When Gandhi left his Ashram for a ‘sacred mission’

Mahatma Gandhi announced to a representative of the Associated Press today that he had decided to disband his Ashram on the banks of the river Sabarmati which has been going on for the last 18 years. He was led to take such a step, he said, “on the eve of my embarking upon what is to be a fresh and sacred mission in life, because hundreds and thousands who took part in the struggle have lost their all.”

Mahatma Gandhi announced to a representative of the Associated Press today that he had decided to disband his Ashram on the banks of the river Sabarmati which has been going on for the last 18 years. He was led to take such a step, he said, “on the eve of my embarking upon what is to be a fresh and sacred mission in life, because hundreds and thousands who took part in the struggle have lost their all.”

Hridaya Kunj the main Ashram Building from where Mahatma Gandhi conducted his activities for a number of years. It was from here that the Father of the Nation Started on his Historic Dandi March - HT Photo.

Asked what were the reasons for taking such serious steps Mahatma Gandhi said, “The reason is Quite obvious for me — hundreds or thousands who took part in the struggle have lost their all. Having heard the story of the brave suffering of the villagers I felt that some drastic action was necessary on my part. What action was necessary on my part? What was it that I could sacrifice. I have nothing on this earth which I can call my own. But I have a few things which are precious and among these precious things the Ashram is perhaps the most precious. I felt that on the eve of my embarking upon what it is to me a fresh and sacred mission in life I should invite the fellow workers of the Ashram to join me and give up for the time being activities in which they have been engaged all these precious years. And I am glad to be able to say that not one of them had the slightest hesitation in believing that time had come for the Ashram to make that sacrifice.”

On what would happen to the many activities conducted in the Ashram, Mahatma Gandhi said, “That is a question somewhat difficult to answer, but I can say generally that if the activities were true and fulfilled some real wants of India they will live in spite of the disbandment. Indeed, the only thing the ashram was doing was to make experiments in khadi manufacture, devising new types of spinning wheels to perfect those that are in existence supporting many Harijan families and teaching candidates all the hand processes that cotton goes through before it comes out as Khadi.”

“This is undoubtedly the essential work and very important but I have faith that the work will be continued even after the Ashram ceases to exist as an institution and this may be said more or less of all other activities of the Ashram.”

Asked what he was going to do now, Mahatma Gandhi said, “I am afraid I must not at the present moment go beyond what I have stated. I hope to make a further statement in the course of the next few days.”

Excerpts from a report published in HT’s edition of July 26, 1933