SECTION I : Selected Letters

Gandhi Letter 17 : To C F Andrews

DATED 2-2-1930

MY DEAR CHARLIE,

You have written to me more or less regularly but owing to your wanderings, I have not known where to write. Your latest has given me a deliberate address. I hope therefore this will reach you safely wherever you may be.
I have read your article in the New Republic. I am not taking it in Y.I. It is therefore being sent to Brelvi as you have desired.
The events have moved fairly fast. I see as clearly as never before that the spirit of violence must be dealt with by non-violent action if the situation is to be at all saved. There is the growing violence of the Government expressing itself in a variety of ways—the subtle exploitation and the necessary prosecutions as a consequence of that exploitation for instance. You will note the extended meaning I have given to violence. Greed, pilfering, untruth, crooked diplomacy—all these are phases or signs or results of violent thought and action. The reaction of this violence upon the thinking educated people is remarkable and daily growing. I have therefore to deal with this double violence. To sit still at this juncture is stupid if not cowardly. I have made up my mind to run the boldest risks. I have arrived at this definite conclusion as a result of deep and prayerful thinking. Lahore revealed it all to me. The nature of the action is not yet clear to me. It has to be civil disobedience. How it is to be undertaken and by whom besides me I have not yet seen quite clearly. But the shiny cover that over-lays the truth is thinning day by day and will presently break.
I hardly wanted to write this when I begin this letter. But there you are. Guruedev passed delightful two hours with me. He has aged considerably. We came nearer each other this time and I was so thankful. We had fully intended to meet again but Bomanji suddenly took him away to Baroda.
Manilal and his wife and baby are here. Ramdas has already. He is in Bardoli assisting Vallabhbhai's work. Mahadev is just now here.
We did not get your first volume from the publishers. I asked the Young India people to purchase a copy. It is on my desk at present. I have read the first chapter. It is a fair representation of my religious attitude.

Love,
SD. MOHAN

From the Photostat: S.N. 16424