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MAHATMA GANDHI
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tion of his breakfast, and is taken very slowly, the process sometimes lasting quite 4; minutes. Then follow meetings, talks, etc. He prefers having his evening prayers about 7 and then being left to himself and bis daftar. But if necessary he sees friends, talks to workers, grants interviews. He scarcely retires before 10, even when he has been freed from the inculus of crowds early enough. The last thing he does is to write something in a note book—that is his diary of the day—and then he goes to rest. He prefers sleeping under the skies unless the weather is particularly inclement. (“Mahatma Gandhi on Tour" by Sri Prakasa in Triveni Vol. III, No. 1.)
The keynote of his speeches. Gandhiji is a man of few words. Whenever he speaks, he speaks on how India can get Swaraj and how the poor Indian people may emerge out of their misery and poverty. He is never fond of talking theories. Every one of his speeches contains some practical instruction to his hearers. The keynote of his speeches can be summarised in the following few sentences.
“ Boycott foreign cloth and use Khadi. Give up all intoxicating drinks and drugs. All Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Parsis, Christians, all who are Indians should unite. Those of us who are Hindus should abolish untouchability which is a blot on Hinduism. All should deposit 4 annas in the Congress office and become members and follow all the dictates of the Congress.” (Ibid.)
His economic ideal. Even a casual study of Mahatma Gandhi's speeches and writings on economic problems would reveal that the conception of a certain economic ideal being at the back of his mind, always influences his attitude towards the nature of the solution suggested for the cure of existing economic evils. If we were to form a conception of that ideal, what are the factors that must be mentioned as forming parts of it?
12 Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
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