Gandhiji Anecdotes and Quotes

Preface

Dear Friends,

I used to collect anecdotes and stories about Mahatma Gandhi

from everyday resources---books, magazines and newspaper
articles—for several years and carefully preserved them. Many of
them were written by those who were associated with Gandhiji or
journalists at that time.

I felt that these articles and notes could be of interest to a wide

audience. I am giving them in my own words and not able to
mention the various original authors, except in a few cases..
Further I have simplified the language to suit young readers as
well.
I have written the anecdotes in chronological order from 1907.

There are great moral principles illustrated in these anecdotes as

well as poignant instances in the life of Gandhiji, I did not want
to make a book out of this ;instead offer through
www.scribd.com—a free resource.

Enjoy reading these and pass it on to others.!

Nenmeli K Srinivasan

24th Aug 2009

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Years in South Africa

Gandhiji wrote: “ I once went to an English hair cutter in Pretoria.

He contemptuously refused to cut my hair. I certainly felt hurt,
but immediately purchased a pair of clippers and cut my hair
before the mirror.”

Gandhiji reasoned that this was a punishment for our [Hindus]

sins that we do not allow our brethrens to serve our
‘untouchables’ in India.

Gandhiji reached Pretoria station in 1893. He gave the ticket to

the ticket collector at the exit and started enquiring about a
place to stay. The ticket collector could not give help , but an
American blackman ,standing nearby, offered to help. He said
that he would take Gandhi to a small hotel owned by an American.
It was called ‘Johnston’s Family Hotel’.

The American hotel owner agreed that Gandhi could stay in the
hotel, but the dinner would be served only in his room. This was
because other guests would not accept a colored man dinning with
them in the common dining room.
Yet, the hotel owner found that the guests did not mind and
Gandhi was later served dinner in the common dining room along
with others.

[The following is adapted from an article by Raj Mohan

Gandhi,Mahatma’s grandson]

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It was 1907. Gandhi described his movement as “passive
resistance” ,as against ‘armed resistance’ .At the end of 1907, he
announced a prize for a new name that would convey the
character of the struggle he had launched.

His nephew ,Maganlal won the prize of two pounds with his name:
“Sadagraha” which was modified by Gandhi himself to
“Satyagraha” meaning “truth-force’ or ‘soul-force.’

First demonstration of Gandhiji’s method

When Gandhi landed at the port of Durban, a mob of angry whites

threw stones and bricks and rotten eggs at him.They tore off his
turban and beat him. They kicked him so hard until he fell almost
unconscious.
At that time,the wife of the Superintendent of police happened
to pass by. She ran to his rescue and opened her umbrella to
protect him,holding it between him and the mob. She led gandhiji
to a safe place.
The South African govt wanted to punish the wrong-doers but
Gandhi refused to file a complaint. He had forgiven them. This
incident had a very good effect on the whites.

The Great March

On 6th Nov, 1913, Gandhiji led a great march of people--2037

men,127 women and 57 children-- from Charlestown in Natal to
Transvaal…because Gen. Jan Smuts promulgated that only
marriages performed under Christian rites were legal.

Gandhi arranged the logistics with consummate skill of a military

general ! ---bread, sugar and water made available at various

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waypoints .On crossing the border, the government arrested
them and brought them back to Natal in three special trains. In
Dundee mines, they were interned as temporary prisoners. The
mine owners were their jail wardens. The people refused to work
in the mines. Some miners were killed in the firings by the police.

Following these killings, nearly fifty thousand Indian miners

and plantation workers all over Natal struck work. The Indian
Viceroy Lord Hardinge strongly deplored the measures adopted
by the South African government.

Gen Smuts then ordered an enquiry commission. Meanwhile he

released Gandhi along with his coworkers, Kallenbach and Pollack.

Meanwhile , after certain meetings between Gen Smuts and

Gandhiji , a settlement was reached. The SA Govt passed the
Indian Relief Act---repealed the three pound tax and recognized
the Muslim, Parsi and Hindu marriages. On his part, Gandhiji told
that no further indentured labor would migrate to South Africa
from India after 1920.

While in jail, Gandhi made a pair of sandals for Gen Smuts who
wrote that there was no hatred and personal ill feeling towards
Gandhi. [ Later Gen Smuts met Gandhi in 1931 when Gandhi visited
London for Round-Table Conference and apologized for his harsh
actions in South Africa.]

Plague epidemic in South Africa

The black plague epidemic broke out in the squalid Indian ghetto
of Johannesburg; the sick and dying were taken to an abandoned
building for quarantine. There a heroic English nurse spent long
hours caring for them.

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Many years later she narrated that in the evening at the height
of the epidemic , a small figure appeared at the door. She
shouted: “Get out ! This is plague.” But the man quietly replied ;”
It is alright; I have come to help you.” She let him in. He went
straight to the sick. Gandhiji attended to the sick men himself
and whispered back: “ He is my brother.” And he stayed
throughout the night until the relief came.
[Adapted from “Gandhi,the man”—Eknath Easwaran.]

Farewell to South Africa

On July, 18,1914, Gandhiji left South Africa for ever. In a

farewell speech before departure, he said that he did not claim
any credit for the Indian Relief Act. He added : “ It is rather due
to the women and children and young people like Nagappan,
Narayanaswamy and Valliamma who had died for the cause and to
those who quickened the conscience of South Africans…I go away
with no ill will against a single European.”

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Gandhiji in India—Early years of Satyagraha.

Gandhiji founded the Satyagraha Ashram [commune] on 25th May

1915 in Ahmedabad , Gujarat State. There were nearly 25 men
and women…the early coworkers. A common kitchen was set
up..The members lived as one family.

Gandhiji accepted a harijan [untouchable] family into the

Ashram. This caused a social boycott by neighbors. The flow of
funds stopped. Gandhiji told that if no funds were forth coming
,the ashram inmates should move to a ‘untouchable’ [harijan]
colony.

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 Gandhiji wrote: “ This was not the first time I had been faced
with such a trial. On all such occasions, God had sent help at the
last moment.” Soon enough, a Sheth , a wealthy merchant, pulled
up at the Ashram and offered to give monetary help. The next
day he returned and placed in the hands of Gandhiji a sum of Rs
13000 and drove away. The merchant was quite a stranger ; he
had never visited the Ashram before.!
[The following is adapted from an article by O.N. Garg, sometime
in 1994]

Temple entry of harijans

The transformation of Gandhiji was complete and sudden. On

21st September ,1921, Mahatma Gandhi got his head shaved,
discarded his clothes, settled for a loin cloth like a villager , and
assumed the persona of one whom Winston Churchill later
described as a ‘half-naked fakir”. Mahatmaji remained one till
the end. This image not only became synonymous with Gandhi ,but
also identified him with India’s poor.

The momentous decision came when Gandhiji was touring

Madurai [the temple town in deep south of Tamil Nadu] on the
banks of the small river Vaigai. He was visibly moved by the sight
of half-naked women who were washing a part of the saree they
wore.; he was told that they possessed only one saree to wear.
Then Gandhiji resolved that he would wear only the loin cloth like
the poor peasants. Earlier Gandhi wore a Khadi [home spun] dress
and a white cotton cap ,called ‘Gandhi cap’.

He was staying at No: 251, A, West Masi Street, near the

famous Goddess Meenakshi temple, occupied by one Kalyanji from
Gujarat. After donning the loin cloth, Gandhiji traveled to

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Karaikudi on Sep 21st. He started carrying a sling bag to keep
sundry things as he had no shirt pocket. The watch used to dangle
from his waist. Gandhi told further : “ I adopted this change in
dress because I always hesitate to advise anything that I may not
myself be prepared to follow.”

Although Gandhi visited Madurai thrice, he refused to visit the

sacred temple of Meenakshi, because it barred entry to
untouchables or harijans. Only on the third visit on 2nd feb ,1946,
Gandhiji finally offered prayers inside the temple, since by then
the temple was open to the harijans.
[ A Gandhi Memorial Museum was opened in Madurai on 15th April,
1959 by the first Prime Minister of India , Jawaharlal Nehru.]

Gandhi at Round table Conference in England [1931]

Gandhiji went to London in 1931 for attending the Round Table
Conference with the British government.
He was the guest of the king.But he left the grand hotels and
preferred t stay in the poorest part of London. He joked an
dplayed with children as they followed him in the early morning
walks through foggy streets.
The children teased his saying ,” hey Gandhi, Where’s your
pants?”
The children of England loved Gandhiji. They gave him many toys
for poor children of India. These toys were the only thing that
Gandhiji took with him to India.

English watches

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Maulana Abul Kalam Azad recounted the following anecdote of
Gandhi:
In !931, when Gandhi visited London [for the first Round-Table
Conference with the British Government], two body-guards were
assigned to him: Sergeant Evans and Sergeant Rogers. The
detectives shared Gandhi’s hectic and painstaking schedule
throughout the day. They would wake up at 4 AM and followed
him on his morning walks in cold and foggy weather.This
continued for several days. While leaving England, Gandhiji
became fond of them.

Back in India, Gandhiji initiated the boycott of all British goods.

He , however ,called his secretary and told him:’ Go and get some
good English watches for the two detectives.” His secretary
searched several shops in Mumbai and at last bought two watches.
“ Why English watches? “ ---wondered his secretary. Gandhi
replied,” I promised them English watches. I have no animosity
against the English people. I do not want to boycott their goods
merely because they are English”….Evans and Rogers did receive
those watches as presents from Gandhiji.

On one occasion during the Round Table Conference, Gandhiji

spoke eloquently before the delegates for over two hours on
behalf of the people of India. After he had finished, the London
reporters clustered excitedly around Gandhi’s secretary,
Mahadev Deasi, ” How is it” ,they asked,” that he is able to speak
so well for such a long time without any preparation, without any
prompting, without any notes?” Desai replied, “ What Gandhi
thinks, what he feels, what he says, and what he does are all the
same. He does not need notes.”. Then he added ;” You and I, we
think one thing, feel another, say a third and do a fourth, so we
need notes and files to keep track.”

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 When the Govt invited Gandhiji to the Royal Palace, he wore his
usual dress: loin cloth, bare chest, a shawl over the
shoulders,sandals without socks, a pocket watch dangling from
the waist. Someone asked him if he was dressed well for such a
meeting in the palace. Gandhi replied with a wry humor: “The King
had on him enough clothes for both of us.”
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Gandhi and the Goat

Gandhiji had an important meeting at his Sabarmati Ashram on

May 2nd 1946. Sir Stafford Cripps,Lord Pethick Lawrence and Sir
A V Alexander were present. Gandhiji left in the middle and
reached the backyard to apply soft mud pack over the sprained
leg of his goat. The Englishmen followed Gandhi and saw him doing
the treatment to his goat.

Sir Pethick Lawrence fumed:” It surprises me that for such a

trifle Gandhi had to break the decorum of this meeting”..Maulana
Azad who was standing nearby remarked: “ Mr Lawrence, it is ,in
fact, these trifles that have made Gandhiji a Mahatma” [great
soul] . Gandhiji later joined them later saying that for him, the
pain suffered by his goat was a more serious matter that the
meeting.

With a Pinch of Salt

When negotiations between Mahatma Gandhi and the British

government were going on to end the Salt Satyagraha, Viceroy
Lord Irwin felt the need to meet Gandhiji personally. Irwin later
described this meeting as “ the most dramatic personal encounter
between a Viceroy and an Indian leader.” When Gandhiji was
handed a cup of tea during the meeting, he poured a bit of salt

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that was “tax-free” into it out of a small paper bag hidden in his
shawl and remarked smilingly “ This is to remind us of the famous
Boston tea party “ [when settlers in USA dumped tea packages
into the sea in protest against British taxation during the
colonial rule in the US.

Gandhi, the Maharajas and his maiden speech

Gandhi gave a lecture to a select gathering of Maharajas,

exhorting them to give up their money and possessions and
embrace a life of poverty and simplicity. One by one his
distinguished audience slid out until there was nobody left;later
Gandhi told: ‘”except god, the Chairman and myself.”After
another few minutes, the chairman himself melted away.” Poor
fellow,” Gandhi observed,” he must have been very uncomfortable
in that strange company! “

In the year 1916, Gandhiji participated in the foundation

ceremony of Benaras Hindu University .The university came into
existence due tireless efforts of Madan Mohan Malaviya. A
number of Maharajas , adorning costly jewels ,were present.The
Viceroy had also come from Delhi. Gandhiji spoke fearlessly: “You
speak about poverty of India, and make an exhibition of
jewelry.There is no salvation for India unless you strip yourselves
of this jewellery and hold it in trust for your countrymen.

He continued: “ If we are afraid of God, we won’t ever fear the

princes, the Maharajas, the Viceroy or King geroge himself.”
His speech that day changed the political direction of the whole
country towards freedom.

Gandhi’s Secret of Life

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One American journalist who has been following Gandhi’s work for
years with growing admiration finally asked him with the
terseness of a newsman: ‘ Gandhiji, Can you tell me the secret of
your life in three words?.”
“ Yes,”—chuckled Gandhi…”Renounce and Enjoy” . Gandhi was
quoting from Isa-vasya Upanishad, one of the ancient scriptural
piece..a part of Vedanta .
Further, for Gandhi , the whole of the Bhagavad Gita [which
contains 700 verses in 18 chapters] was only a commentary on
these three simple words.

Gandhiji’s simplicity
Trains in India had three classes. The first class compartments
were meant for the ruling classes—the British. The second class
was used by the richer people of India. The third class---
crowded,dirty wooden benches ---were left for the vast majority
of poor Indians. Gandhi always preferred to travel third class
.When someone asked him why he traveled in third class, he
quipped immediately ,” because there is no fourth!.”---He taught
always by personal example.

One foreign correspondent asked him: “ What would you do if

you were made a dictator of India for one day?.” Gandhi replied :
“ I would not accept in the first place; but if I did , I would spend
the day in cleaning the hovels of the harijans in Delhi.”

Gandhiji at Naokhali

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[adapted from the article: Horace Alexander---Gandhi thorugh
western eyes,1969]

India won its independence from the British rule on August ,15th
,1947. Where was Mahatma Gandhi on that day? He was not seen
on the ramparts of Red Fort in Delhi addressing the masses. He
was not with the last Viceroy Lord Mountbatten in a farewell
dinner. He was not anywhere near Delhi at all. He was in distant
Calcutta [Kolkata] ,bringing peace among riotous mobs.

East Bengal [later a part of Pakistan and now Bangladesh] was

burning with communal strife between Hindus and muslims.

In late 1946 in Naokhali district, members of the Muslim

majority had attacked their Hindu neighbors and burnt their
houses. Gandhiji went there to bring the two communities
together. Soon the muslim minority in the neighboring state of
Bihar were even more brutally attacked by the Hindus. Gandhiji
again went to Bihar to give solace to the muslims and to plead for
a change of heart among the Hindus.

Following these, Gandhiji left on August 11th ,1947 to the

troubled area of Naokhali district.

On the way to Naokhali, Gandhiji and his team arrived in the city
of Kolkata….Leaders of muslim community met him and urged him
not to proceed to East Bengal. He , however ,wanted assurance
from them that the Hindus would not be harmed in Naokhali
district of East Bengal when it became part of Pakistan on the
day of Independence.

While staying in Kolkata , he made a plan. He invited Shaheed

Suhrawardy, former chief minister of Bengal state and a virulent

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critic of Gandhiji, to join him to bring peace to Kolkata. They
would go to a deserted house in the muslim part of the city and
persuade the local Hindus to invite the muslims to return to their
homes.
They found such a place in Balia Ghata .On August 12th, a crowd
of boys gathered outside the house shouting slogans against
Gandhiji. They pelted stones at the windows of the house. After
sometime they entered the house to talk to Gandhiji. The talks
revealed that many young men had planned to slaughter muslims
after the Independence day and to drive them to East Bengal or
Pakistan [eastern sector]. Gandhiji reasoned with them---this is
not the way to start the life of a new nation. The angry young
men left the place but returned the next day to tell Gandhiji
that they would support his peace efforts so long as he remained
in Kolkata.
On 14th August, at the regular prayer meeting, young men with
hatred towards Suhrawardy wanted him to be present. He was
there in that house , but closeted with Horace Alexander, a long
time associate of Gandhiji. The angry mob wanted to lynch
Suhrawardy. Gandhiji shouted that Suhrawardy had joined the
peace efforts and should be protected.

Gandhiji , with a keen sense of conviction, brought Surhrawardy

before the mob and stood with one hand over his shoulder. A
young man shouted at Suhrawardy: “Do you accept the blame for
the great killing of Calcutta last year?”
“yes’ –replied Suhrawardy;” I accept that responsibility. I am
ashamed of it”—he added.

Later Gandhiji said ‘” in that moment ,he won them over.” Soon
peace descended on the scene and both muslims and Hindus
joined in hoisting the Indian National Flag and celebrating the
event .

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 On 15th August, a small gathering joined Gandhiji in prayer and
fasting .” On this first day of our freedaom”, Gandhiji said ,” We
must not forget the poor and hungry.” Some school girls came to
greet the Mahatma with songs of freedom composed by
Rabindranath Tagore.

The miracle had happened. It was ,as if , after a year of

darkness, the sun was shining again in its full glory. The whole city
of Kolkata rejoiced in celebrating the Independence day on 15th
August ,1947.

[Here is another account of that momentous period narrated by

a freedom fighter, Mir Mushtaq Ahmed ,from an article that
appeared in Al-Jamiat , an Urdu daily dated 16th ,July 1954.]

While walking through Babu Bazar, a muslim stifled Gandhiji’s

throat. While Gandhiji collapsed to the ground, he recited the
verses of the Holy Koran from Suran-e-Fatiha. The words
touched the heart of the muslim whose name was Allahdad Khan.
His eyes welled up in tears; he apologized and promised Gandhiji
to work for him for the rest of his life. Gandhiji advised the
Muslims and the Hindus to be tight –lipped about this incident
lest the communal hatred spread further. The truth is that by
doing so , Gandhiji had averted a major riot in that area.
[Source; The Hindu, Oct 1st, 1995]

Gandhiji as a student in England

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Towards the end of his second year in England, Gandhiji read the
translation of the Bhagavad Gita by Edwin Arnold, called “ the
Song Celestial” along with some friends. Through these friends,
he also read “the Light of Asia” –the life of Gautama, the Buddha.
At about the same time, he also read the Bible, the New
testament. He wrote later: ”Especially the Sermon on the Mount
which went straight to my heart” ---I compared it with the Gita”.

Gandhiji Quotes

1 The human voice can never reach the distance that is

covered by the still small voice of the conscience.

2 I will give you a talisman—whenever you are in doubt recall

the face of the poorest and the weakest man, and ask
yourself if the step you contemplate is going to be any use
to him.

3 The highest form of freedom carries with it the greatest

measure of discipline and humility.

4 The test of orderliness in a country is not the millionaires it

owns, but the absence of starvation among its masses.

5 A nation or a group which has made non-violence its final

policy cannot be subjected to slavery , even by the atom
bomb.

6 The more you act openly, the greater are your chances of
remaining truthful. There is no hatred, there is no place for
fear or despair in the dictionary of the man who bases his

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 life on truth and non-violence. –[speech in Paris, 5th
dec,1931]

7 Satyagraha is the vindication of truth , not by infliction of

suffering on the opponent ,but on one’s self.

8 If we are to reach real peace in this world, we will have to

begin with children.

9 Man becomes great exactly in the degree in which he works

for the welfare of his fellowmen.

10 The sum total of all that lives is God.

11 An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.

12 Woman is the companion of man and has equal right of

freedom and liberty with him.

13 My religion is based on truth and non-violence. Truth is my

God; nonviolence is the means of realizing Him.

14 When Truth ,that is God, is with us, what matters if the

world is with us or not; whether we live or die.

15 Religion is entirely a personal matter; each one can

approach his creator as he likes.

16 Our temple is in our hearts. A temple constructed of a few

stones has no meaning.

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17 India to me is the dearest country in the world, not
because it is my country ,but because I have discovered the
greatest goodness in it.

18 In true democracy, every man and woman is taught to think

for himself or herself.

19 Self-sacrifice of one innocent man is a million times more

potent than the sacrifice of a million men who die in the act
of killing others.

20Gandhiji was once asked what he thought was the greatest

challenge faced by India: poverty, unemployment, or
backwardness. He said that these problems could be solved,
but he accepted defeat when it came to the apathy of the
Indian intelligentsia.

------------------------ The End -------------------------------

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