Madhusudan_Das

His Life and Achievements: 99
know what it is, it is difficult for me to say whether I shall do it or not.
I cannot deceive you by saying I shall do a thing which I never intend
doing." He then stretched his hands and said "Give me all your sarees."
I said "Please excuse me, I am sorry to refuse you again. For I know
you will burn all my sarees. I do not wish to make a bonfire of my
sarees. They have not hurt me and my lifelong policy in 'Waste not
want not. 1 He said " I shall give you a dozen fine Bezwada Saries every
year as long as I live." I said "I am sorry the proposal does not tempt
me. If you are so anxious not to use foreign things why are you using
motor cars, medicine and watches etc. They should be discarded by you.
But under the present circumstances we cannot do so." Gandhiji did not
like my answers. He said, "In ancient India a host and hostess would
give anything to a guest and you cannot give your Sarees to me." I said
"We are not in ancient India, our ideas have changed under British rule
and we have adapted ourselves accordingly. We are used to so many
things what we would find it difficult to give them up. If you want me
not to buy any foreign things I am willing to promise." Gandhiji did
not appreciate my remarks. He turned to my father and said "You hear,
how your daughter talked to me." Then he addressed me and said "I
want you to become a member of the Congress." I said "I shall be
pleased to become a Congress woman when I shall believe in
Congressmen and Congress policy. I shall let you know and come to
your Ashram at Sabarmati." I asked him to pardon my bold remarks.
He left our house the next evening saying that I should be welcome to
his Ashram, whenever I come but 1 never had the pleasure and honour
of being his guest at his Ashram.
INGRATITUDE
Let me take a Maharaja's case. It is needless to describe their
personal characters. I knew a Majaraja's son. He called me "Didi" and
I loved him like a brother. He had a beautiful wife whom he never saw.
She was in great distress and asked me to help her. Inspite of all the
social customs and prejudices against such action, I took up her cause
and made peace between husband and wife, who lived happily for
sometime, and a baby daughter was born to them. I left for England and
on my return I found the Maharaja's son had become a Mahraja and
had wasted all his fortune on a disreputable woman. He lost his 'gadi'
and was ostracised by everyone. After my return when I went to see the