The Danish Peace Academy

GANDHI AND NORDIC COUNTRIES

Collected by E. S. Reddy - EReddy@aol.com and Holger Terp

Letter, November 14, 1934

Unrevised

November 14, 1934

My dear child,

I have your letter. I am glad Nan is restored and no more wants to go to Denmark. Of course, there is no place for any child better than the mother’s lap. But that is an ideal state which we may all strive after, though we may ever fail to reach it.

I am sorry to hear about Maria. Who can replace her in her school except you? And just now you are out of the question. I wish a way out was found to enable her to go to Denmark and get the change she so badly needs.

I do not remember having received your letter on the Temple-entry Bill.^¹⁸¹ Was it sent after my returning to Wardha? If you can reproduce the argument please do so and I shall endeavour to reply.

I did hear about the death of Jack Hoyland’s son. Andrews was then here. We sent a joint cable of condolence,^¹⁸² and I had a full account of the death from Hoyland. It was a sad thing.

Mira returns on the 22nd bringing with her Khan Saheb’s daughter^¹⁸³ who was having her education in London. Mary Barr^¹⁸⁴ is here from her village home and has brought a friend just arrived from England. Mary has taken wonderfully to the ashram life. The weather here just now is superb. Ramdas returned with Ba four or five days ago. He is very weak, but I think he will pick up strength here. Andrews is likely to be here in December, for a fortnight or so. How is Menon doing?

Love to you all.

Bapu

Mrs. Esther Menon

Tanjore

Source: My Dear Child, pages 108-09; Collected Works, Volume 59, pages 339-40

181 A bill concerning the opening of Hindu temples to Harijans was introduced in the Central Legislative Assembly in 1934, but was later withdrawn by the sponsor.

182 The cable is not available.

183 Dr. Khan Saheb was a leader of the Indian National Congress in the North-West Frontier Province.

184 Miss F. Mary Barr, who taught at a Mission school in India, became a follower of Gandhi and stayed in the ashram several times. She spent many years in village upliftment work. She went to South Africa in the 1940s and served a term of imprisonment during the Indian passive resistance in 1946 against racial discrimination.

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