Our Bapu - Mahatma Gandhi

Our Bapu
Putlibai was not only deeply religious, she
was also very clever and wise. She was
greatly respected by the Ranis 9 of the
Rajkot Palace, and the Queen Mother
never did anything without consulting her.
Between Putlibai's eldest child and her
youngest, there was a difference of only
six years. The youngest was born in 1869,
that is, about eighty years ago. He was
nothing much to look at, but somehow he was the favourite of the entire
family, and Karamchand, Putlibai and the other three children were very fond
of him. The three elder children would rush into the room again and again to
see their little brother and the little child would suck his tiny thumb and gaze
at them with wide open eyes.
The father chose an auspicious day and named the infant, Mohandas. According
to the practice in Kathiawar, the father's name, and the family name, were also
added to the child's own name. And so he came to be known as Mohandas
Karamchand Gandhi.
When Mohandas was five years old, he was sent to school. He would usually
manage to learn his other lessons but he just could not remember the
multiplication tables. Try as he might, he forgot them almost as soon as he
learnt them.
Mohandas was about seven years old, when his father had to leave Porbandar
for Rajkot. The children were sad to leave their oldhome, but within a few days
they had already forgotten the old place and were happily settled in their new
place. Putlibai was a little old fashioned. She took care to avoid the touch of
people belonging to the lower castes. She was constantly telling Mohandas that
he should immediately have a bath and change his clothes. Okha, the sweeper's
son used to come to the house for cleaning it up, and it' ever, by mistake,
Mohandas touched him, his mother would at once send him down to have a
bath. Mohandas would carry out his mother's wishes and wash himself, but he
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