ALS signed “Bapu,” one page both sides, 4.25 x 6.75, personal letterhead, December 8, 1938. Letter to “My dear Shanta.” In full: “So what was not possible in India has become possible there. Evidently God had planned for you to marry in London. I do hope the union will result in a perfect happiness for both of you. Do tell me something of your life partner’s story of his life. He is evidently doing most valuable work. I expect to see Muriel & Dorothy tomorrow. Agatha comes on the 10th. Mohodere is better.” Light toning and soiling, and a fragile central horizontal mailing fold, otherwise fine condition.
Written during a time when Gandhi and his followers struggled to end British colonial rule of India, this letter’s positive view of London is quite interesting. The recipient may be the Indian dancer and theater director Shanta Gandhi, who married Victor Kiernan in 1938; a Marxist historian, Kiernan emerged as one of the most outspoken critics of British imperialism and was also an important translator of Urdu poetry. The others mentioned in the letter are some of Gandhi’s closest associates—Muriel Lester, Dorothy Hogg, and Agatha Harrison. A warm, compassionate letter from the important peaceful activist.
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