Mahatma Gandhiji's writings are being read even today. His thoughts expressed in his autobiography and other sources have been referred widely. Undoubtedly, Gandhiji was a writer but also a translator, publisher and child writer. The presentation highlights the impulses behind Gandhiji's writings, how Gandhiji emerged as writer, his writing styles, and his important works.

1. MAHATMA GANDHI AS WRITER
A Special Lecture organized by
Dept. of Gandhian Studies
Nagindas Khandwala College, Mumbai
on 25-11-2010
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2. A lecture by:
Santosh C. Hulagabali
Librarian
Nagindas Khandwala College
Malad (W), Mumbai-64
santosh@nkc.ac.in
http://nkclibrary.blogspot.com
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3. Friends, let us begin with a Song..
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4. "To be true to my faith, therefore, I may
not write in anger. I may not write idly.
I may not write merely to excite
passion. It is training for me. It
enables me to peep into myself and to
make discoveries of my weaknesses”.
- M. K. Gandhi,
Young India, July 2, 1925
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5. Who is Gandhi?
A Journalist, Writer/Author/Editor,
Speaker, Publisher
Son, Husband, Father, Master,
Teacher, Philosopher, Diplomat,
Freedom Fighter, Father of Nation,
Legal Expert, Politician, Statesman,
Strategist, Child Writer, Dietician…
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6. 
From 1903 (Editor of Indian Opinion)
to 1948 Gandhi’s pen continued to
write.

The collected Works of Gandhi now
number 100 volumes (and these are
edited)
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7. Gandhi as Author
Style
 Never aimed at style
 Believed in expressing the reality and hope
 Very direct and bold in writing
 Thoughtless word never escaped his lips or pen
 Followed dialogue style as ‘Reader’ & ‘Editor’
(in Hind Swaraj 1909)

Believed in reality than imagination.
Wrote in Gujarati, Hindi, Urdu* and English
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* Source: http://www.mkgandhi.org/j.a.p/journalist.htm

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10. Appreciations:

-
British Viceroys admitted that
“Gandhi was direct and expressed
himself in excellent English”
Oxford University Professor
- “I have never met an Indian who have

mastered prepositions”.
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11. Impulses behind Gandhi’s Writings:
Natural
 Thorough reading of selected English
writers, Bible
 Influence of Ramayan, Mahabharat,
Khuran, Ruskin Bond’s Unto this Last
Public Insults:
 ‘Coolies’, ‘Black people’, Coolie
barrister’, Semi-slavery conditions

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12. Three prominent reasons:

1.
2.
3.
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Physical and emotional assaults:
In June, 1893, Gandhi was thrown out of
the train to Pretoria, as he was traveling in
a 1st Class compartment where only white
persons could travel
In July 1893, Gandhi was kicked off the
footpath near President Kruger’s home.
Jan. 1897, on arrival in Durban from India,
Gandhi was attacked by a mob.

13. Action Replyy:
Friends we will NOW go to South
Africa to see Mr.Gandhi revolting
against the Brits.
For just 20 min..
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14. Why Gandhi wanted to write?




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To raise voice against the British raj.
To reach the masses of India.
To bind the people of various religions
as sisters and brothers.
To express his spiritual ideas for the
good cause.
To achieve ‘Sarvodaya’ (moral,spiritual,
economical..)

15. Gandhi wanted two Swarajs:
Through his writing, Gandhi wanted two
Swarajs (his concept)


One, independence from the British Raj
Second, awakening the Indians about
self-discipline, self-rule
He intended to unite the Hindus, Muslims,
Christians back home in India and SA.
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16. Starts writing..




Initially he wrote for some newspapers in
London on Indian food habits, dieting etc..
Started writing letters to Editors of SA dailies
Explained the system and harassment
“You will not allow the Indian to vote under
any circumstances, because they have a
dark skin. You would look the exterior only”.
[to Times of Natal (25-10-1894)]
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17. Cont..

“You may; it is not Christ’s. Sir, may I
venture to offer a suggestion? Will you reread your New Testament? Will you ponder
over your attitude towards the colored
population of the Colony? Will you then say
you can reconcile it with the Bible
teachings?”
[to Times of Natal (25-10-1894)]

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“The White barber refused to cut my black hair”

18. Birth of ‘Indian Opinion’

After 10 years of relentless crusade, Gandhi
realised that the twin tasks of mobilizing
public opinion and influencing official
decisions required a regular newspaper.

Thus was born Indian Opinion in June, 1903.
[Clear view without any advertisements].

It became a potent weapon in his struggle

Depended on subscribers who would give
donations.
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19. Starts writing in SA from 1903 to1914
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20. His joy of writing..

“Week after week I poured out my soul in
its columns and expounded the
principles and practice of satyagraha. I
can’t recall a word in these articles set
down without thought or deliberation or a
word of conscious exaggeration or
anything merely to please”.

He wrote for 11 years for IO against the SA
provincial regimes.
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21. Two more titles…


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Persuaded to be the editor of ‘Young
India’.
Also stared writing in ‘Navjivan’ (Gujarati
monthly) later Gandhi felt and started
publishing in Hindi
Translations started
Wrote continuously
In 1922, he was charged with spreading
disaffection by writing seditious articles
in YI

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23. Three more newspapers..

Between 1933 and 1940, Harijan (Eng),
Harijan Bandu (Guj) and Harijan Sevak
(Hindi) became the Mahatma’s voice to
the people of India.

These newspapers found the Mahatma
concentrating on social and economic
problems, caste system, poverty,
individual growth...
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25. Humorous comment on his
newspapers..

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About newspapers, in June 1946, he
said
“if I were appointed dictator for a day
in the place of the Viceroy, I would
stop all newspapers”
Then paused and added with a
mischievous wink:
“with the exception of Harijan, of
course.”

26. Gandhi as Translator:
He wrote his autobiography in
Gujarati.
 Translated Gokhale’s speeches and
writings in Gujarati.

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27. Gandhi as Child Writer:
For children he wrote a primer
Balpothi
 A book on ethics Nitidharma
 Wrote letter to ashram children from
jail.

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28. Gandhi as Voluminous Letter Writer
He could write 50 letters in long hand.
 Collection of his letters, numbering
about 100,000 forms a vital part of his
writing.

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29. Gandhi as Publisher:
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

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Published IO, YI, Navjivan and Harijan in
his own press in order to express his views
freely.
In SA, he started his press in a shed in
Phoenix Settlement.
IO printed in Eng, Hin, Guj and Tamil.
Also published many books in Hindi and
English.
He used to use type writer when Govt stops
him.

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32. Websites on Gandhji:
http://www.mkgandhi.org/
 http://www.mkgandhi-sarvodaya.org/
 http://www.mahatma.com/
 www.mahatma-gandhi.co.in/
 Photographs of Gandhiji:
http://photographs.gandhiserve.org/

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33. Institutes on Gandhiji:
Ashrams in India & Abroad
 Gandhi Museums & Libraries in India
 Gandhi Institutes & Centres Abroad
 Gandhi Institutions and Centres in
India

For above info:
http://www.mahatma.com/php/showContent.php?linkid=16
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34. Gandhi Institutes:

National Gandhi Museum And Library, New Delhi
Library Catalogue of 26,000 titles on Mahatma Gandhi,
Freedom Movement in India and allied Subjects.
Captions of 6,000 photographs of Mahatma Gandhi and
other leaders of Freedom Struggle.
Mani Bhavan Gandhi Sangrahalaya

Sabarmati Ashram and Museum, Ahmedabad, India

34,065 letters to and from Gandhi both in original and in
Photostats

21,500 books dealing with Gandhi's life


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35. Gandhi Institutes & Centres Abroad:
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Mahatma Gandhi Canadian Foundation
for World Peace (Canada)
Gandhi Information Center (Germany)
UNC Mahatma Gandhi Fellowship (Univ.
of North Carolina, Chapel Hill)

36. Open for discussion..
Let us discuss..
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37. THANK YOU

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Disclaimer:
The presentation is based on the information available in the selected books, offline and online
sources. All facts are referred with much objectivity. The screenshots and the supporting
information used in this presentation are used for educational –training, teaching and research .