The following letter has been received by Mr. Gandhi from Miss Anne
Marie Peterson of the Danish Mission in Madras:--
Dear Mr. Gandhi,
I cannot thank you enough for your kindness and the way in which you
received me and I feel that meeting more or less decided my future. I
have thrown myself at the feet of India. At the same time I know that in
Christ alone is my abode and I have no longing and no desire but to live
Him, my crucified Saviour, and reveal Him for those with whom I come in
contact. I just cling to his feet and pray with tears that I may not
disgrace him as we Christians have been doing by our behaviour in India.
We go on crucifying Christ while we long to proclaim the Power of His
resurrection by which He has conquered untruth and unrighteousness. If
we who bear His name were true to Him, we would never bow ourselves
before the Powers of this world, but we would always be on the side of
the poor, the suffering and the oppressed. But we are not and therefore
I feel myself under obligation and only to Christ but to India for His
sake at this time of momentous importance for her future.
Truly it matters little what I, a lonely and insignificant person, may
say or do. What is my protest against the common current, the race to
which I belong is taking and (what grieves me more), which the
missionary societies seem to follow? Even if a respectable number
protested it would not be of any use. Yet were I alone against the whole
world, I must follow my conscience and my God.
I therefore cannot but smile when I see people saying, you should have
awaited the decision of the National Congress before starting the
non-co-operation movement. You have a message for the country, and the
Congress is the voice of the nation--its servant and not its master. A
majority has no right simply because it is a majority.
But we must try to win the majority. And it is easy to see that now that
Congress is going to be with you. Would it have done so if you had kept
quiet and not lent your voice to the feelings of the people? Would the
Congress have known its mind? I think not.
I myself was in much doubt before I heard you. But you convinced me. Not
that I can feel much on the question of the Khilafat. I cannot. I can
see what service you are doing to India, if you can prevent the
Mahomedans from using the sword in order to take revenge and get their
rights. I can see that if you unite the Hindus and the Mahomedans, it
will be a master stroke. How I wish the Christian would also come
forward and unite with you for the sake of their country and the honour
not only of their Motherland but of Christ. I may not feel much for
Turkey, but I feel for India, and I can see she (India) has no other way
to protest against being trampled down and crushed than
non-co-operation.
I also want you to know that many in Denmark and all over the world,
yes, I am sure every true Christian, will feel with and be in sympathy
with India in the struggle which is now going on. God forbid that in the
struggle between might and right, truth and untruth, the spirit and the
flesh, there should be a division of races. There is not. The same
struggle is going on all over the world. What does it matter then that
we are a few? God is on our side.
Brute force often seems to get the upper hand but righteousness always
has and always shall conquer, be it even through much suffering, and
what may even appear to be a defeat. Christ conquered, when the world
crucified Him. Blessed are the meek; they shall inherit the earth.
When I read your speech given at Madras it struck me that it should be
printed as a pamphlet in English, Tamil, Hindustani and all the most
used languages and then spread to every nook and corner of India.
The non-co-operation movement once started must be worked so as to
become successful. If it is not, I dread to think of the consequences.
But you cannot expect it to win in a day or two. It must take time and
you will not despair if you do not reach your goal in a hurry. For those
who have faith there is no haste.
Now for the withdrawal of the children and students from Government
schools, I think, it a most important step. Taking the Government help
(even if it be your money they pay you back), we must submit to its
scheme, its rules and regulation. India and we who love her have come to
the conclusion that the education the foreign Government has given you
is not healthy for India and can certainly never make for her real
growth. This movement would lead to a spontaneous rise of national
schools. Let them be a few but let them spring up through
self-sacrifice. Only by indigenous education can India be truly
uplifted. Why this appeals so much to me is perhaps because I belong to
the part of the Danish people who started their own independent,
indigenous national schools. The Danish Free Schools and
Folk-High-Schools, of which you may have heard, were started against
the opposition and persecution of the State. The organisers won and
thus have regenerated the nation. With my truly heartfelt thanks and
prayers for you.
I am,
Your sincerely,
Anne Marie.