User:Deena03

The Gandhis belong to the Bania caste and seem  to  have  been  originally  grocers. But for  three generations,  from  my  grandfather,  they  have been Prime Ministers  in several Kathiawad States. Uttamchand Gandhi, alias  Ota Gandhi, my  grandfather, must  have been a man  of  principle. State intrigues compelled him  to leave Porbandar, where he was  Diwan, and to  seek  refuge  in Junagadh. There he saluted the Nawab with the left  hand. Someone, noticing  the  apparent discourtesy, asked for  an  explanation,  which  was  given thus: 'The right hand is  already  pledged to Porbandar.'   Ota  Gandhi  married  a  second  time,  having  lost  his  first wife. He had four sons  by  his  first wife and two by  his  second wife. I do not think that in my  childhood  I  ever  felt  or  knew  that  these  sons  of Ota Gandhi were not all of  the same mother. The fifth of these  six  brothers  was  Karamchand Gandhi,  alias  Kaba  Gandhi,  and  the sixth was  Tulsidas  Gandhi. Both these brothers were Prime Ministers  in Porbandar, one after  the other. Kaba Gandhi was my  father. He was  a  member  of  the Rajasthanik  Court. It is now  extinct, but in those days  it was  a  very  influential  body  for  settling disputes  between  the  chiefs  and  their  fellow  clansmen. He was for  some  time  Prime Minister  in Rajkot and then in Vankaner. He was a pensioner  of  the Rajkot State when he died. Kaba Gandhi married four times  in succession, having lost  his  wife each time  by  death. He had two  daughters  by  his  first  and second marriages. His last  wife, Putlibai, bore him  a daughter  and three sons, I being the youngest. My father  was  a  lover  of  his  clan, truthful, brave and generous, but short-tempered. To a certain extent he might have been given to carnal pleasures. For he married for  the fourth time when he was  over  forty. But he was incorruptible and had earned a  name  for  strict  impartiality  in  his  family as  well as  outside. His loyalty  to the state  was  well  known. An Assistant  Political  Agent  spoke insultingly  of  the Rajkot Thakore Saheb, his  chief,  and he stood up to the insult. The Agent was angry and  asked  Kaba  Gandhi  to apologize. This he refused to do and was  therefore kept under detention  for  a  few  hours. But when  the Agent saw  that Kaba Gandhi was  adamant, he ordered him  to be released. My father never  had any  ambition to accumulate riches  and left  us  very  little property. He had no education, save that of experience. At best, he might be said  to  have  read  up  to  the fifth Gujarati standard. Of history  and geography  he was  innocent. But his  rich  experience  of practical  affairs  stood  him  in good stead in the solution of  the most  intricate questions  and in managing  hundreds  of  men. Of religious  training he had very  little, but he had that kind of religious  culture which frequent visits  to temples  and listening  to  religious  discourses  make available to many  Hindus. In his last  days  he  began  reading the Gita at the instance of  a learned Brahman friend of  the family, and he used to repeat aloud some verses  every  day  at the time  of worship. The outstanding impression my mother  has  left  on my  memory  is  that  of  saintliness. She was deeply  religious. She would  not think  of  taking her  meals  without her  daily  prayers. Going to Haveli -the Vaishnava temple-was  one of  her  daily  duties. As far  as  my  memory  can  go  back,  I  do not remember  her  having ever  missed the  Chaturmas. She would take the hardest vows and keep  them  without  flinching. Illness was  no  excuse for  relaxing them. I can recall her once falling ill when she was  observing the  Chandrayana  vow,  but the illness  was  not allowed to interrupt the observance. To keep  two  or  three consecutive fasts  was  nothing to her.During another  Chaturmas  she  vowed not to have food without seeing the sun. We children on those days would stand,  staring  at  the  sky,  waiting  to  announce  the appearance  of  the  sun to our  mother. Everyone knows that at the height of  the rainy  season the sun  often  does  not  condescend  to show  his  face. And I remember days  when, at his  sudden appearance, we would rush and announce it to her, She would run out to  se  with  her  own  eyes, but by  that time the fugitive sun  would  be  gone,  thus  depriving her  of  her  meal. "That does not matter,"  she  would  say  cheerfully,  "God did not want me to eat today." And then she would return to her round of  duties. My mother  had strong commonsense. She was well informed about all matters  of  state,  and ladies  of  the court thought highly  of  her  intelligence. Often I would accompany  her,  exercising  the privilege  of  childhood, and I still remember  many  lively  discussions  she had with the widowed mother  of  the Thakore Saheb. Of these parents  I was  born at Porbandar, otherwise known  as  Sudamapuri,  on  the  2nd  October, 1869,  I  passed  my  childhood  in  Porbandar. I recollect having been put to school. It was with some difficulty  that  I  got  through  the  multiplication  tables. The fact that I recollect  nothing more of  those days  than having learnt, in company  with other  boys,  to call our  teacher  all  kinds  of  names,  would strongly  suggest that my  intellect  must  have been sluggish, and my  memory  raw.A day  was  thereupon fixed for  beginning the experiment. It had to be conducted in secret. The Gandhis were  Vaishnavas. My parents  were  particularly  staunch Vaishnavas. They would regularly  visit the  Haveli. The family  had even its  own temples. Jainism was  strong in Gujarat, and its  influence  was  felt  everywhere  and on all occasions. The opposition to and abhorrence of meateating  that  existed  in  Gujarat  among  the Jains  and Vaishnavas  were to be seen nowhere else in India  or  outside  in  such  strength. These were the traditions  in which I was  born and bred. And I was extremely  devoted to my  parents. I knew that the moment  they  came  to  know  of  my  having eaten meat, they  would be shocked to death. Moreover, my love of  truth made me extra cautious. I cannot say that I did not know  then that I should have to deceive my  parents  if  I  began  eating meat. But my  mind  was  bent  on  the 'reform'. It was not a question of  pleasing the palate. I did not know that  it  had  a  particularly  good relish. I wished to be strong and daring and wanted my countrymen also to be such, so that we might defeat the English and make India free. The word 'Swaraj'  I had not yet heard. But I knew what freedom  meant. The frenzy of  the 'reform'  blinded me. And having  ensured  secrecy,  I  persuaded myself  that mere hiding the deed from  parents  was no departure from  truth.