The Mahatma and The Poetess

A selection of letters exchanged between Gandhiji and Sarojini Naidu


The Mahatma and The Poetess

THE MAHATMA AND THE POETESS

Compiled by : E. S. Reddy
Edited by : Mrinalini Sarabhai


Table of Contents

  1. Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu Feb 23, 1915
  2. Sarojini Naidu To Gandhiji Mar 6, 1915
  3. Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu May 4, 1915
  4. Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu Sep 20, 1918
  5. Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu Nov 18, 1918
  6. Sarojini Naidu To Gandhiji Jun 14, 1919
  7. Sarojini Naidu To Gandhiji Jul 17, 1919
  8. Cable from Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu and others Jul 28, 1919
  9. Sarojini Naidu To Gandhiji Nov 6, 1919 (extract)
  10. Sarojini Naidu To Gandhiji [before Mar 17,] 1920
  11. Sarojini Naidu To Gandhiji Jul 15, 1920
  12. Correspondence Between Mr. E. S. Montagu and Sarojini Naidu
  13. Sarojini Naidu To Gandhiji September 2, 1920
  14. Sarojini Naidu To Gandhiji Feb 13, 1924
  15. Sarojini Naidu To Gandhiji Feb 29, 1924
  16. Cable from Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu Mar 1924
  17. Sarojini Naidu To Gandhiji before May 15, 1924 (extract)
  18. Sarojini Naidu To Gandhiji before Jul 2, 1924 (extract)
  19. Telegram from Sarojini Naidu To Gandhiji Aug 4, 1924
  20. Telegram from Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu Aug 4, 1924
  21. Telegram from Sarojini Naidu To Gandhiji Aug 11, 1924
  22. Telegram from Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu [on or after Aug 12,] 1924
  23. Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu Mar 2, 1925
  24. Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu May 30, 1925
  25. Telegram from Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu Jun 17, 1925
  26. Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu Jul 6, 1925
  27. Sarojini Naidu To Gandhiji Nov 26, 1925
  28. Postcard from Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu Dec 2, 1925
  29. Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu Dec 20, 1925
  30. Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu Mar 9, 1926
  31. Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu Mar 11, 1926
  32. Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu Mar 24, 1926
  33. Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu Apr 11, 1926
  34. Sarojini Naidu To Gandhiji Jul 20, 1926
  35. Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu Jun 25, 1927
  36. Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu Jul 1, 1927
  37. Telegram from Sarojini Naidu To Gandhiji Aug 6, 1927
  38. Telegram from Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu [on or after Aug 6,] 1927
  39. Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu Apr 16, 1928
  40. Sarojini Naidu To Gandhiji Aug 7, 1928
  41. Sarojini Naidu To Gandhiji Sep 2, 1928
  42. Sarojini Naidu To Gandhiji Sep 17, 1928
  43. Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu Oct 12, 1928
  44. Sarojini Naidu To Gandhiji Nov 19, 1928
  45. Sarojini Naidu To Gandhiji Dec 16, 1928
  46. Sarojini Naidu To Gandhiji Feb 11, 1929
  47. Sarojini Naidu To Gandhiji [before Apr 11,] 1929
  48. Sarojini Naidu To Gandhiji Jun 18, 1929
  49. Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu Jul 21, 1929
  50. Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu Aug 7, 1929
  51. Sarojini Naidu To Gandhiji Nov 9, 1929
  52. Telegram from Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu Nov 14, 1929
  53. Cable from Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu Dec 5, 1929
  54. Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu Apr 16, 1930
  55. Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu May 6, 1932
  56. Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu Aug 8, 1932
  57. Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu Sep 17, 1932
  58. Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu Feb 22, 1934
  59. Sarojini Naidu To Gandhiji [before Aug 17,] 1934
  60. Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu Nov 26, 1938
  61. Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu Feb 12, 1940
  62. Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu Apr 18, 1941
  63. Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu Jul 18, 1941
  64. Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu Jul 18, 1941
  65. Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu Aug 4, 1941
  66. Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu Sep 22, 1941
  67. Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu Jun 13, 1942
  68. Pyarelal and Sushila Nayyar To Sarojini Naidu Jul 6, 1942
  69. Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu Jul 17, 1944
  70. Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu Aug 20, 1944
  71. Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu Mar 3, 1945
  72. Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu Apr 12, 1945
  73. Pyarelal To Sarojini Naidu May 25, 1945
  74. Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu Jun 9, 1945
  75. Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu Jun 16, 1945
  76. Telegram from Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu Feb 15, 1946
  77. Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu Jul 30, 1946
  78. Sarojini Naidu To Gandhiji Dec 26, 1946
  79. Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu Oct 7, 1947

APPENDIX I

  1. Speech at Reception to Gandhiji in London, August 4, 1914
  2. Foreword To A Collection of Gandhiji's Speeches, 1917
  3. "My Father, Do Not Rest": Broadcast on the All India Radio, Delhi, February 1, 1948
  4. Foreword to Mahatma Gandhi, by H.S.L. Polak and others, 1949

APPENDIX II

  1. Comment on April 11, 1918
  2. Sarojini the Singer, 1924
  3. A Call to India's Poetess, 1928
  4. Foreign Propaganda and Sarojini Devi, 1928

About This Book


The Mahatma and the Poetess

Compiled by :E. S. Reddy
Editor : Mrinalini Sarabhai
Volume Published by :
Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan,
Mumbai,


Letter 14: Sarojini Naidu To Gandhiji
February 13, 1924

Mombasa, Kenya
13 February, 1924.

Most beloved Bapu,
To give myself an exquisite birthday gift today I have stolen one moment, just one, out of my crowded hours of public engagements to send you a little message across the seas of my love, my homage, and my utter devotion to the beautiful gospel you have given to the world for its deliverance and which is my privilege to bear literally to the ends of the earth.
I came to Kenya on a mission which I have tried to fulfil according to my ability, and the heart of all communities and creeds in this wonderful country, this "Ophir" of the ancients, has been stormed, Indians, Arab, African, and European.
I am going now - on a pilgrimage - to that province that was the scene of your first victorious martyrdom in the cause of Indian rights and liberties. The call from there is poignant in its urgency, or I should have followed the temptation of my heart and set my face homewards, and you-wards by tomorrow's boat.
I shall write to you fully, and I hope legibly, from board the Khandala next week. This is only, as I said, to give myself the luxury of a birthday gift by having a moment's speech with you across space.
Will you be very kind and send me a line to meet me at Mombasa on my return journey from S. Africa? A letter posted before the 5th in Bombay will reach me in time. C/o A. M. Jeevanji, Kilandeni Road, Mombasa.
I want say so many things but I want, above all, I want to know from you one thing: that your health is improving steadily and that you are really resting in some quiet place full of beauty and the sound of clear cool waves. I wish I could transport you into the heart of one of the marvellous Highland forest retreats of Kenya - but I was forgetting - in spite of being the Greatest Man in the world you are a miserable Indian and may not have a sanctuary in the Highlands!!
I am just going off to address a meeting largely of the Europeans of Mombasa on Life and its Ideals. I shall of course have to boldly plagiarise (is that spelling correct) from the Gospel according to Gandhi.
May I send you the charming salutation of the African races and say Jambo!
You devoted friend and follower,
Sarojini Naidu

Benarsidas Chaturvedi, who has gone ahunting lions like a Kshatriya, sends you his pranams.
P.S. My health has improved though the old fever has returned in full force.


From: SN 9902