E-Book - Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi – His Life & TimesChapter XIVGandhi RevisitedIARRIVED at the New Delhi airport on June 25, 1946, and drove to the ImperialHotel. I was tired from the flight from Cairo; I needed a bath and shave. But Ihad an uncontrollable impulse to see Gandhi immediately. My first act in India,I felt, should be to have a word with Gandhi. So instead of making sure I had aroom in the hotel, I left my luggage in the lobby and took a taxi to Gandhi'slittle stone hut in the Harijan colony.He was at his evening prayer meeting in an open space outside the hut.Approximately a thousand persons were at the services. Gandhi in loincloth, amoist white pad on his head, his feet on his thighs; sat in the centre of a largeelevated wooden platform with several disciples. His eyes were closed.Occasionally he opened them and beat time with his hands to the singing. Onthe ground, in front of the platform, sat the women worshippers; behind themthe men. The curious stood around on the periphery of the congregation. TheIndian and foreign correspondents were there, also Mridula Sarabhai, Nehru andLady Cripps.I posted myself at the foot of the three wooden steps where Gandhi woulddescend from the prayer platform. 'Ah, there you are,' he said; 'well, I have notgrown better-looking in these four years.''I would not dare to differ with you' I replied. He threw back his head andlaughed. Taking me by the elbow, he walked towards his hut; he asked aboutmy trip, my health and my family. Then, probably sensing that I would like tostay for a talk, he said, 'Lady Cripps is here to see me. Will you walk with metomorrow morning?'Later that evening I went to the house of Abul Kalam Azad, the Congresspresident, for dinner with him, Nehru, Mr. Asaf Ali and other members of theCongress Working Committee. They seemed tense, and listened with specialattention to the government news broadcast. Earlier that day, Congress hadwww.mkgandhi.org Page 475