TRAINING ASSOCIATES

All those who have spent some days with Gandhi helping him to deal with his correspondence or the editorial work of his journals or the work of the organizations that he founded for his Constructive Programme (like the Spinners' Association, the Village Industries Association, Harijan Sevak Sangh) have testified to the way Gandhi tried to train them in their work. On the eve of the Non-Co-operation movement Gandhi was keen to spot persons (from his personal secretariat) who could carry on the work of his journals, Young India and Navajivan, if he were arrested. His choice fell on Pyarelal who later became his Secretary, and on Krishnadas. Krishnadas has recorded how Gandhi first asked him to write short notes for publication in the Young India. He would remind Krishnadas every day to see that he wrote in spite of his other responsibilities. He would ask Krishnadas to read out what he had written or leave it with him. He would then study it with great care, and tell how he should correct what he had written. Sometimes he would tell Krishnadas that the note ended too abruptly; he should write a longer conclusion. In the same way, Gandhi also used to train Krishnadas to draft replies (to letters) in Gandhi's own style. "An Indian sojourner in England had written a long letter to Mahatmaji. Mahatmaji asked me to write out an answer and show it to him. He passed the draft reply. Only he scored out the word 'Mahatmaji', wherever I had written it, and put in 'Mr. Gandhi' instead. In another place, I wrote 'India can remain within the Empire, if it is consistent with her dignity and self-respect.' He has altered it into 'India can remain with the British, if it is consistent with her dignity and self-respect.' "
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