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article about Virchandbhai. Again in a letter to Late Mohanbhai, the son of Shri Virchandbhai, Gandhiji had written : 'I hope you are carrying forward the ideals of your respected father'. This letter was written 40 years after Virchandbhai's demise. I have seen this letter at Shri Mahavira Jaina Vidyalaya where the family has donated the letter. A DREAMER ABOUT EDUCATION
Virchandbhai always attempted to make education more widespread in India, especially among the Jain community. That was his dream. He also strove endlessly to see that education reached all classes of society. He had even started to collect a fund in America for educating Indian students, but the project didnot fructify because of his untimely death.
What is still more remarkable is the fact that in those days, he advocated women's education too and made active attempts in that direction. In an era which did not consider education necessary for women and when the women were imprisoned in the four walls of the home, it was no small matter to talk of women's education and to work for it. Due to his efforts, an organisation called
International Society for the Education of Women in India' was established in America and he arranged to send, through this Society, three Indian women to America. The copy of the letter is received by me recently is reproduced in Appendix-7. The boarding as well as educational expenses were borne by the society. The aim of this society was to make Indian women not only literate, but to awaken them to their true place in society and elevate themselves once more to the rank of Savitri, Maitreyi, Gargi and Damayanti of ancient India.
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