E-Book - Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi – His Life & Timesothers too; he converted the seaside villa into a temporary hospital whereailing associates, summoned from near and far, gave Gandhi pleasure bysubmitting to his mud packs, water baths, food fads and massage. Chiefly,however, he advanced his and their convalescence with the medicine oflaughter and companionship.Others came to Juhu too — unasked — and Gandhi appealed to them throughthe press to come, if they must, between 4 and 5 in the evening for prayers onthe sands. But 'seeing me', he explained, 'is not likely to be of benefit to you. Itis an indication of your love for me, but it is an exaggerated indication'. Itwould be much better to spend the money and time on spinning. If they gavehim peace he could husband his 'very small ... capital of energy' and resume theactive editorship of Young India, his 'views paper', and Navajivan, which he didon April 3, 1924.To Juhu, too, came C. R. Das and Motilal Nehru for discussions on the uglysituation that had arisen during the twenty-two months Gandhi spent in prison.First, Hindu-Moslem friendship, the firm rock on which Gandhi hoped to build aunited, free India, had been all but submerged in an angry tide of hostilitybetween the two immunities.The Khilafat movement was dead, killed not y Britain, but by Kemal Pasha(Ataturk), the master of Moslem Turkey. Wiser than most of his Indiancoreligionists Kemal had created a secular republic, Latinized the cursiveArabic script, proscribed the fez and other Oriental head-dress and, havingdeposed the Caliph, allowed him to flee to the island of Malta in a British manof-warin November 1922. A weak heir clung to the illusion of the Caliph'sreligious primacy, but in March 1924 he too became a refugee.Left without a cause, the Khilafat movement disintegrated. Therewith, largescaleHindu-Moslem political collaboration came to an end.Second, the non-co-operation movement was dead. 'Scores of lawyers haveresumed practice,' Gandhi said, summarizing what he was told at Juhu andwhat he learned first hand. 'Some even regret having given it up... Hundreds ofwww.mkgandhi.org Page 246