Excerpts : Forged by Humility

February 04, 2020



Bapuji found ways to spread his message in even the most unlikely circumstances. Some years before I (Arun Manilal Gandhi- Grandson of Mahatma Gandhi & son of Manilal Gandhi) got to the ashram, my grandfather was attending one of the conferences in London to discuss the future of India. As always, he decided to wear the homespun cotton he had adopted as his uniform. He was representing the Indian people, most of whom lived in her poverty and the garments were a reminder of that. The British officials treated him with respect and arranged for him to stay in an elegant spot in London with security befitting a head of a state. But Bapuji decided, "I'd like to live in the midst of the textile workers, preferably as their guest," he informed them.

The British officials were aghast. Remember that Bapuji's position on keeping Indian cotton in India had hurt the British textile industry. With Indians spinning their own clothes, British companies weren't able to charge the big markups that they had previously, and British workers were angry at my grandfather for their lowered wages.

"If you stay with the textile workers, they will kill you," one of the officials warned. "There is so much anger among them that we fear for your safety."

"That is all the more reason that I should stay with them- so that I can explain the case of Indian people," Bapuji said calmly.

Reluctantly the British acceded to Bapuji's request, and he went to meet the textile workers. He approached them with the respect and understanding that were his hallmarks. He described to them the extreme poverty that was the norm in India and explained how spinning their own clothes allowed the people in some villages to rise above the most meager level of subsistence. He offered compassion for the British workers plight and told them he understood that they too wanted to support their families in the best way possible. But he urged them to join him in helping the Indian people claim out of poverty. Not only did British textile workers listen respectfully to my grandfather, but he won their acceptance. Many became fans and supported his many endeavors.

It is unusual for angry people to change their position and even more unusual for them to swing to a stance that goes against their own interests. But by listening and understanding, Bapuji managed to diffuse the textile workers' anger and gave them see what was needed globally rather than just personally.



This is from the book The Gift by Arun Gandhi.

Excerpts is a series where we post thoughtful passages from different books that provide for a quick and easy reading 

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