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 24: Gandhiji To Sarojini Naidu
May 30, 1925

Santiniketan, May 30, 1925

Dear Mirabai,
I have your letter as also your telegram. Your description of your place is so enchanting that you make me jealous. May the rest there restore you to tolerable health. I suppose it is useless to hope for complete restoration in your case.
Everybody felt like you the non-necessity of attending the W.C. So there was only Dr. Varadarajulu besides Jawahar and myself. All the same I pardon you for not coming. The rest you are giving yourself is absolutely necessary. You want me to call a meeting of 12 representatives. I do not see the utility at present. No one wants unity of the heart for no one wants to sacrifice anything. You cannot force on a people what they are not ready for. But you evidently believe in the present possibility of achieving it. If you or anyone else calls such a meeting, I would gladly attend. I must not lead.
If girls are bolder with me than boys it is because the former respond more quickly to my call. But I shall make no distinction and therefore send love to both and you also, on condition that you get well quickly.

Yours,
M.K. Gandhi

From: Padmaja Naidu Papers at Nehru Memorial Museum and Library; Collected Works, Supplementary Volume 1, pages 305-06