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VOL. 41 : 3 DECEMBER, 1927 - 1 MAY, 1928
1
1. SPEECH AT PUBLIC MEETING, CHICACOLE
December 3, 1927

You seem to be dividing all the good things with poor Utkal1. I flattered myself with the assumption that my arrival here is one of the good things, for I was going to devote all the twenty days to seeing the skeletons of Orissa; but as you, the Andhras, are the gatekeepers of Orissa on this side, you have intercepted my march. But I am glad you have anticipated me also. After entering Andhra Desh, I have been doing my business with you and I know God will reward all those unknown people who have been co-operating with me who am a self- appointed representative ofD a r i d r a n a r a y a n a. And here, too, you have been doing the same thing. Last night, several sister came and presented me with a purse. But let me tell you this is not after all my tour in Andhra. I am not going to let you alone so easily as this, nor will Deshabhakta Konda Venkatappayya let me alone, because I have toured in some parts of Ganjam. I am under promise to tour Andhra during the early part of next year, and let me hope what you are doing is only a foretaste of what you are going to do next year.

You have faith in true non-co-operation. There is the great drink evil, eating into the vitals of the labouring population. I would like you to non-co-operate with that evil without a single thought and I make a sporting proposal, viz., that those who give up drink habit should divide their savings with me on behalf ofD a r i d r a n a r a y a n . Then I see that many of you are making chimneys of your mouths by the vicious smoke habit. You, who smoke, do not know what a filthy habit it is. I saw that many of the people, when I made the appeal, threw away their cigars and cigarettes. The elderly people by indulging in this vicious habit do not know what a legacy they are leaving to their children. You know, as I know, that many children steal money in order to satisfy their curiosity to somke. I ask you therefore to non-co-operate with the smoke habit, and again divide you savings with me.

So also must Hindus non-co-operate with the devil of un- touchability. I give you my assurance that devil is keeping us from God, and it is a barrier created for our own destruction.

1Another name for Orissa
2
THE COLLECTED WORKS OF MAHATMA GANDHI

Mahatmaji then proceeded to answer some questions handed to him by someone in the audience. The first question was: \u201cWhat are the means now to be adopted by young men for the uplift of the Mother country?\u201d Mahatmaji said:

There are many things that I can suggest, but there is one thing which is the easiest for them to do and that is khadi work. They can set apart a certain sum every month or every year to be devoted for khadi work. If they have the time, they can devote it to organizing khadi work in their own district. If they cannot do so or if they have given what is best in them. If they cannot do so or if they have not confidence enough to be able to do organizing work, they can give half an hour a day to spinning and their yarn to the All-India Spinners\u2019 Association and become a member.

The second question dealt with the educational and other qualifications required
for a public worker. Mahatmaji said:
So far as educational qualifications are concerned, besides
knowing the provincial vernacular, they must know also the
Rashtrabhasha1\u2014Hindi. But the other qualifications are even far more

important. They must be strictly honest and their private character must be pure. Men whose eyes are not straight and whose heart is full of animal passion are not fit for doing political work. And in my opinion, unless he believes in truth and non-violence at any cost, he has no business to be a politician.

Answering the third question, Mahatmaji said :

Whilst all our leaders are conceiving and cooking all kinds of schemes, we, the rank and file, cannot do better than achieving the message of khadi to its fullest extent. It is not a small thing for you and me to take part in an effort to save sixty crores of rupees. You and I cannot pack the Councils, Assembly and Municipalities. Even if we would, we could not have all the qualifications. But every one of us is born with the qualification for khadi. It requires not much training except the training of the heart. By doing khadi work you will find that the power is descending upon you.

The Hindu,9 - 1 2 - 1 9 2 7
1National language
VOL. 41 : 3 DECEMBER, 1927 - 1 MAY, 1928
3
2. ESSAY ON KHADI

Readers will recall that essays in English were invited on the subject of khadi, in view of the prize announced by Shri Revashanker Jagjivan1. Accordingly, the essay written jointly by Professor Puntambekar and Shri Varadachari was awarded the prize. As this is well worth study, it has been translated [into Gujarati] for the Jamnadas Bhagwandas Memorial Series. Shri Chhaganlal Joshi of the Satyagraha Ashram has done the translation and it has now been published. It is priced at Re. 1. The total number of pages is 260. The translation runs into 215 pages, the rest being appendices. All the apppendices are useful. The last appendix gives a short history of khadi in Gujarat; in other words, it shows where khadi was formerly produced in Gujarat and how that priceless industry came to be ruined. The language used in the translation is simple. Gujarati readers will have no difficulty in understanding it. Those who wish to understand well the secret underlying the activity of spinning must positively go through this book.

[From Gujarati]
Navajivan,4 - 1 2 - 1 9 2 7
3. SPEECH AT WOMEN\u2019S MEETING, BERHAMPUR2
Decembr 4, 1927
SISTERS,

You have presented two purses for the khadi work. I acknowledge your present with gratitude. You must not think that I consider some of you as Oriyas and some as Telugus. You should feel that all are Indians. Some say that they belong to Andhra and some say that they belong to Orissa. Let all of you belong to India. Let all of you share each other\u2019s misery and happiness. Only thus can you become like Sita. Sita did not consider herself a citizen of Ayodhya. She always considered hereself as belonging to the whole of India. I am really glad that you have written this welcome address in the national language, that is, Hindi. Let all of you give up foreign saris. Let all of you use only khadi. There is no necessity for a woman to wear beautiful saris and ornaments. The only thing a woman needs is purity. Let all of you wear khadi. Let all of you be pure and truthful.

1Revashanker Jagjivan Zaveri of Bombay
2In Orissa
of 00

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