preface. There is only one individual in the whole of India today, after whom millions of our countrymen are mad and for whom they would willingly lay down their lives. That man is Tilak Maharaj.1 I have often felt that this extraordinary popularity is a treasure which Tilak Maharaj alone possesses and he can make capital out of it for India's good. Though he has written 'Gita-rahasya' (The essential teaching of the Bhagawad Gita), yet, deep down in me, the feeling persists that he has not imbibed the true spirit of Mother India, viz., her age-old pursuit after soul force. And that is why the country still welters in its present plight. In his heart of hearts, he feels that we must copy the Europeans. It ___________________

1. The 'extremist' leader who was among the first to suffer imprisonments. He gave India the war cry, 'Swaraj is my birthright and I will have it.' He was a great scholar also and wrote several books on Indology.

is his aim to make his country shine as brilliantly as Europe shines today, or rather as it appears to shine in the eyes of those who are enamoured of European ways and outlook on life. He did, indeed, suffer six years' incarceration, but only to show a kind of courage that Europe understands and approves. He wanted our oppressors to realize that Indians also have the grit to spend years and years in jail. Many great men of Russia were banished to Siberia to rot till death in its goals there, but they never voluntarily accepted jail-life as a corollary of their spiri- tual wisdom. To spend away one's life, in the way they did, is to fritter away our God-given wealth. Were Tilakji's object in his sufferings spiritual and not political, our condition to-day would have been far better, because astounding benefits might have come out from them.

It is this central point?the spiritual background behind my suffering through the fast?that I want him to understand. While fully keeping within the bounds of deference due to such a great man as he, I have talked to him as much as I could about the point, though I must say I have not written or spoken on it quite explicitly. It is true indeed that in my writings this phase of my life has been played down in order to deal more fully with the question on hand. But Tilakji's nicety of perception is by no means ordinary and he can read between the lines. Even otherwise, this is a principle which cannot be really understood through a written or a spoken word. Its practice with its visible results alone can convince the sceptic. So I thought that though I have often written indirectly about it, I must not miss a chance to show to the world its superb efficacy through practical demonstration. This occasion gave me the chance.

An equally great personality is Pandit Madanmohan Malaviya. He is the purest of all the present leaders of India, i.e., of all political leaders and all those others whom we know, though there may be other holy persons whom we do not know. Even a man with such purity of character, and such deep knowledge of the scriptures, as he is, does not quite understand, I am sorry to say, what India really stands for. I know I transgress the rules of decorum when I say so. Malaviyaji may get enraged and run me down as a presumptuous, conceited fellow. But the fact is such and I have no hesitation in declaring it. I have often said so to Malaviyaji himself. With him, in particular, I am bound by strong ties of love, and I have had many a loving tussle with him on this question. But at the end of all my argument he would say, "what you say may be all right, but I remain unconvinced." I have got this opportunity to show him, by example, the truth of my plea. To both these great men I must show the true spirit that has been animating India since ages past.

For the last twenty days, I have been moving among ten thousand mill-workers. In my presence they took a solemn oath with Ishwara or Khuda (Hindu and Muslim words for God) as their witness. And they took it with great fervour. Whatever they be in other respects, these labourers are believers in their God.

They had supposed that God was sure to rush to their rescue, as they had strictly kept the vow for full 20 days. But when God did not help them even then, and chose to put them to a severer test, their faith in Him weakened. They felt, 'Trusting the word of this one man, we suffered so long but gained nothing. Instead of listening to his advice to remain peaceful, had we indulged in violence we would have got within quite a few days, not merely the 35% increment we demanded but even more'. That was their changed outlook after 20 days. It was impossible for me to put up with this mentality. It appeared to me as the victory of Satan, if a vow, taken in my presence, could be broken so easily and if the people's faith in God faded away. Life would become intolerable to me, if I remained a passive witness to the extinction of dharma even in a matter in which I was participating. I realised I must make the mill-workers understand the seriousness of a vow and show them how far I would go to honour it. If I did not do that, I was a coward, I felt. If a man who claims to jump over the length of a pole, fails to jump over even the little span of 9 inches, he betrays himself a braggart and a coward. I had to save those ten thousand persons from a moral fall and I took the only possible step for it. My fast had an electric effect, beyond my wildest hope. Thousands of men were present there and streams of tears flowed through their eyes. A wave of conversion?an awareness of the Soul ? swept them. Life pulsated where men had become but stocks and stones. Their spirits rose high and they regained the confidence that they could keep the vow. The sight convinced me beyond doubt that the light of dharma in India is not yet extinct, that Indians are still their true selves, capable of realizing the Self within and knowing Its power. If Tilak Maharaj and Malaviyaji open themselves to this, the true spirit of India, we can achieve miracles.

I am at present brimming over with joy. Formerly, when I took such a vow (of fasting), I did not experience so much of peace. The cravings of the flesh affected me and I had to struggle. This time all is peace within and the demands of the body are altogether absent. Perfect calmness pervades the mind. There is a desire to pour out myself before you, but it is also true that I am overwhelmed with joy and bliss."

• *
• * Alluding

further to the implications of his vow, he said:

"My pledge is aimed at firing the strikers with courage enough to enable them to stick to their resolve, and at showing to the public that an oath is no light matter and must not be trifled with. It is a sign of the miserable plight of the country, if vows could be lightly taken here and equally lightly broken. And if ten thousand labourers went back upon their solemn resolve, the country would head straight for disaster. It would become impossible to raise again the question of the amelioration of labour conditions. Everywhere the disgraceful precedent of Ahmedabad would be cited and they would say, " Ten thousand labourers suffered for 20 long days? and with such a leader as Gandhi?and yet they failed.". So I was faced with the imperative need of bracing up the spirits of the labourers by any fair means. How could I do so, except by that of self-suffering ? I saw the necessity of setting an example to them, so that they may realize that in honouring a pledge, suffering, even to this extent, may have to be gone through. That was why I took this vow. I know it is tainted in one respect. It is possible that owing to this vow the feelings of the millowners may be moved and simply out of pity for me, they may accept the 35% increase demanded by us. It is my earnest desire, however, that they should grant the increase only if they saw the justice of it and should give nothing, not a pie, on sentimental grounds. All the same, my vow will naturally rouse their sympathy and, to that extent, it covers me not with honour but with shame. But I had to choose between two alternatives: my shame and the strikers' plighted word. The balance tilted in favour of the second one, and I decided to bear with my shame for the sake of the workers. A man must always be prepared to put up with such humiliation, if he wants to do public work. So my vow is not at all a kind of threat to the millowners, and I for one do wish that they saw my vow in that light and granted the 35% demand, only when they were convinced of its propriety. It is my appeal to the workers also that they should go to the millowners and tell them my view-point."

18-3-'18

His prayer speech :

"Most probably the compromise will be signed before 10 O'clock today. I am examining its terms with a self-analytic watchfulness. It is a compromise that I would never ordinarily accept. But the fault lies with my own vow, which was defective in many respects. I do not mean to say that its faults outnumbered its merits, but, while the good points far exceeded the bad, there were several glaring faults also. As far as it affected the workers, the vow left nothing to be desired and accordingly, marvellous results have accrued from it. But in relation to the millowners, it was tainted and in that respect I had to eat the humble pie. I saw that my fast had put a pressure on the millowners. Whatever I may say in the matter, they cannot help being influenced by the fast, and the world will agree that it would necessarily have that effect on them. Owing to this undesirable element in my fast, the millowners had ceased to be free agents. And to get a signature to any document from a man, or to make him agree to any course, or to take any article from him under duress, is against the principle of equity. A Satyagrahi, in particular, should never do so, and that is why I had to yield on many points in the terms of the compromise. The situation put me to shame, and what else could such a man do ? I had to key down many demands and to accept, even from the lowered demands, whatever the millowners gladly agreed to. Had I put forth our demands in toto, they would have accepted them all, but to take everything from them, after putting them in such an awkward position, was an act of meanness, which I could never stoop to. It would be like indulgence in a hellish revelry at the end of a holy fast. And when I refuse to take even an ambrosial food, if it is not the right time for it, how could I ever wish to join a hellish feast ?

I think that some of the sayings in our religious books are the result of deep spiritual experience. Thoreau says, where injustice prevails, no honest man can be rich and, where there is justice, he can never be in want of anything. Our scriptures go even further and say that life is impossible for an honest man, where injustice is the order of the day. That is the real reason why some of our holy men abstain from activity altogether. They do so not out of a sense of defeat or ennui, but because the world is too unfit for any activity on their part. To them the world seems so steeped in lie and cant that they find it impossible for themselves to live in it. If there is one pure soul, they think, among all others who are Pharisees, he should either go away from them or degrade himself to their level of impurity. So there are some very holy men who go away to the Himalayas or the Vindhyachala mountains and wear away their bodies there in spiritual pursuits. To some of those who achieve their goal, this physical encasement itself appears a snare and a delusion and, being believers in the immortality and the immanence of the Indwelling Self, they give up the mortal coil and attain 'Keval Moksha' (absolute and final beatitude). Some of them even return to the world, but only after reaching so high a state of enlightenment that they can assert their will, even while living in the midst of the world's hypocrisy. When I compare my state with that of these giants of spiritual strength, I feel myself Lilliputian. All the same, I have a good idea of my power; but I also know that in the eyes of others it appears much higher than it really is. As days pass more and more it seems to me that the world is full of untruth and shame and the feeling grows that I may not live in it much longer. Even when I was in Phoenix, I had often told them, "Don't be surprised if one day, all of a sudden, I disappear from your midst." So, if the Spirit moves me, I may fly away some day to such an unknown place that I can never be traced. But my disappearance should not unnerve you, and you must go on doing the work you may have taken on hand."

21-3-'18

When once Bapu begins to praise a man, because he appre-ciates him, he does not stint in pouring out all his love and regard for him. He does not then care to see whether that man really deserves all that love and esteem. In the eye of the lover, the loved one appears to be a paragon of virtue, though, in fact, he may be a contemptible creature. But may not this practice of Bapu harm the man himself ? And when such exaggerated remarks are made before a large crowd and in the very presence of the persons praised, some of them feel embarrassed, some think that there is no meaning in them and some, I know, feel even insulted. The Professor once told me, "When Bapu says fine things about any person?no matter if he refers to us also?we may take it that Bapu does not rate him or us at any high value. He simply considers us as of a piece with many others."

Today, for instance, as he was chatting with Prof. C. F. Andrews and I came up to serve tea to the guest, he smothered me with his praises.

• "This man is overflowing with love for you. He thinks you can

eat all these dates; he thinks you will want all this tea. And I do not think I shall spoil him by praising him in his presence, if I say that he has simply filled the Ashram; he has come not to be blessed by the Ashram but to bless it. I am ashamed when I have to say this, but it is true that there are some men who have come to bless the Ashram and not to be blessed by it. He is one of the few pearls I have got here. And I told you so that you hug him and love him and dote on him."

As he proceeded, he talked of Maganlal:

• "Maganlal is, of course, the giant that he was at Phoenix, but

is a hundred times the giant that he was there. He has filled his life with sacrifice. He has made the greatest sacrifices; he has sacrificed all ambitions simply for one or two things. He knows that he can very well join me in the passive resistance struggles, but in not joining me he thinks he is making a big sacrifice. For he is childlike in simplicity, and he can rejoice in taking part in the procession and going to jail, but he has sacrificed all this, because he understands that he is indispensable to the Ashram and that he cannot, therefore, leave it."

The talk then turned on Kaira:

• "There is a new spirit in the air. The people here have now

come to think that, in matters of public interest, they ought to be able to do without English assistance. And you will agree that upto a point they are right. When we got your telegram yesterday, I opened it before many of my friends, and I suggested to them we might have you to help us. I thought that when you came, I should be free to go to Delhi (for the Ali brothers' internment question), and from my having to go to Delhi, it struck me that you might take up either the Kaira question or the internment question. The cause in Kaira is right, though in morality the workers are not quite so right, as the workers in Bihar; not that they are wrong, but Bihar is quite apart; in spirituality they (Biharis) are infinitely great. All the workers here are quite bold and spirited, however, and you will like to work with them. Kaira is one of the richest tracts in India. It is beautiful too, not naturally beautiful, but has been made beautiful by human hands, unlike Bihar which God has made beautiful. Bihar is naturally a garden; here the people have planted and nurtured the trees and made Kaira a garden. And Kaira has probably some of the best agriculturists in India. They know scientific agriculture, their study of complementary crops and knowledge of which crop will sort well with which is excellent. The situation is somewhat difficult. We are able to pay the instalment, but the point does not lie there. It lies in the behaviour of these civilians. We want to show it to them that we cannot tolerate it. They know that the people are in difficulty, there is plague, even that the year is bad. But still they should continue their brutality. I do not think I am using harsh language, but I am convinced, and I want to tell the Viceroy, too, that the fount of British connection is defiled. The 'talati' (village officer) is his representative and they accept his estimates of the year. This is a deplorable state of things. You will feel it, and I think you will give life to the whole question, because, though I feel it intensely, I have not your language."

27-3-'18

A tragic letter from Professor Kriplani :

With the death of both his brother and brother's wife, a sudden calamity has befallen him and he fears he will have to forego the joy of serving the public.

Reply :

• "My dear friend,

You will forgive me for not writing to you earlier. I hope Girdhari (the professor's nephew) gave you my message. I wanted to give you a letter that would bring you peace and joy. And I waited. I may fail to give you such a letter even now. But I can no longer keep back writing to you. Your own letter, pouring forth the soul's agony, stares me in the face. But should death, even when it overtakes us so suddenly, as it has done in your brother's case, paralyse us? Is it not only 'a change and a forgetting' ? Is it any the less so, when it comes all of a sudden? You have been called to a privileged position. Your faith and your philosophy are on their trial. If you feed by honest means two hungry mouths of your family, you are performing a truly national service. What will happen to India, if all the bread-winners turned so-called servants of India? You will only now be weighed in the balance, and I know you will not be found wanting. All your friends also are now on their trial. Pray let me know your plans. If you can, do come to see me and we shall discuss them. Any assistance I can render is, you know, yours.

With deep love and sympathy,. Bapu"

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