Come October 2nd, politicians of all hues and parties, big and small suddenly remember a man called Mahatma Gandhi and rush to the nearest Gandhi statue and vie with each other to garland the stone statue in the glare of TV cameras. Most of them are specially clad in Khadi and some even put on a cap called Gandhi cap. This has become an annual ritual. Most of the Municipal Corporations have atleast named some road as Mahatma Gandhi Road and as people are too busy to pronounce this long name, it has been shortened as M. G. Road. One TV channel spoke to persons walking on the M. G. Road at Bangalore and most of them did not know the expansion of MG. It seems that a school teacher asked her students to write an essay on Gandhi; some wrote on Indira Gandhi while others wrote Rajiv Gandhi and a small number wrote on Mahatma Gandhi. Though it looks like a joke, it is a fact.

Dr. Mathoor Krishnamurthy of Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan who is a Gandhian himself has been writing small anecdotes relating to Gandhiji and has already published them in a book form called Gandhi Upanishad and many such volumes have already been published in English and Kannada by Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan, Bangalore. These volumes have become quite popular. Hence I thought of remembering the Mahatma through the anecdotes as given by Dr. Mathoorji. Thus Dr. Mathoorji has done a great service to the elucidation of Gandhian thought in a novel way.

Gandhiji as a lawyer was sending his clothes to a washer man. But he felt that it was very expensive. Hence he through of washing the clothes himself by using starch and also press them. But this work in the beginning was not good and co - lawyers used to make fun of it. Unmindful of these Gandhi continued this and became an expert’s dobhi in due course and co - lawyers began to admire him for this. Once Gopalakrishna Gokhale had come to South Africa and had to participate in a dinner. Gandhiji noticed that Gokhale's handkerchief was soiled. He offered to wash it for him. But Gokhale refused to give it to him and said “you may be a good lawyer but not an expert dobhi”. But Gandhiji snatched it from him, washed and pressed it and gave it back to him. Gokhale was surprised at seeing the neatly washed and pressed handkerchief and thanked Gandhiji for that. Gandhiji felt happy and said that “a certificate from you that I am a good dobhi is very valuable to me”.

At another time Gandhiji's grand daughter Manu noticed that his muffler was torn at many places. Immediately she brought a new muffler and gave it to him. But he thought that it was a waste of money and put stitches to the old one and continued to use it as usual. He told manu, "Look at these stitches; they prove that I am an expert tailor". She smiled agreeing with his remarks.

Gandhi's life was in danger in South Africa. Realising this, a German by name Collenbak took up the security of Gandhi. Gandhi noticed that he was always carrying a revolver with him. Gandhi did not approve of this and told him "I am happy that you have taken the responsibility of saving my life. Thus you have snatched that responsibility from God and have occupied his position. This only shows that you have no belief in God, but I have. God only can protect all of us including you and me. Your revolver cannot usurp God's position." Collenbak apologised to Gandhiji and stopped carrying his revolver while travelling with him.

G. D. Birla and Gandhi were good friends. Once an Englishman stayed in Birla house. But suddenly he became ill due to typhoid. Dr. Sushila Nayar, who examined him, prescribed a dose of Brandy to him. But Brandy was unthinkable in Birla house. However, a bottle of Brandy was available with Birla's daughter – in - law who was suffering from tuberculosis. Everybody thought that Gandhi would be furious at finding Brandy in Birla house. Immediately Gandhi took this bottle and poured it into the Englishman's mouth. When Birla came to the house, Gandhiji told him “I have found Brandy in your house”. Birla was about to apologise but Gandhiji laughed loudly and everybody was greatly relieved.

Once Shivarama Karanth wanted to go to Sabarmati to meet Gandhiji. He travelled by train and on alighting at Ahmedabad he noticed that he had lost his ticket. The ticket inspector asked Karanth about his ticket. He replied that he had lost it. The inspector came to know that Karanth was going to Sabarmati to meet Gandhiji. The inspector said to himself that a man going to meet Gandhiji will not utter a lie and let Karanth go.

Gandhiji's son Harilal had taken French as an optional subject at matriculation but failed. He was about to repeat the examination. Gandhiji came to know of this and wrote a letter to him. "I feel that if you had studied Sanskrit, which is the mother of all Indian languages, not only would you have passed the examination but also learnt the language of our culture. Consider this as a suggestion from your friend but do whatever you want." That was the love of Gandhiji towards Sanskrit.

Such anecdotes are available in plenty in Mathoorji's volumes. We should read them.

Input: Dr. Mathoor Krishnamurthy - Gandhi Upanishads, Vol. I to VI (Kannada).

Prof. A.V. Narasimha Murthy,
Former Head,
Department of Ancient History & Archaeology,
University of Mysore

Courtesy: star of mysore