The Danish Peace Academy
GANDHI AND NORDIC COUNTRIES
Collected by E. S. Reddy - EReddy@aol.com and Holger TerpLetter, April 10, 1919
On the way to Bombay under arrest,63
April 10, 1919
My dear child,
I have your bank note. I only hope you will not deny yourself the necessaries of life. I am handing the note to the ashram. Is that right?
I received last night on my way to Delhi an order not to enter the Punjab. I disobeyed it there and then and I was arrested. I received two further orders - one not to enter the Province of Delhi and the other to confine myself to Bombay. They are now taking me to Bombay. If they set me free I shall immediately disobey the order of confinement. I am perhaps the happiest man on earth today. I have during these two months experienced boundless love. And now I find myself arrested although I bear no ill will to anybody and although I am the one man who can today preserve the peace in India as no other man can.64 My imprisonment therefore will show the wrongdoer in his nakedness. And he can do me no harm for my spirit remains calm and unruffled.
You will rejoice that you have a friend to whom God has given the power to love even those who call themselves his enemies and to rejoice in sufferings. I say this because I do not want you to grieve over the impending imprisonment. The officer in charge of me is very kind and attentive.
More form Mahadev if he remains free for any length of time.
With love,
Yours ever,
Bapu
[PS.]
Did you receive my letter written in Bezwada or some place on my way to Bombay from Madras?65
Bapu
Source:My Dear Child, page 34; Collected Works, Volume 15, pages 209-10
63 On April 9, when he was organising nation-wide protests against new repressive legislation (the Rowlatt Act), Gandhi was served with orders prohibiting him from entering Delhi or Punjab. He defied the order and was then arrested and taken to Bombay. He was released in Bombay on April 11.
64 Repression led to sporadic violent protests and Gandhi was appealing to the people to avoid violence.
65 He sent the letter from Secunderabad. See above.
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