Portrait ofGandhi in London' r9o9'

Taken from Gandhi's Collected wo¡ks' volume rx (Navajivan Trust)'

M. K. GAND H I

*

Hind Swaraland other writings

edited by

ANTHONY J. PARELUniverity of Colgary, Canada

F-'',.--@CaltBRrDGEWF ^t*Rsrry rRESS

t36 ,r Supplementary writings

In conclusion, I hope I have not unduly or unwarrantably trespassedupon your courtesy and attention.I remain etc . . .

(Source: CW 9: 5o8-ro)

:F

PREFACE TO GANDHI'S EDITION OF THE ENGLISHTRANSLATION OF LEO TOLSTOY,S LETTER TO A HINDOO

Gandhi wrote tìis Preface and translated the Letter to a Híndoo in¡oGujarati during the same week that he composed Hínd Swaraj.lEð,.1

S. S. Kildonan Castle

The letter that is printed below is a translation prepared by one ofTolstoy's translators of his letter written in Russian in reply to a letterfrom the Editor of the FreeHindustan.Tlte letter, after having passed fromhand to hand, at last came into my possession through a friend who askedme, as one much interested in Tolstoy's writings, whether I thought it tobe worth publishing. I at once replied in the afûrmative and told him Ishould translate it myself into Gujarati and induce others to translateand publish it into various Indian vernaculars.

The letter as received by me was a typewritten copy. It was, therefore,referred to the author who confirmed it as his end kindty granted mepermission to print it.

To me, as a humble follower of that great teacher whom I have longlooked upon as one of my guides, it is a matter of honour to be connectedwith the publication of his letter, such, especially, as the one which is nowbeing given to the world.

It is a mere statement of fact to say that every Indian, whether he ownup to it or not, has national aspirations. But there are as many opinionsas there are Indian nationalists, as to the exact meaning of that aspirationand more especially as to the methods to be used to attain the end.

One of the accepted and 'time-honoured' methods to attain the end isthat of violence. The assassination of Sir lWilliam] Curzon Wylie was an

SuPPlementary writiígs * 1'37

illustration in its worst and [most] detestable form of that method.

Tolstoy's life has been devoted to replacing the method of violence forremoving tyranny or securing reform by the method of non-resistance to

evil. He would meet hatred expressed in violence by love expressed in self-

suffering. He admits of no exception to whittle down this great and divine

law of Love. He applies it to all the problems that worry mankind'When a man like Tolstoy, one of the clearest thinkers in t]le Western

world, one of the greatest writers, one who, as a soldier, has known what

violence is and what it can do, condemns Japan for having blindlyfollowed the law of modern science, falsely secalled, and fears for that

country 'the greatest calamities', it is for us to Pause and consider

whether, in our impatience of English rule, we do not want to rePlace one

evil by another and a worse. India, which is the nursery of the great faiths

of the world, will cease to be nationalist India, whatever else it may

become, when it goes tbrough the process of civilisation in the shape

of reproduction on that sacred soil of gun factories and hateful indus-

trialism, which has reduced the people of Europe to a state of slavery and

all but stifled among them t¡e best instincts, which are the heritage of the

human family.If we do not want the English in India, we must Pay the price. Tolstoy

indicates it:

Do not resist evil, but also yourselves Participate not in evil' in theviolent deeds ofthe administration ofthe law courts, the collection oftaxes and, what is more important, of the soldiers, and no one in theworld will enslave You,

passionately declares the sage ofYasnaya Polyana. Who can question the

truth of what he says in the following:

A commercial company enslaved a nation comprising 200 million. Tellthis to a man free from superstition and he will fail to grasp what these

words mean.What does it mean that thirty thousand people, not athletes

but rather weak and ill-Iooking, have enslaved 200 million of vigorous,clever, strong, freedomloving people? Do not the figures make it clearthet not the English but the Indians have enslaved themselves?

November 19, 19o9

1.58 * Supplementary writings

one need not accept alr that Tolstoy says - some of his facts are notaccurately stated - to realise t¡e central truth of his indictment of thepresent system which is to understand and act upon the irresistible powerof the soul over the body, of rove, which is an attribute of the sour, overthe brute or body force generated by the stirring up in us ofevil passions.

There is no doubt that there is nothing new in what Torstoy preaches.But his presentation of the old trurh is refreshingly forcefur. His logic isunassailable. And, above all, he endeavours to practise what he preaches.He preaches to convince. He is sincere and in earnest. He commandsattention.

M. K. Gandhi(Source: CW ro:3-5)

JohannesburgDear Sir,

,C

G/q,ND H I-TOLSTOY LETTERS

Gandhi to Tolstoy

You will recollect my having carried on correspondence with youwhilst I was temporarily in London. As a humble folower of yours, I sendyou herewith a booklet which I have written. It is my own translation ofa Gujarati writing. curiousry enough, the originar writing has beenconûscated by the Government of lndia. I, therefore, hastened the abovepublication of the translation. I am most anxious not to worryyou, but, ifyour hearth permits it and ifyou can find the time to go through the book-let, needless to say I shail varue very highry your criticism ofthe writing.I am sending also a few copies of your lctkr to a Hindoo, which youauthorised me to publish. It has been translated into one of the Indianlanguages also.

I am,

Yasnaya PoþnaDear Friend,I just received your letter and your booklndian Home Rule.

Your obedient sewont,

(Source: CW to: zto\

I read your book with great interest because I think that the questionyou treat in it - the passive resistance - is a question of the greatestimportance not only for India but for the whole humanity.

I could not find your former letters, but came across your biography byJ. Doss [Doke] which too interested me much deeply and gave me thepossibility to know and understand you better.

I am at present not quite well and therefore abstain from writing toyou all what I have to say about your book and all your work which Iappreciate very much, but I wilt do it as soon as I will feel better.

Your friend and brother.

[Leo Tolstoy](Source: CW ro: 5o5)

Tolstoy to Gandhi

4 April rgro

Supplementary wrífings x r39

8 May rgro

M. K. Gandhi.

W. J. Wybergh, theosophist, member of the Transvaal legislature, andcommissioner of mines for the Transvaal, was one of the first to proposesegregating Indians in 'locations'. In 1907 Gandhi had criticised hisracialist policies in the columns of lndian Opinion. (See CW 7: :,oz, :'og,z8r.) However, they remained reasonably good personal friends. [Ed.]

*

CANDHI-WYBERGH LETTERS

Wybergh to Gandhi

JohannesburgMy dear Mr. Gandhi,

Many thanks for your letter and the pamphlet on Indian Home Rule. Ihave been prevented by business from giving adequate study to it untilthe last few days. I tnd it very difûcult to criticise it adequately withinreasonable length because I do not think tlat on the whole your

May 3, rgro