[The
letters of Gandhiji to two Americans, who were inmates of his ashram for
several months each and followed its discipline, are of special
significance in understanding him. With both Mr. Gregg and Miss Cook,
Gandhiji had extensive correspondence - dealing with such diverse
subjects as non-violence, religion, spinning, village industries, basic
education, diet, cooking, gardening, clothes, laundering, scavenging and
sanitation. His letters to them show Gandhiji as a man, with all his
strengths and weaknesses, and explain the application of his philosophy
of truth and non-violence in dealing with political, economic, social
and personal problems.
Richard Bartlett Gregg and Nilla Cram Cook were very different in their
backgrounds and interests. The former was a professional who was
disillusioned with the Western civilisation, studied Gandhiji and went
to India to learn more from him. The
latter was a young woman - intelligent, creative, Bohemian – for whom
the visit to India and Gandhiji was perhaps part of an adventure.
Mr. Gregg arrived in India in the 1920s. The first national mass
resistance to British rule under Gandhiji's leadership – the
non-cooperation movement - had been suspended and Gandhiji had served a
term of imprisonment. After release and recuperation from illness, he
was concentrating on promoting spinning, weaving and other village
industries as part of the "constructive programme" of the
national movement. He gave generously of his time to answer Mr. Gregg's
questions and help him to learn about India. Mr. Gregg, for his part,
was able advise Gandhiji on several aspects of his constructive
programme.
Benefitting from a stay of almost four years in India, including several
months in the Ashram, Mr. Gregg made a significant contribution in
interpreting the thought of Gandhiji to people in the United States of
America and thereby inspiring non-violent resistance in that country in
later years. Friends
Journal wrote in its obituary on the death of Mr. Gregg that he was a
"quiet radical."
"He did not leave big footprints, or make any big splashes, but he
is the real father of the movement toward non-violent resistance in this
country."1
Miss Cook was in India in the early 1930s when Gandhiji was in
prison for leading the Civil Disobedience campaign - the second national
mass struggle under his leadership. He was at the time engaged in
promoting action to eradicate untouchability, including penance by caste
Hindus in the form of service to uplift the untouchables. Miss Cook joined the
movement but her way of life led to complications. She tried to atone
for her past life by living in poverty and abstinence under the guidance
of Gandhiji, who hoped to train her for anti-untouchability work.
Gandhiji became a "father and mother" to her. But after a few
months she found the pace
of Ashram life too slow and escaped from it, contributing little but a
brief and fascinating episode in his life.] |