MR. GANDHI
Snt,—In your editorial of March 26th you made allusion to the fact that Mr. Gandhi's " teachings are an instigation to violence," and in your leading article of April 2nd it is declared that " on his political side Mr. Gandhi is entirely mischievous, and dangerously mischievous," yet it is suggested that it might be wise to permit other politicians to inter- view him on the ground that " they might conceivably do him some good."
Would it not be better to deprecate further " Conversations " of any kind with a man who has consistently followed one policy for a quarter of a century. Since his first great campaign in 1919, which so aptly co- incided with an Afghan invasion, Gandhi has done everything possible to oppose and sabotage every British effort to advance Indian self- government. Is he likely to alter his programme now or to give up the one great object of his entire political career, viz., the restoration of the ancient Hindu system of government? He told the All-India Congress Committee as late as last August that their notions of democracy were not his, and it is high time that all liberal-minded politicians were en- couraged to detach themselves from one who so obviously stands as the link between them and the most reactionary elements in Hindu life.
Today there is " no agreement, no understanding, not even the most tentative talks about the government that is to be," and it is to be hoped that no encouragement will. be given to those who are so far blind to the need for attacking this problem that they devote all their energies to devising means for bringing back into active political life one who is the greatest stumbling block in the way of political advance.—Yours
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