dated September 27, 1951: Dubious claim by redoubtable Churchill

In office or out of it, British Tory leader Winston Churchill could be depended upon to provoke controversy. Having chosen, on an earlier occasion, to describe Mahatma Gandhi as ``the half- naked fakir'' from India, the British leader invited criticism now by certain snide remarks about a fast undertaken by Gandhiji, when Britain was involved in the Second World War. In ``Hinge of Fate'', the fourth volume of his memoirs of the War, Churchill referred to the long fast of 21 days by the Mahatma, and said: ``While I was myself hard-pressed, I had to think deeply about the health of another invalid, whose bulletins filled the papers. It was certain that at an early stage, he (Bapu) was being fed with glucose whenever he drank water. In the end, being quite convinced of our obduracy, he abandoned his fast.''

Three of Mahatma Gandhi's doctors, and his secretary, Mr. Pyarelal, who were by his side at the Aga Khan Palace in 1943, during the Mahatma's 21-day fast, roundly refuted those remarks recorded by Churchill. They also denied that Bapu had abandoned the fast ``when he was quite convinced of the obduracy of the British Government''.

Dr. B. C. Roy, Mahatma Gandhi's principal medical attendant, Dr. M.D.D. Gilder, Dr. Sushila Nayyar and Mr. Pyarelal said in a joint statement, ``We can say from first-hand knowledge that at no stage during the fast did Gandhiji take glucose, nor is it a fact that he abandoned the fast as stated. We are sending a copy of this statement to Mr. Churchill with sincere hope that, in the interest of truth, he will issue a correction of his wrong statement, and incorporate it in future editions of the book.''

Vinoba Bhave supports demand for Andhra

Speaking in Narsinghpur on the 25th, Acharya Vinoba Bhave hoped that the separate State of Andhra, strongly demanded by the Telugu people, would be formed at the earliest. ``If we are to do anything, the sooner it is done the better,'' he said. Vinoba Bhave was in Narsinghpur on his way to Delhi, and made his remarks at a prayer meeting. He said that for several years the question of a separate Andhra State was being discussed. It was quite a simple matter. The Telugus wanted a State of their own and to conduct its affairs in their own language. Andhra could be constituted out of districts over which there was no dispute, the Acharya said.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Miscellaneous
Previous : Repose faith in God in times of distress
Next     : Weather