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VOL. 78 : 23 FEBRUARY, 1940 - 15 JULY, 1940
1
1. LETTER TO AMRIT KAUR
LIKANDA
February 23, 1940
MY DEAR IDIOT,

Though we have hostile slogans1, on the whole, things have gone smooth.One never knows when they may grow worse. The atmosphere is undoubtedly bad. The weather is superb. I am keeping excellent and have regular hours. The b.p. is under control.

Radical changeshave been made in the workingand composition
of the Sangh.2 This you will have already seen.
We are leaving here on Sunday and leaving Calcutta on Tuesday
for Patna3.
No more today. Mountain of work awaiting me.

Your reports about the family there are encouraging. Poonam Chand Ranka4 told me he was going to correspond directly with Balkrishna about Chindwara. Evidently he has done nothing. This is unfortunate.

Love to all.
BAPU
From the original : C.W. 3962. Courtesy : Amrit Kaur. Also G.N. 7271
2. LETTER TO SUSHILA NAYYAR
February 23, 1940
CHI. SUSHILA,

There is no news from you. How is Parachure Shastri? I have written to Biyaniji at Chhindwada. I hope Balkrishna and Kunverji are able to bear the heat.

I am keeping perfectly good health.
Blessings from
BAPU
From the Hindi original: Pyarelal Papers. Nehru Memorial Museum and Library.
Courtesy: Dr. Sushila Nayyar

1Vide \u201cSpeech at Khadi and Village Industries Exhibition\u201d, 20-2-1940
2Vide \u201cSpeech at Gandhi Seva Sangh Meeting\u2014IV\u201d, pp. 22-2-1940
3For the Congress Working Committee meeting
4President, Provincial Congress Committee, Nagpur

2
THE COLLECTED WORKS OF MAHATMA GANDHI
3. TELEGRAM TO SUSHILA NAYYAR
GANDHI SEVA SANGH,
February 24, 1940
SUSHILA
SEGAON
WARDHA
TELL VALJIBHAI TAKE
MILK
TREATMENT
WITH
REST.
BAPU
From the original: Pyarelal Papers. Nehru Memorial Museum and Library.
Courtesy: Dr. Sushila Nayyar
4. LETTER TO MIRABEHN
MALIKANDA,
February 24, 1940
CHI. MIRA,

I have been too busy to write to anybody. I had two cheery letters from you after you reached Hariana. It is good you are at peace with yourself and you found in the Pandit a true friend in need. I am glad too that you are keeping well.

The company here too is well. I am asking P[yarelal] to send
you cuttings which will give you some idea.
We leave here tomorrow, in Calcutta till 27, Patna 28 to 1st at the
most. Then Wardha, leaving W. on 9th for Ramgarh1.
Prithvi Singh is here. He is going to Ramgarh in advance. He is
taking Anand, the Japanese monk, with him.
Love.
BAPU
[PS.]
Love to Panditji.
From the original : C.W. 6450. Courtesy : Mirabehn. Also G.N. 10045
1For the Congress session
5. TALK WITH WORKERS1
MALIKANDA,
[February 24, 1940]2

All incompatible mixtures are bound to explode.3 You must resolve to act on the square, and whilst you should be prepared to compromise on non-essentials you should never be in the uncomfortable position of having to compromise truth. You should retire from all such positions. That is the essence of compromise. Let service without near or distant objective be your motto. You are surrounded by poverty on all sides. Serve those that are afflicted, whether they are Muslims, Namasudras4

or

others. Satyagraha transcends parties and divisions of class and creed. It should permeate the whole of our being and society. There is no question before you of enlisting members for the Congress. Give up all thought of gaining members for the sake of swelling your register. That is power politics. I would rather have no register than blacken it with bogus members. If you will thus become silent workers, even one of you will lead the Congress in the province without being in it.

I hope you will not now say, \u2018What will happen if the Congress is captured by the opponents ?\u2019 You know the Upanishad precept

5

Enjoy by means of renunciation. Give up the Congress in order to \u2018enjoy\u2019 or have it. The moment I set my heart on some kind of capturing I am done for. No manoeuvring to keep your hold on the Congress, no descending from the right path, and you will disarm all opposition. A bogus Congress register can never lead you to swaraj any more than a paper boat can help you to sail across the Padma.

Harijan,9 - 3 - 1 9 4 0
1 Reproduced from Mahadev Desai\u2019s article \u201cGandhi Seva Sangh\u2014II\u201d.
Gandhiji had this talk immediately before he addressed the Bengal Workers\u2019
Conference. Vide the following item.
2ibid
3According to Mahadev Desai Gandhiji was referring to the disruption
in Bengal in spite of a long tradition of educated and self-sacrificing men and
women.4A Harijan caste from Bengal
5Ishopanishad, 1
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