Mahatmaji and the floods

Lahore, Tuesday, August 12, 1924

THE statement which Mahatma Gandhi has made on the subject of the South Indian floods both in the course of a press interview and of a letter addressed by him to K Nataranjan is at once an absolutely just and correct estimate of the situation created by this awful calamity, and an illuminating commentary upon the mistaken notions which so many people entertain regarding the Mahatma’s attitude towards the Government. A newspaper reporter with rather more than his share of the gift of imagination and rather less than his share of the sense of truth, justice and fairness had attributed to the Mahatma the cruel and heartless statement that all that the situation demanded was that the afflicted men and women should spin, and a correspondent had improved upon the report by making the imaginary statement the subject of taunting comment. When the Mahatma’s attention was drawn to the matter he said: “I never said any such thing. I have sent several telegrams to the afflicted Presidency, but in not one of them I even mentioned the word spinning or khaddar. I must, however, adhere to the opinion I have given that the relief is beyond the capacity of any private agency. The State alone can do it efficiently. Private aid will come in to supplement the work done by the State agency.” In his letter to Natarajan, the Mahatma went a step further and humorously said that he felt like shooting the reporter when he saw the report, but as it was against his creed he subsided and believed that no sane man or woman would credit him with any such absurd remarks. “There is no mention of the wheel,” he added, “in any of my wires.”