The India I Saw - S Ambujammal’s autobiography
Freedom fighter S Ambujammal
Gandhi in Madras in 1925
Gandhiji and Kasturba came to Madras in 1925, en route to Thiruvananthapuram
Vaikom Satyagraha going on
This was when the Vaikom Satyagraha, in connection with the temple entry, was going on. They stayed at my home for three days
Gandhi in Ambujammal house
previous visit, we had held a reception for them in the garden. This time, we invited Gandhiji in, seated him on a mattress of khaddar and literally worshipped him
Why?
Gandhiji - Then he was a civil rights activist owing to his role in the South African civil rights movement. Now he was a role model—a man who had sacrificed his life for the sake of the country!
Gandhi asking bangles from 6 year old
One devotee came with his six-year-old daughter. Gandhiji placed her on his lap and began conversing with her. He saw her gold bangles and asked, ‘Child, will you give them to me?’ She immediately said yes and then looked at her father. Everyone was watching in stunned silence. ‘Please give Gandhi Thaatha your bangles,’ said the father. Gandhiji was a master at begging for what he wanted. He immediately began to slip the bangles off the girl’s hands. But it was not so easy. ‘Get a pair of pliers,’ he declared! I, who was watching this with other women, was somewhat annoyed with the Mahatma. I quickly went indoors and placed the pearl necklace I was wearing in the safe.
Kasturba meeting women at Thiruvallikeni
special meeting for women, to be presided over by Kasturba at Vasantha Bungalow in Thiruvallikeni
Women donated their jewellery
At her request, all the women led by Kothainayaki Ammal donated their jewellery to fund the cause
Gandhi spoke highly of South Indian women
From then onwards, Gandhiji spoke highly of South Indian women and commended their willingness to sacrifice. I must add here that it was Gandhiji who reduced to a great extent the craze Indian women had for jewellery.
Katherine Mayo's "Mother India" book
- Gandhiji was reading Katherine Mayo’s book Mother India
- The author, an American, had written very derogatively and in a biased manner about Indian women. Indians were not qualified to become independent
- The Mahatma described the book as a sanitary inspector’s report in an article in Young India.
- he gave it to me and asked me to read it and give my opinion on it by nightfall.
Some home truths in it
His view that educated women like me ought to work to eradicate the faults highlighted in the work. Mayo’s book and the Mahatma’s opinion of it gave me a new goal in life—that of social service.
Gandhiji observed silence on Mondays, and on one of those evenings, he was seated on the first floor, engaged in writing articles for Young India.
Some of those present, asked me to play the veena. While I was doing so, a note came from the Mahatma. I was stunned to read what he had written:
‘You may think being immersed in work, I am not paying attention to your performance. But I am listening to it even as I write.’ - Gandhi
I was overcome by embarrassment.
