Read without ads and support Scribd by becoming a Scribd Premium Reader.
See Premium Plans
 
VOL. 19 : 29 SEPTEMBER, 1919 - 24 MARCH, 1920
1
1. LETTER TO G.E. CHATFIELD
A
SHRAM
,
September 29
[
1919
]
DEAR MR. CHATFIELD,
Anasuyabehn has just shown me the order regarding the levy tobe made from the inhabitants of Ahmedabad including the millhandson account of the April disturbances. I observe that the levy from themill-hands is to be collected today by the mill-owners paying to theHazur Deputy Collector one week's wages out of the amount held bythem as caution money on their account. I venture to think that thislevy will come upon the mill-hands as a perfect surprise. Will it not bebetter to give them some time to realize the situation and to makeindividual or collective payments themselves. The proposed summaryprocedure may be suitable from the Government standpoint, nay, evenbe agreeable to the mill-owners. But the principle of leaving totallyout of consideration the party that is to pay seems to me to be dange-rous and demoralizing. I should imagine that the Government areinterested in the mill-hands realizing and recognizing their own dig-nity and becoming conscious of their own responsibility.Moreover, I do not know whether you are aware that the comingdays are auspicious days for both Mohammedans and Hindus. TheMoharram festival is always, all over India, a time of anxiety for theGovernment. I have no doubt that this matter has been overlooked byyou as well as others who are responsible for fixing the time of levy.But you will agree with me that the mill-hands who are even ordinarilysuspicious will jump to the conclusion that the time chosen forcollecting the levy has been specially selected in order to wound theirfeelings and cause them embarrassment. I therefore venture to suggestthat the collection from the mill-hands may be deferred till after theDiwali holidays. Meanwhile I need hardly assure you that you willdepend upon those who are at all connected with the mill-hands doingtheir best to facilitate collection. I know that you will treat this matter
 
2
THE COLLECTED WORKS OF MAHATMA GANDHI
as very urgent and, if you at all agree with my argument, issue thenecessary orders.
1
Yours sincerely,
From a photostat of the handwritten draft : S. N. 6904
2. LETTER TO P.S. TO VICEROY 
S
ABARMATI
,
September 30, 1919
T
O
T
HE
H
ON
'
BLE
M
R
. S.R. H
IGNELL
, C.I.E., I.C.S.P
RIVATE
S
ECRETARY
T
O
H
IS
E
XCELLENCY THE
V
ICEROY
DEAR MR. HIGNELL,
As His Excellency is aware, there are orders against me which,among others, prohibit me from entering the Punjab and from leavingthe Bombay Presidency. Hitherto, I have not been keen about theorders being withdrawn, if only because, so long as the Governmentpersists in retaining on the Statute Book the Rowlatt Act, so long mustmy civil resistance continue
in esse
or
in posse
. But the situation hasaltered somewhat now. In my humble opinion, it is necessary for meto be in the Punjab when and some time before the forthcomingCommittees begin their sittings. I claim that my presence can onlyhelp to elucidate truth. There is an urgent demand from the Punjabthat I should be in that province before and at the time of the inquiry.I see that so many things are alleged to have happened in my namethat I am naturally interested in the proceedings. I hope, therefore,that the orders against me, so far as the Punjab is concerned, will beremoved.
2
N.A.I. : Home Department : Political A : October 1919 : File Nos. 426-440;also from a photostat of the draft : S. N. 6911
1
In his reply, G.E. Chatfield wrote the same day : “I am afraid I cannot acceptthe principle of recovering the amount from the mill-hands by individual andcollective contributions or agree that it is unreasonable to levy a fine from themwithout consulting them first. I quite understand your point of view and I am sure youwill understand mine and how they must inevitably differ.” The Collector agreed thatthe timing of the levy was awkward, but believed that delay involved even moredanger, observed that he was making arrangements to avoid disturbances and appealedto Gandhiji to use his influence with the mill-hands to keep the peace.
2
Gandhiji followed this up with a telegram on October 2; the prohibitoryorder was withdrawn on October 15.
 
VOL. 19 : 29 SEPTEMBER, 1919 - 24 MARCH, 1920
3
3. LETTER TO SHUAIB QURESHI 
[
September 1919
]
1
DEAR FRIEND,
You will not consider me discourteous for not having replied tothe letter signed by you and other friends regarding the Ali Brothersand addressed to the Editor,
Young India
. The fact is I have beenoverwhelmed with the care of having to edit two important news-papers.
2
I must confess that I do not like your letter at all. It is alawyer's letter containing quibbles. But even that would not matter. Doyou sincerely take up the position that a Mussulman may never kill aMussulman no matter what crimes the latter may commit? I would notbe surprised if you took up that attitude, for then the rule of theBrahmin law-givers will descend upon you. They have made the lifeof the Brahmin, as they think, absolutely sacred, and, as the othersconsider possible, by providing that no matter what his crime is, aBrahmin may not be killed. It is true that the rule has been observedmore in the breach than in the performance. For, in war, we have nothesitated to kill Brahmins. My quarrel is, therefore, not with a mentalattitude, but with your impressing a Koranic text into service fordefending the position of our friends. I would like, then, to have aletter that would appeal to reason. Before your letter was received, Iwrote to Bari Saheb
3
saying that, in my opinion, no agitation for therelease of the Brothers was likely to be successful before the TurkishPeace terms were declared. I do not know whether your letter, which Isee is addressed to the Press in general, has been published elsewhere.
Q
URESHI
, S
HUAIB
C/ 
O
D
R
. [M.A.] A
NSARI
D
ELHIFrom the original pencilled draft : S. N. 6864
1
The exact date of this letter is not known. It is, however, likely that it waswritten some time towards the end of September 1919.
2
The reference is to the weeklies
Navajivan
and
Young India.
Though thejournals appeared under his full-fledged editorship only on October 7 and October 8,1919, respectively, Gandhiji did a considerable amount of editorial writing for themeven before they passed under his full control.
3
 
Vide
“Exact from Letter to Abdul Bari”, 27-8-1919.
Search
Search History:
Searching...
Result 00 of 00
00 results for result for
  • p.
    • Notes
    Load more